How do I screen record on mac with audio?

When it comes to screen recording on a Mac with audio using the built-in screencapture command, he main disadvantage is that it can be a bit clunky. The built-in tool is simple but doesn’t let you record your system audio directly. So, if you're trying to capture both the screen and something playing through your speakers.

Lastly, if you want to add any kind of annotations, transitions, or other cool editing tricks while filming, the built-in tools won’t help you out at all. You’d need to edit everything afterward with another app, which adds to the workload.

So, if you’re just casually recording some gameplay or a tutorial, the built-in tools can get the job done, but for anything more polished, you might wanna scope out some dedicated screen recording software that lets you manage audio and video seamlessly.

I also thought that recording screen on Mac with audio was troublesome before, especially since Mac does not have the function of directly recording system sound. After some research, I found that using built-in screen recording + virtual audio driver (BlackHole) is the most reliable method!

1. Install BlackHole (free virtual audio driver)
2. Search "BlackHole Mac" online, download and install (16ch version is recommended).
   After installation, open "Audio MIDI Setup" (in "Applications → Utilities").
3. Click "+" in the lower left corner and select Create multiple output devices.
4. Check BlackHole and built-in speakers so that the sound can be played + recorded normally.
   Set Mac audio output
5. System Preferences → Sound → Output, select the multiple output device you just created.
6. Select BlackHole as the input device, so that the sound played by the Mac will be recorded!
7. Open Mac built-in screen recording (Shift + Command + 5)
8. Click "Options" and select BlackHole 16ch in the "Microphone" option.
9. Choose to record the full screen or the selected window, and click "Record" to start.
10. After recording, restore the audio settings

After recording, return to the system sound settings and change the output back to the built-in speaker, otherwise you will find that your Mac has no sound

I have used this method many times, record screen on macbook with audio, including system sound + microphone, such as recording Zoom meetings, teaching videos, and even recording and broadcasting B station videos! The only drawback is that you have to set it up a little for the first time, but you can use it at any time afterwards, without the need for additional software, and it will not affect the sound quality!

If you are someone who records screens frequently, it is recommended to configure BlackHole at one time, and recording + screen recording will be as simple as Windows in the future! 

Mac doesn't give you a direct option to record screen on Mac with audio like Windows does, but it's not completely impossible. Here are two methods to record system sound + microphone without too much trouble.

The QuickTime Player that comes with Mac can actually record the screen, but it can only record the microphone, and the system sound cannot be recorded directly.

Steps:

1. Open QuickTime Player, click File → New Screen Recording in the menu bar.
2. Click Recording Options (drop-down arrow) and select your microphone.
3. Select the recording area and click Record.

💡 Disadvantages: This method cannot record the system sound of Mac, only the microphone. If you want to record Zoom meeting playback, YouTube tutorials, etc., the system sound will be lost.

Hope it helps you! Mac screen recording is indeed a little more complicated than Windows, but it's easy after you get the settings!

The built-in screencapture command of macOS can record screen on mac with sound, but does not support direct video recording. However, you can combine sox (a powerful audio processing tool) to record microphone audio and manually synthesize audio and video.

Step 1: Record the screen
The built-in screencapture command of macOS supports recording the screen:

screencapture -C -v screen.mov

-C: Include the mouse pointer.

-v: Record video (macOS Mojave and above).

Step 2: Record microphone audio
Install sox:

brew install sox

Then run:

rec -r 44100 -c 2 -b 16 audio.wav

-r 44100: Set the sampling rate to 44.1kHz (CD level).

-c 2: Stereo audio.

-b 16: 16bit sampling bit depth.

Step 3: Combine audio and video

ffmskpeg -i screen.mov -i audio.wav -c:v copy -c:a aac final_video.mp4

This command will merge audio audio.wav into screen.mov and generate final_video.mp4.

If you want to record screen on mac with audio, the command line method is a bit more complicated, but it can be done.

OBBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is a powerful, free, and open-source tool for screen recording and live streaming. It supports recording system audio and microphone audio simultaneously. The following section provides an easy step-by-step guide for screen recording on mac with audio:

1. Open this free screen recorder app and create a new scene by clicking the + button under the "Scenes" section.

2. Add a source by clicking the + button under the "Sources" section and selecting Display Capture to record your screen.

3. Go to Preferences > Audio. Set your Mic/Auxiliary Audio for microphone input. To record system audio, you may need to install a virtual audio device like BlackHole and configure it in it.

