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How to capture desktop audio in OBS on a Mac

Updated 2026-09-03.

You can capture desktop audio in OBS on a Mac with the built-in macOS Audio Capture source. It needs OBS Studio 30 or newer and macOS 13 Ventura or newer, and uses Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, so no BlackHole or Soundflower is required. You choose all desktop audio or one application. OBS still writes a video container (mkv, mp4, mov), never a bare WAV.

How do I capture desktop audio in OBS on a Mac (OBS 30+, macOS 13+)?

OBS's knowledge base states: "When using OBS Studio 30 on macOS 13 (Ventura) and higher, you can use the new macOS Audio Capture Source." Check OBS Studio > About for the version first.

  1. In the Sources panel click + and choose macOS Audio Capture. Give it a name and click OK.
  2. In the properties window set Capture Type. Desktop Audio takes everything the Mac plays. Application Audio lets you pick one running app from a list, so only that app is recorded.
  3. Click OK. A new meter appears in the Audio Mixer. Play something and confirm the meter moves. If it does not, the Screen Recording permission is missing; see the permissions section below.
  4. Open Settings > Audio and set Sample Rate to 48 kHz (or 44.1 kHz if every device you use runs at 44.1). Channels: Stereo.
  5. Open Settings > Output > Recording, pick a folder, and set the Recording Format. mkv survives a crash; mp4 does not, but plays everywhere.
  6. Click Start Recording. Stop with the same button.

On OBS 28 or 29 the source does not exist. The knowledge base's instruction for those versions is to add a macOS Screen Capture source instead; its audio is added to the mixer automatically, and you can hide the video by placing the source behind everything else or setting its size to zero. Upgrading to 30 is simpler.

Do I need BlackHole or Soundflower for OBS on a Mac?

Not on macOS 13 or newer. The OBS 28.0 release notes record the change: "Added support for the ScreenCaptureKit Framework on macOS 12.5+, including support for direct audio capture without requiring third-party solutions on macOS 13+". OBS 30.0 then "Added application audio capture on macOS", which is the per-app option in the source above.

ScreenCaptureKit is Apple's framework for screen and system-audio capture. An app with the Screen Recording permission asks macOS for the audio of the display or of a specific application, and macOS delivers it as a normal audio stream. Nothing is installed in Audio MIDI Setup, your speakers keep playing, and the volume keys keep working. That is the difference from the BlackHole method, where the Mac's output is diverted into a fake device and you have to build a Multi-Output Device to hear anything.

You still need BlackHole in two cases: a Mac stuck on macOS 12 or earlier, and a workflow where OBS's audio must reach another app live (for example, sending the mix into a DAW). For a plain recording, skip the driver. If you already installed one and want it gone, see uninstalling BlackHole.

How do I record only audio in OBS without a video file?

You cannot. OBS always encodes a video track and writes a container, even if the canvas is black. The practical routes:

  1. Record to mkv with a tiny canvas. In Settings > Video set the Output Resolution low (for example 256x144) and the FPS to the lowest value, so the video track costs almost nothing. Record as usual.
  2. Pick the audio codec and bitrate. Settings > Output (Output Mode: Advanced) > Audio lets you set the bitrate per track; 320 kbps AAC is the ceiling most builds offer. There is no PCM or WAV option for a standard mp4 recording.
  3. Extract the audio afterwards. Open the file in QuickTime Player and choose File > Export As > Audio Only for an AAC .m4a, or use ffmpeg -i recording.mkv -vn -c:a copy audio.m4a to pull the track out untouched. The method with screenshots is in how to extract audio from a Mac screen recording.

If you want a WAV or AIFF directly and have no need for video, a dedicated audio recorder is the shorter path; the comparison in QuickTime vs OBS vs Audacity shows which free tool writes which format. OBS's strength is the opposite case: desktop audio, a mic, a webcam and game video in one synchronized file.

Which macOS permissions and settings does OBS need?

OBS's macOS permissions guide lists four: Screen Recording to "capture your desktop, windows, and apps", Microphone to "capture your mic and audio devices", Camera, and Accessibility for global hotkeys. The macOS Audio Capture source depends on Screen Recording, because system audio comes through ScreenCaptureKit. Grant it in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, toggle OBS on, then quit and reopen OBS; macOS does not apply the grant to a running process. OBS also offers OBS Studio menu > Review App Permissions to check all four at once.

Two settings that commonly bite:

If the meter still does not move after all of this, work through OBS desktop audio not working on Mac, which covers the remaining causes in order.

Added support for the ScreenCaptureKit Framework on macOS 12.5+, including support for direct audio capture without requiring third-party solutions on macOS 13+

OBS Studio 28.0 release notes

Ways to capture desktop audio on a Mac with OBS, compared with a dedicated recorder

MethodMinimum macOSPer-app captureDriver installSpeakers stay onOutput filePrice
macOS Audio Capture source (OBS 30+)13yesnoyesmkv/mp4/movfree
macOS Screen Capture with audio (OBS 28+)13yesnoyesmkv/mp4/movfree
BlackHole + Audio Input Capture (any OBS)10.10noyesonly with Multi-Output Devicemkv/mp4/movfree
AirCheck14nonoyesWAV or MP3$39

OBS minimum versions from the OBS knowledge base and release notes.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck is the right tool when the recording is audio and nothing else: a set, a stream, a call, a lecture. It uses the same ScreenCaptureKit capture as OBS, needs the same one-time Screen Recording permission, and writes a 24-bit master at 48 kHz that exports as WAV 16-bit, WAV 24-bit, or MP3 320 kbps, so there is no video container to strip afterwards. A watchdog reconnects the capture if the stream stalls for 5 s. $39 one-off, macOS 14 or newer.

When you do not need it: AirCheck records audio only; streaming, or video and audio in one synchronized file, is OBS's category. Recording the mic and desktop audio together into one file is also something OBS does and AirCheck does not.

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

Can OBS record internal audio on a Mac?

Yes, on macOS 13 or newer. OBS 30 and later include the macOS Audio Capture source, which uses Apple's ScreenCaptureKit to record desktop audio or a single app without BlackHole. On macOS 12 or earlier you still need a virtual audio driver.

How do I allow OBS to record desktop audio on a Mac?

Grant OBS the Screen Recording permission in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, then quit and reopen OBS. Without it the macOS Audio Capture source shows a flat meter. OBS Studio > Review App Permissions lists what is missing.

Why is Desktop Audio disabled in OBS on Mac?

The Desktop Audio entry in Settings > Audio is a Windows loopback device and has no macOS equivalent, so it stays Disabled. Add a macOS Audio Capture source from the Sources panel instead; its meter appears in the Audio Mixer.

How do I record game or Discord audio in OBS on a Mac?

Add a macOS Audio Capture source with Capture Type set to Application Audio and pick the game or Discord from the list. Add a second source for the other app if you want both, and adjust their levels separately in the Audio Mixer.

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