How to screen record on Mac with audio

Short answer: on macOS 27 Golden Gate, released September 14, 2026, press ⌘⇧5, choose a recording option, click Options and choose Include System Audio. On macOS 26 Tahoe and earlier, ⌘⇧5 and QuickTime Player only record a microphone, so the sound playing on your Mac needs a workaround: a free virtual audio device called BlackHole, OBS Studio, or an app that captures it for you. macOS 27 only runs on Apple silicon Macs, so Intel Macs stay on the older path.

Apple's support article on recording the screen ties the Include System Audio option to macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, and the macOS 26 version of Apple's screenshot guide lists a microphone as the only audio option. Everything below was checked on September 30, 2026. This page is published by Shottie, one of the apps below.

Method 1: the built-in recorder (⌘⇧5)

1. Press ⌘⇧5 to open the Screenshot toolbar. In QuickTime Player, File > New Screen Recording opens the same toolbar.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Window (macOS 26 or later) or Record Selected Portion.
3. Click Options. Under Microphone, choose the microphone for your voice. On macOS 27, choose Include System Audio for the sound from your Mac.
4. Click Record, or click the window you chose. Stop with the button in the menu bar or ⌘⌃Esc.

The recording lands on your desktop as a .mov file. Apple notes that some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows at all. On macOS 26 and earlier the Options menu has no system audio entry, which is the whole reason the next two methods exist.

Method 2: the free workaround for macOS 26 and earlier

BlackHole is an open-source virtual audio device: it accepts the sound your Mac plays and offers it back as a microphone. You route your Mac's output through a Multi-Output Device so you can still hear it, then record with BlackHole as the microphone.

1. Install BlackHole 2ch with brew install blackhole-2ch, or use the installer linked from its project page, and restart if it asks you to.
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup from Spotlight. If no device list appears, choose Audio Devices from its Window menu.
3. Click the + at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
4. Tick Use for your speakers or headphones and for BlackHole 2ch. Make your speakers the primary device, and tick Drift Correction on BlackHole.
5. Right-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output.
6. Press ⌘⇧5, click Options and choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone. Record.

Two catches. BlackHole's own FAQ says macOS can't change the volume of a Multi-Output Device, so the volume keys do nothing until you undo this. And Options takes one microphone, so with BlackHole chosen you get the Mac's sound without your voice; for both together, use OBS or an app.

To undo it: in Audio MIDI Setup, right-click your speakers and choose Use This Device For Sound Output, select the Multi-Output Device and click the Remove button. To remove BlackHole itself, run the uninstaller package from its README.

Method 3: OBS Studio

OBS is free, open source and runs on macOS 13 or later. On those versions it can capture audio without BlackHole, because its macOS Screen Capture source uses Apple's ScreenCaptureKit.

1. Install OBS Studio from obsproject.com and open it.
2. Click + under Sources and add macOS Screen Capture, then pick a display, window or application. Its audio appears in the Audio Mixer.
3. Check the mixer meters move for both desktop audio and your microphone. If they don't, open Settings > Audio and pick the devices yourself.
4. Click Start Recording.

On OBS Studio 30 and later there's also a macOS Audio Capture source, which can take all desktop audio or one application's. OBS is built for streaming, so it's more setup than a quick clip deserves; it's the right pick when you want a scene with several sources.

Method 4: a recorder that does it in one step

Shottie records an area, a window or the full screen with ⌘⇧8, with microphone and system audio, an optional webcam bubble, and your clicks turned into zooms you can edit on a timeline. It exports a 60 fps H.264 MP4 at 1080p or 4K, and needs macOS 15 or later rather than 27. It's $29 once for two Macs, with no GIF export and no cloud links. Choose it if you make tutorials or product clips and want the sound without touching Audio MIDI Setup; the Screen Studio alternatives page compares it with the auto-zoom recorders.

CleanShot X lists Record Microphone and Record Computer Audio, exports MP4 or GIF, and costs $35 once. Snagit records microphone and system audio too, at $39 a year. For a quick capture in the browser, our free screen recorder records a screen, window or tab with an optional microphone, and in Chrome or Edge a shared tab can include that tab's own audio.

Which method to pick

On a Mac running macOS 27, use ⌘⇧5 and stop reading. On an Intel Mac or anything stuck on macOS 26, the choice is about how often you record. For one recording, BlackHole costs nothing and takes a few minutes, then you undo it. For regular recordings where you also speak over the screen, an app that mixes both sources saves you re-doing the routing; OBS does that for free, with a steeper learning curve, and Shottie, CleanShot X and Snagit do it for a price.

The methods compared

Prices checked September 30, 2026. If the recording is for a screenshot-heavy workflow rather than video, see the best screenshot app for Mac roundup instead.

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