Guides / Recording internal and system audio

Can a Mac record internal audio natively?

Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.

A Mac can record internal audio natively since macOS 13 Ventura, but only through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit API, which third-party apps call. Apple ships no built-in app that records system sound: QuickTime Player, Voice Memos and the Screenshot toolbar record a microphone. You need one small app that uses the API, or a virtual audio driver such as BlackHole. No driver is required on macOS 13 or newer.

Does Mac have a built-in audio recorder for system sound?

No. Every recorder that ships with macOS takes its audio from an input device, never from what the Mac is playing.

• Voice Memos records from "the built-in microphone, a supported headset, or an external mic", according to Apple's guide.
• QuickTime Player has File > New Audio Recording, which lists microphones and audio interfaces, and File > New Screen Recording, which produces a video file.
• The Screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5) has one audio control. Apple's support page says: "To record your voice or other audio with the screen recording, choose a microphone." The list under Options > Microphone contains input devices only.

On macOS 26.4.1 that menu still shows no "System Audio" entry. So the honest answer to "does Mac have a built-in audio recorder" is: for your voice, yes, three of them. For Spotify, a browser tab or a Zoom call, none. The QuickTime guide covers what its screen recorder does capture.

So can a Mac record internal audio at all?

Yes. The capability lives in the operating system, not in an app. Apple's ScreenCaptureKit framework arrived in macOS 12.3 for video, and its capturesAudio property was added in macOS 13.0. Apple's documentation is blunt about the default: "A stream doesn't capture audio by default. Set this value to true if you require audio capture." The stream delivers stereo PCM at 48 kHz unless the app asks for 8, 16 or 24 kHz.

macOS 14.2 added a second route inside Core Audio, AudioHardwareCreateProcessTap, which taps the output of chosen processes. Both routes need one permission: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording. Apple's support page notes you can "allow apps to record both your screen and audio, or just your audio".

What Apple did not do is put a button on either API. That is why the answer is "natively, yes, but not with a stock app". Read what ScreenCaptureKit audio capture is for the details and exclusions.

Why can't QuickTime record system audio on Mac?

QuickTime's audio recorder is built on AVFoundation capture, which enumerates input devices. A Mac's output (speakers, headphones, HDMI) is not an input, so nothing the Mac plays appears in that list. The same limitation applies to Voice Memos, GarageBand and ffmpeg -f avfoundation (see recording from the Terminal).

Before macOS 13 the only fix was a virtual audio driver. Soundflower, then BlackHole, install a fake device that is both an output and an input. You send the Mac's sound into it, then record it as if it were a microphone. It works, but it silences your speakers until you build a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup, and it adds a kernel or user-space driver to the system. Audacity's own guide still describes this route and warns that Soundflower does not run on Apple silicon.

On macOS 13 or newer none of that is needed. An app that calls ScreenCaptureKit gets the mixed system output directly, with your speakers untouched. See recording Mac audio without BlackHole.

What is the fastest way to record internal audio on a Mac in 2026?

If your Mac runs macOS 13 or newer, use an app that captures through ScreenCaptureKit. The sequence is the same for any of them:

1. Open the app and choose System Audio as the source.
2. Approve the one-time Screen & System Audio Recording prompt (macOS opens System Settings; toggle the app on).
3. Play the sound you want and press record. Stop when done.

With AirCheck the capture is 24-bit PCM at 48 kHz and lands in ~/Music/AirCheck as WAV or MP3, with no driver and nothing added to Audio MIDI Setup. OBS Studio does the same capture for free but writes a video container that you then have to strip. Audio Hijack ($69) is the flexible option if you need to mix a microphone into the same file, which a single ScreenCaptureKit stream does not do before macOS 15.

If your Mac is on macOS 12 or older, the API is not there. BlackHole plus QuickTime is the free route, described in the main system audio guide.

A stream doesn’t capture audio by default. Set this value to true if you require audio capture.

Apple, ScreenCaptureKit documentation (capturesAudio)

Ways to record internal audio on a Mac (Sept 2026)

Prices from vendor pages fetched 3 Sept 2026. BlackHole needs a Multi-Output Device or your speakers go silent.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck exists for exactly this gap: a $39 one-off app that records whatever the Mac plays through ScreenCaptureKit, needs only the Screen & System Audio Recording permission, installs no driver, and exports WAV 16-bit, WAV 24-bit or MP3 320 kbps. It requires macOS 14 Sonoma or newer and runs on Apple silicon and Intel. If you have tried BlackHole and lost your speakers, or opened OBS and got a video file, this is the direct route.

When you do not need it: If you only need your own voice, Voice Memos or QuickTime is free and fine. System audio never includes your own microphone; mixing the two into one file live is a different category of tool.

Questions people ask

Can Mac screen record internal audio?

Not with the built-in Screenshot toolbar or QuickTime, which record a microphone plus video. OBS Studio can include system audio in a screen recording on macOS 13 or newer. For sound only, an audio recorder that uses ScreenCaptureKit gives you a WAV instead of a video file.

What is a free way to record internal audio on a Mac?

BlackHole (free, GPL-3.0) plus QuickTime Player, with a Multi-Output Device built in Audio MIDI Setup so you still hear the sound. OBS Studio is the other free option on macOS 13 or newer, but it saves video containers, not audio files.

How can I record internal audio on my Mac without any software?

You cannot. No stock macOS app records system output. The smallest addition is either a free virtual driver (BlackHole) or a small recorder built on Apple's ScreenCaptureKit API, which needs only the Screen & System Audio Recording permission and installs nothing else.

Does a MacBook record internal audio differently from an iMac or Mac mini?

No. The capture path is the same on every Mac that runs macOS 13 or newer, Apple silicon or Intel. Only the microphone situation differs: a Mac mini has none built in, so voice recording needs an external input.

Sources

• Apple: ScreenCaptureKit capturesAudio (macOS 13.0+)
• Apple: ScreenCaptureKit sampleRate (default 48 kHz)
• Apple: AudioHardwareCreateProcessTap (macOS 14.2+)
• Apple Support: Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac
• Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac
• Apple Support: Create a recording in Voice Memos on Mac
• Audacity: Recording desktop audio
• Existential Audio: BlackHole on GitHub
• Rogue Amoeba: Audio Hijack purchase page

Related guides

• What is ScreenCaptureKit audio capture on a Mac?
• Does QuickTime Player record system audio on a Mac?
• How to record audio from one app only on a Mac
• Does Mac have a built-in audio recorder?
• How to record audio from a browser tab on a Mac
• How to record computer audio and microphone at the same time on a Mac
• Recording internal and system audio: all guides
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