4. Click Start Recording in the Controls section.

5. This recorder app will begin recording your screen and audio.

6. Click Stop Recording when done.

7. Your recording will be saved in the default location (set in Preferences > Output > Recording Path).

This is excellent free screen recorder for mac Mac with audio. QuickTime is ideal for quick and simple recordings, while it offers more advanced features and flexibility. If you need to record system audio, tools like BlackHole can help bridge the gap. Choose the method that best suits your needs and start recording!

I first used QuickTime to record the screen, but I couldn't record the system sound at all. I could only record the microphone. It was ridiculous... 😑 Later, I checked a lot of information and found that Mac does not support direct recording of system sound by default. You need to install a tool called Soundsflower to capture the system sound when QuickTime is recording the screen.

This method is a bit tricky, but the final effect is not bad. If you want to find and delete duplicate files on Mac, and you have used the command line, then this method can also solve it.

Steps:

1. Download and install Soundsflower (you can find it on GitHub, please note that the Mac M1/M2 version requires a special installation method).
2. Modify the audio settings of Mac:
3. Open System Preferences -> Sound -> Output, and select Soundsflower (2ch) as the audio output device.
4. This way, Mac will treat all system sounds (such as YouTube, game, and meeting sounds) as "input" devices for easy recording.
5. Open QuickTime:
6. Click File -> New Screen Recording.
7. In the audio input option, select Soundsflower (2ch).
8. Start recording, and the system sound can be recorded!

After recording, remember to change back to the original sound output, otherwise you may find that the computer has no sound. (Go back to System Preferences and change the audio output back to Built-in Speakers).

If you want to record screen on Mac with audio, but don't want to install too much software, QuickTime + Soundsflower may be a solution.

Screen recording on a Mac can be incredibly useful for creating tutorials, recording webinars, capturing gameplay, or saving video calls. Fortunately, macOS comes with built-in tools that allow you to record your screen with audio for free. The most popular and easy-to-use option is QuickTime Player, which is pre-installed on all Macs. 

How to screen record on mac with audio free

QuickTime Player is a simple and effective tool for screen recording on Mac. It allows you to record your screen with internal audio (system sound) or external audio (microphone).

1. Go to your Applications folder or search for "QuickTime Player" using Spotlight (Cmd + Space).
2. In QuickTime Player, click on File in the menu bar, then select New Screen Recording.
3. A recording toolbar will appear. Before starting, click the small arrow next to the Record button to reveal additional options.
4. Click the Record button, then choose whether to record the entire screen or a selected portion by dragging to select an area.
5. Click Record to start. A countdown will begin, and your screen recording will start. To stop recording, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Cmd + Ctrl + Esc.
6. Once stopped, the recording will automatically open in QuickTime Player. You can trim, edit, or save it by clicking File > Save.

Note: QuickTime Player doesn't natively support recording system audio, but you can use BlackHole (a free virtual audio driver) to achieve this.

Brother, I just switched from Windows 11 to Mac, and screen recording was a hassle... But after all the hassles, I summarized 3 methods, you can see which one is suitable for you!

Method 1: Use Mac's built-in QuickTime + tips (suitable for recording only the microphone)
Mac's built-in QuickTime Player can record screen on macbook, but!!! It can only record the screen + microphone, not the system sound, I really give up. If you just want to record yourself talking + screen, this is the easiest, the steps are:

1. Open QuickTime Player (search Spotlight to find it)
2. Click "File" → "New Screen Recording"
3. Select "Microphone" (but it will not record system sound!)
4. Start recording

It is suitable for lecture-type screen recording, but if you want to record games, meetings, videos and other things with system sound, sorry, it can't...

Method 2: Modify audio settings (suitable for tinkerers)
Mac does not allow you to record system sound by default, but you can actually adjust it in the sound settings. The idea is to "bypass" the system sound to the microphone input:

1. Open "System Settings" → "Sound"
2. Select the appropriate audio device in "Output" (such as external speakers or headphones)
3. Find a device that can receive system sound in "Input" (it depends on whether you have special equipment)
4. Then use QuickTime to record screen on mac and select the right microphone source

But to be honest, this method is not very reliable, it is suitable for friends with strong hands-on ability to try...

Method 3: Find a professional screen recording method (suitable for stable recording)
Mac itself has too many restrictions, many people will find a more professional screen recording method to screen record on mac with audio. The method is usually to use special settings to record both system sound and microphone. You can search the Apple community or official documents for specific steps. Basically, you can't avoid some technical work...