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Screen recording with audio on Mac

TL;DR

macOS is famously restrictive about system audio — QuickTime records your screen but not your Mac's audio by default. Three real solutions: (1) use QuickTime with a virtual audio driver (BlackHole is free; Loopback is $99); (2) use SeaMeet's desktop app, which sets up system-audio capture in its installer; (3) use OBS Studio with the same virtual audio driver approach. QuickTime + BlackHole is the free minimum; SeaMeet is the zero-setup option.

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By SeaMeet Team · Published July 3, 2026

macOS built-in + free open-source driver

Method 1 · QuickTime + BlackHole (free, needs setup)

QuickTime is Apple's built-in screen recorder. On its own it captures your screen and microphone, but not system audio (the sound your Mac is playing). BlackHole is a free open-source virtual audio driver that routes system audio into a virtual microphone that QuickTime can then record. Setup is ~10 minutes; the result is free forever.

  1. 01

    Install BlackHole from GitHub

    Download BlackHole-2ch installer from github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole. Free, open source, notarized by Apple.

  2. 02

    Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup

    Open /Applications/Utilities/Audio MIDI Setup. Click the + button → Create Multi-Output Device. Check both your speakers (so you can hear the audio) and BlackHole 2ch (so it's captured).

  3. 03

    Set the Multi-Output Device as your system output

    System Settings → Sound → Output → pick the Multi-Output Device you just made. Now every sound your Mac plays goes to both your speakers and BlackHole.

  4. 04

    Open QuickTime → File → New Screen Recording

    Click the small arrow next to the record button, and pick BlackHole 2ch as the microphone. Click record.

  5. 05

    Save the recording when done

    Cmd-Ctrl-Esc to stop, save the .mov. The video will have both your microphone and system audio mixed in.

This affects your normal audio playback — while the Multi-Output Device is your default output, you can't use per-app volume controls the same way, and some apps that need exclusive audio access (Logic, Zoom in some modes) get confused. Switch back to your normal output when done recording.

macOS installer handles the audio driver for you

Method 2 · SeaMeet desktop app (zero setup)

SeaMeet's Mac installer sets up system-audio capture automatically — no BlackHole, no Multi-Output Device, no Audio MIDI Setup gymnastics. Recording is a single click. It's a meeting-focused recorder (live transcript in 20+ languages, AI summary), but it also handles general screen recording with audio via the desktop app's "Record anything" mode.

  1. 01

    Download SeaMeet for Mac

    Go to seameet.ai/en/download → Mac. Installer is a signed .pkg (works on both Intel and Apple Silicon).

  2. 02

    Grant Screen & Audio permissions on first launch

    macOS prompts for Screen Recording, Microphone, and Accessibility permissions in System Settings. Grant them once; SeaMeet remembers.

  3. 03

    Click Record — no audio setup needed

    SeaMeet's installer configured system-audio capture during install. Recording captures your screen (or window), microphone, and system audio in one click.

  4. 04

    Stop when done

    The recording (with transcript + summary if you were on a call) lands in your SeaMeet library.

Free, more control, steeper learning curve

Method 3 · OBS Studio with BlackHole

OBS Studio is the tool of choice for streamers and creators — full control over multiple video sources, per-source audio mixing, and higher bitrates than QuickTime. Uses BlackHole the same way QuickTime does. Best if you want the highest video quality, multi-source scenes (webcam + screen + microphone), or if you're also streaming to Twitch/YouTube.

  1. 01

    Install OBS from obsproject.com

    Free, open source, cross-platform. macOS build supports both Intel and Apple Silicon.

  2. 02

    Install BlackHole if you haven't already

    Same driver as Method 1. See Method 1 step 1.

  3. 03

    In OBS, add a Display Capture source

    Sources panel → + → Display Capture. Pick which monitor to record.

  4. 04

    Add an Audio Input Capture with device = BlackHole 2ch

    This is the crucial step — OBS won't record system audio without a source pointing at BlackHole.

  5. 05

    Add another Audio Input Capture for your microphone

    Optional but usually wanted — you want your voice narrated over the system audio.

  6. 06

    Click Start Recording

    OBS records to mp4 or mkv by default; check Settings → Output for the file location.

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Platform-specific recording guides

How to record a Zoom meeting How to record a Google Meet How to record a Microsoft Teams meeting How to record a WhatsApp call How to record a Discord call How to record a Slack huddle

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why doesn't macOS just let me record system audio? +
Apple's security model treats system audio as a potentially sensitive stream — a rogue app could otherwise capture bank-verification codes read aloud, video calls, or DRM-protected audio. That's why apps have to bring their own virtual audio driver (BlackHole, Loopback, SeaMeet's installer). Windows and Linux are more permissive here.
Is BlackHole safe? +
Yes — open source (MIT license), Apple-notarized, widely audited. Used by Discord, Loom, and many others as a recommended audio driver. Source code at github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole.
Why not just use Loopback ($99)? +
Loopback (by Rogue Amoeba) is polished and doesn't require Multi-Output Device configuration — you build custom "pass-through" audio devices in a GUI. If you record often and value the UX, it's worth the $99. For occasional recording, free BlackHole is enough.
Can I record a specific app's audio only (not the entire system)? +
On macOS 14.2+, yes — apps can request the new Audio Capture API to capture per-app audio. SeaMeet uses this on supported systems. On older macOS, no — you're capturing the whole system output and would need to mute other apps.
What about the built-in Screen Recording in Control Center? +
Same limitation as QuickTime — captures screen + mic, no system audio. Route system audio through BlackHole and pick BlackHole as the mic in Control Center → Screen Recording options.
Does this work on M1/M2/M3 Macs? +
Yes to all three methods. BlackHole, SeaMeet, and OBS all ship native Apple Silicon builds.
How do I transcribe the recording afterwards? +
Upload the mp4 to SeaMeet's "Import file" flow for a transcript + summary. Or use open-source Whisper locally — see [how to transcribe a meeting for free](/en/how-to-transcribe-a-meeting-for-free/).
What if I'm recording a specific meeting platform? +
Use a browser recorder (SeaMeet's app.seameet.ai) instead — it captures the meeting tab directly without the BlackHole dance. See the per-platform guides: [Zoom](/en/how-to-record-a-zoom-meeting/), [Meet](/en/how-to-record-a-google-meet/), [Teams](/en/how-to-record-a-teams-meeting/).

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