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Does QuickTime Player record system audio on a Mac?

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

No, QuickTime Player cannot record system audio on a Mac. Its three recording modes, New Movie Recording, New Audio Recording and New Screen Recording, all take one microphone input, and none captures what the Mac plays. Apple's guide lists Microphone and Quality as the only audio options. To record computer audio with QuickTime you need a virtual driver such as BlackHole; to avoid a driver you need a ScreenCaptureKit app.

What does QuickTime actually record in each mode?

QuickTime Player has three items under File, and people mix them up.

In every mode the audio source is a Core Audio input device. System audio is an output. QuickTime has no way to listen to an output, which is the whole problem. The full list of what the toolbar can and cannot do is in what can the built-in Mac screen recorder record.

Why can't QuickTime record computer audio when iPhone screen recording can?

On iOS, screen recording is a system feature that captures app audio by design. On macOS, Apple made system audio capture a permission-gated capability for third-party apps instead of a QuickTime feature. Since macOS 12.3 the framework is ScreenCaptureKit, described by Apple as a way to "stream screen content and audio to your app", and macOS 13 added the Screen & System Audio Recording permission that any such app must request. Apple's own QuickTime Player never adopted it for audio.

That leaves two routes for computer audio:

  1. A virtual audio driver (BlackHole, Loopback) that appears to QuickTime as a microphone. Free with BlackHole, but you must reroute your system output and you lose the volume keys while recording.
  2. A ScreenCaptureKit recorder (OBS Studio for video, Audio Hijack or AirCheck for audio only). Nothing installed in Audio MIDI Setup, speakers untouched, one permission dialog.

For the background on drivers see what is a virtual audio driver and when do you need one.

How to record system audio with QuickTime using BlackHole?

Tested sequence on macOS 26.4.1 for an audio-only file:

  1. Install BlackHole 2ch from existential.audio. It is donation-based; the free download is behind a "can't afford to donate" link.
  2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications > Utilities). Click + and choose Create Multi-Output Device. Tick your speakers and BlackHole 2ch.
  3. System Settings > Sound > Output: choose the Multi-Output Device. This is the step people skip, and then they record fine but hear nothing.
  4. QuickTime Player > File > New Audio Recording. Click the arrow next to the record button and choose BlackHole 2ch as the microphone and Maximum as the quality.
  5. Press Record, play the source, press Stop, then File > Save.

Limits: the file is 44.1 kHz even though macOS system audio runs at 48 kHz on this Mac, so Core Audio resamples on the way in. Your own microphone is not included. And any app that was already playing when you switched output devices may need a pause and play to move to the new device. Compare this with the driver-free method in how to record audio only without video on Mac.

What should I use instead of QuickTime for system audio?

It depends on whether you want video.

QuickTime stays the right tool for a quick microphone take, for trimming, and for exporting an existing .mov to audio, which it does well; see how to extract audio from a Mac screen recording.

Maximum: 44100 Hz, uncompressed Linear PCM 24-bit AIFF-C audio

Apple, Record audio in QuickTime Player on Mac

QuickTime Player recording modes compared with system audio recorders

Tool and modeMicrophoneSystem audioOutputSample rateSaves automaticallyPrice
QuickTime: New Audio RecordingyesnoAAC or 24-bit AIFF-C44.1 kHzno, File > Savefree
QuickTime: New Screen Recordingyesno.mov video48 kHz AAC trackyesfree
QuickTime + BlackHole 2chno (BlackHole takes the slot)yesAAC or 24-bit AIFF-C44.1 kHznofree
Piezoyesone app at a timeaudio filedevice rateyes$29
Audio Hijack 4yes, mixedyesaudio filedevice rateyes$69
AirCheckseparate takeyesWAV 16/24-bit or MP3 32048 kHz (device rate)yes$39

QuickTime rates from Apple's guide. Screen recording track rate measured with ffprobe on macOS 26.4.1. Prices from vendor pages on 3 Sept 2026.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck is the driver-free version of the BlackHole and QuickTime trick. It records system audio through ScreenCaptureKit at the device rate, 48 kHz on this Mac, into a 24-bit AIFF master, then exports WAV or 320 kbps MP3 into ~/Music/AirCheck without a Save step. No Multi-Output Device, no lost volume keys, and your own playback in AirCheck is excluded from the capture. It is $39 once, needs macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, and has no length limit; the longest real take in the author's library is 2 h 5 min.

When you do not need it: If you only need your own voice, QuickTime's New Audio Recording is free and fine. If you want to record one app while another plays, Piezo at $29 is the cheaper, more targeted tool.

AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.

Buy AirCheck for $39

macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.

Questions people ask

Does QuickTime on Mac record audio at all?

Yes. File > New Audio Recording records one microphone, at 44.1 kHz AAC or 24-bit AIFF-C, and File > New Screen Recording can include a microphone track. Neither records the sound the Mac itself plays.

How to record internal audio on Mac with QuickTime?

Install BlackHole, build a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup, set it as the system output, then pick BlackHole 2ch as the microphone in QuickTime. Without the Multi-Output Device you will record but hear nothing.

How to record audio on Mac without QuickTime?

Voice Memos records a microphone. For system audio use OBS Studio (video), Audio Hijack, Piezo, or AirCheck (audio). All four use ScreenCaptureKit and need the Screen & System Audio Recording permission once.

Why is my QuickTime audio recording gone after I quit?

New Audio Recording does not autosave. Apple's guide says to choose File > Save to name and store the recording. Screen recordings made through the Screenshot toolbar do save automatically.

Sources

Hannes Hennerbichler builds AirCheck and records his own DJ sets with it through a Focusrite Scarlett 8i6. Every step on this page was run on the macOS version stated above. Drafted with AI assistance, checked and edited by the author. About