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How to screen record on a Mac with computer sound and your microphone at the same time

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

To screen record on a Mac with computer sound and your microphone at the same time you need an app that mixes two inputs, because Shift-Command-5 takes only one. OBS Studio does it free on macOS 13 or later with a macOS Audio Capture source plus a Mic/Aux source. The driver-based alternative is an Aggregate Device of BlackHole and your mic, selected as the "microphone" in the Screenshot toolbar.

Can you screen record with sound and voice on Mac at once?

Yes, but the built-in tool is the wrong place to start. The Screenshot toolbar has one audio slot, labelled Microphone. You can point it at your voice or, with a virtual driver, at the computer's sound. You cannot point it at both, and it cannot mix. The same applies to QuickTime Player, which opens that same toolbar.

So the question becomes: where does the mixing happen?

If you only need computer sound without your voice, the shorter guide is how to screen record with internal audio on Mac.

How to record screen, computer audio and voice with OBS Studio?

OBS mixes the two sources live and writes one video with one audio track. The OBS knowledge base confirms the macOS Audio Capture source works "on macOS 13 (Ventura) and higher" with OBS Studio 30.

  1. Add a macOS Screen Capture source for the display or window.
  2. Add a macOS Audio Capture source set to Desktop Audio.
  3. Add an Audio Input Capture source and pick your microphone, or use the Mic/Aux channel in Settings > Audio.
  4. In the Audio Mixer, pull Desktop Audio down 6 to 12 dB below the mic so your voice sits on top of the music or call.
  5. Optional but recommended: Settings > Output > Recording, enable a second audio track, and assign the mic to track 2 in Advanced Audio Properties. You then get voice and computer sound on separate tracks in the .mkv for editing later.
  6. Start Recording.

Wear headphones. With speakers, the microphone re-records the computer sound a few milliseconds late and the mix sounds hollow. If the Desktop Audio meter stays flat, see OBS desktop audio not working on Mac.

How to do it with an Aggregate Device and the built-in screen recorder?

Use this if you want to stay in Shift-Command-5 and end up with a normal .mov.

  1. Install BlackHole 2ch. Build a Multi-Output Device (speakers + BlackHole) in Audio MIDI Setup and select it as the system output so you keep hearing sound.
  2. In Audio MIDI Setup click + and choose Create Aggregate Device. Tick BlackHole 2ch and your microphone. Set your microphone as the clock source.
  3. Press Shift-Command-5, open Options, and choose the Aggregate Device under Microphone.
  4. Record.

Two limits to know before you rely on it. First, the Screenshot tool takes the first two channels of the aggregate, so put BlackHole and the mic in the order that gives you the pair you want; test a ten second clip and check the track in QuickTime's Movie Inspector. Second, there is no mixer: computer sound and voice are recorded at whatever level they arrive, and a loud video will bury your voice. Turn the app's own volume down before you start. The mechanics of aggregates are in how to create an Aggregate Device on Mac.

When is recording two separate files the right choice?

When you plan to edit. Editors, podcasters and DJs who film a screen with a track playing usually want the computer sound clean, at full quality, on its own track, and the voice on another. Then you can duck, cut and fix one without touching the other.

The workflow: run a system audio recorder such as AirCheck for the computer sound, run Shift-Command-5 with your microphone selected for the picture and voice, clap once at the start, and align the clap in your editor. Two files, both start within a second of each other, and the clap gives you sample-accurate sync. AirCheck records one source per take, so it cannot produce the mixed single file itself; one mixed track with no editing is a different category of tool (OBS, or Audio Hijack at $69 on the vendor store). Audio Hijack's block-based sessions can also mix a mic and any app and record to a file without any video.

You can allow apps to record both your screen and audio, or just your audio.

Apple, Control access to screen and system audio recording on Mac

Recording screen, computer sound and microphone together on a Mac

MethodComputer soundMicrophoneOne mixed fileSeparate tracks possibleLevel controlPrice
Shift-Command-5 with a microphonenoyesyesnonofree
Aggregate Device (BlackHole + mic) in Shift-Command-5yesyesyesnonofree
OBS Studio 30 (macOS 13+)yesyesyesyes, up to 6 tracksyes, mixerfree
Audio Hijack 4 (no video)yesyesyes, audio onlyyesyes, per block$69
AirCheck + Shift-Command-5 (two takes)yesyesno, two filesyes, by designin your editor$39

OBS track count from its Output settings. Prices from vendor pages on 3 Sept 2026.

Where AirCheck fits

AirCheck fits the two-file workflow, not the mixed one. It records the computer side through ScreenCaptureKit as a 24-bit 48 kHz master and exports WAV or MP3, so the music or call arrives in your editor untouched by your room and your microphone. It costs $39 once and runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. Its own playback is excluded from the capture, so you can check the last take without recording it again. Pair it with Shift-Command-5 for video and voice, and align on a clap.

When you do not need it: If you want one finished file with voice already mixed over the computer sound and no editing, use OBS Studio (free) or Audio Hijack. AirCheck cannot mix a microphone with system audio in one take.

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 I record my voice while screen recording on Mac and also capture the video's sound?

Not with the built-in tool alone. Use OBS Studio with a macOS Audio Capture source and a microphone source, or feed the Screenshot toolbar an Aggregate Device made of BlackHole and your mic.

Why does my voice sound hollow or doubled in the recording?

Your microphone is picking up the computer sound from the speakers a few milliseconds after the direct capture. Record with headphones, or lower the computer sound in the OBS mixer.

Does Zoom or Teams solve this for meetings?

For calls, yes. Their built-in recorders capture both sides in one file and are the simplest option when the host allows it. See how to record both sides of a call on Mac for the details and the consent rules.

Can AirCheck record the mic and system audio together?

No. AirCheck records one source per take: either system audio or one Core Audio input. Record two takes and align them, or use OBS or Audio Hijack for a single mixed file.

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