Guides / Recording streams, music and video sound
How to record game audio on a Mac
Tested on macOS 26.4.1 (Tahoe), Apple M3 Max, 3 Sept 2026. Updated 2026-09-03.
You can record game audio on a Mac as system audio through ScreenCaptureKit: the game's sound, Discord teammates and any in-game voice chat, as one 48 kHz file, without your own microphone. Games are ordinary Core Audio apps, so there is no DRM silence. If you also want your voice, either record a second take from the mic and align it, or use OBS Studio, which writes game audio and mic into one video file.
How do I record game audio on a Mac without recording my mic?
A system-audio capture records what the game outputs and nothing from the microphone. That is the clean track people want for a soundtrack rip of their own gameplay, a sound-effect reference, or a podcast segment where the voice comes from elsewhere.
- Start the game and check that its sound plays through the Mac's current output (headphones are fine; the capture happens before the output).
- In AirCheck, choose System Audio. Grant Screen & System Audio Recording permission once. A full-screen game does not interfere with it; the capture keeps running when the game takes the whole display.
- Quit Discord or mute it if you do not want teammates in the file. System audio means everything the Mac plays, including their voices.
- Press record, play, stop. Export as WAV 24-bit for editing or MP3 320 for sharing.
System audio arrives at 48 kHz, the ScreenCaptureKit default, which matches the 48 kHz most games and video editors use, so no resampling in the edit. A known gap: AirCheck records one source per take. It cannot put game audio and your mic in the same file. The next section covers what to do about that.
How do I record gameplay on a Mac with sound and my voice?
Two workable routes, one decision: do you want video?
You want video (OBS Studio, free). OBS captures desktop audio on macOS 13 and later and records your mic at the same time, into an mkv or mp4 file. Setup is required: add a macOS Screen Capture source for the game, a macOS Audio Capture source for desktop audio, and your mic as an input. The OBS desktop audio guide walks through it, and the fix page covers the permission that most often breaks it. Result: one file, picture, game audio and voice.
You want audio only. Record two takes at once with two recorders, or one after the other: game audio as system audio, voice from the mic (AirCheck can run only one source per take, so a second app records the mic). Clap once in front of the mic while the game plays a distinct sound, then align both files on the clap in your editor. Recording them separately is also how most streamers work in post, because the voice needs different processing from the game.
A single-file mix of game plus mic without video is what Audio Hijack ($69) does with its block routing; AirCheck records one source per take.
Does game audio capture work with Steam, Apple Arcade and full-screen games?
Yes for all three in principle, because the capture is at the system level. Games send their audio to Core Audio like any other app; the FairPlay protection that silences Apple TV+ captures applies to streaming video, not to game audio. Steam's overlay sounds and Apple Arcade titles from the App Store go through the same path.
Things that do break, and what to do:
- Silent file. The game is outputting to a different device than the one that was default when capture started; check the output in System Settings > Sound. AirCheck re-resolves devices by name on hot-plug, but a game with its own audio device menu can bypass that.
- Bluetooth headset. When a Bluetooth headset's mic is active, macOS often drops the headset to a low-quality profile, which affects what you hear, not the captured game audio. Details in Bluetooth headphones and recordings.
- Voice chat in the file. Discord, Steam voice and in-game chat are all system audio. Mute them or accept them.
How much space does an hour of game audio take?
From 45 real AirCheck recordings: 24-bit 48 kHz uses 16.5 MB per minute (0.97 GB per hour), 16-bit 48 kHz 11.0 MB per minute (0.64 GB per hour), MP3 320 kbps 2.4 MB per minute (0.14 GB per hour). A 4-hour session is 3.9 GB, 2.6 GB or 0.56 GB. AirCheck writes a 24-bit AIFF master during the take and converts at stop, so keep the 24-bit figure free on disk even when you export MP3.
Compared with OBS, which writes video at whatever bitrate you set, an audio-only file is small enough to keep every session. That is the practical reason to record audio separately even when you also stream: the audio archive survives after the video is deleted. There is no length limit in AirCheck; the longest real take on the author's Mac is 2 h 5 min at 2.07 GB.
Ways to record game sound on a Mac
| Tool | Game audio | Your mic | Same file? | Output | Setup | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBS Studio | Yes (macOS 13+) | Yes | Yes, with video | mkv / mp4 video | Sources, scenes, permissions | Free |
| AirCheck | Yes | Yes, as a separate take | No | WAV 16/24-bit, MP3 320 | Pick a source, press record | $39 |
| Audio Hijack | Yes | Yes | Yes, audio only | Many audio formats | Build a block chain | $69 |
| QuickTime Player | No | Yes | n/a | .mov (screen) or .m4a (mic) | None | Free |
| Shift-Command-5 screen recording | No | Yes | n/a | .mov video | None | Free |
System audio captures at 48 kHz (ScreenCaptureKit default). Sizes per hour from AirCheck's measured recordings.
Where AirCheck fits
AirCheck ($39 one-off, macOS 14 or newer) is the right tool when you want the game's sound as a clean audio file: no video to render, no virtual driver, no Audio MIDI Setup. It captures system audio through ScreenCaptureKit at 48 kHz, keeps recording when the game goes full screen, and exports WAV or MP3 320 when you stop. Record your voice as a second take from the mic source and align the two in your editor.
When you do not need it: If you want video with game audio and mic in one file, OBS Studio is free and does it. AirCheck records one source per take; game plus mic mixed into one audio file live is a different category of tool.
AirCheck records what your Mac plays, or any input, to one file. $39 once.
macOS 14 or newer. One-off payment. Fourteen-day refund, no questions asked.
Questions people ask
How do I get OBS to capture game audio on a Mac?
Add a macOS Audio Capture source (OBS 30 or later on macOS 13 or later) and choose the game or desktop audio, then grant Screen Recording permission when macOS asks. If the meter stays flat, the permission is missing; see the OBS desktop audio fix guide.
Can I record game audio and Discord separately?
Not with a single system-audio capture; it takes everything the Mac plays. Either mute Discord during the take, or use a per-app tool such as Audio Hijack or Piezo to record only the game process. AirCheck records all system audio or one input device.
Why is my gameplay recording silent on Mac?
Usually a permission or a device mismatch. Confirm Screen & System Audio Recording is on for the recorder in System Settings > Privacy & Security, and that the game outputs to the Mac's default device rather than a device chosen inside the game's own settings.
Does recording game audio slow the game down?
An audio-only capture through ScreenCaptureKit is a light task compared with encoding video. We have not published CPU measurements, so treat that as a qualitative statement. OBS with video encoding is the heavier load.
Sources
- Apple: ScreenCaptureKit sampleRate (48 kHz default)
- Apple: FairPlay Streaming (protects HLS video delivery)
- AirCheck: measured file sizes and longest take
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