Guides

Recording with QuickTime, OBS, Audacity and GarageBand on a Mac

Updated 2026-09-03.

The free recorders on a Mac each capture a different thing. QuickTime Player and Voice Memos record a microphone only. OBS Studio 30 on macOS 13 or newer captures desktop or single-app audio through ScreenCaptureKit, but writes a video file. Audacity, GarageBand and Ableton Live record only Core Audio inputs, so computer audio needs the BlackHole driver and a Multi-Output Device, or a file recorded elsewhere and imported. These guides give the exact menu paths, what each app cannot capture and why, and when the free tool is enough.

Guides in this topic

1. How to record audio with QuickTime Player on a MacQuickTime records a microphone with File > New Audio Recording, in AAC or 24-bit PCM at 44.1 kHz, saved as .m4a. It cannot capture what the Mac is playing.
2. Can Audacity record system audio on a Mac?No. Audacity records only Core Audio inputs on macOS. Install BlackHole and a Multi-Output Device so your speakers stay on, then record from BlackHole 2ch.
3. How to capture desktop audio in OBS on a MacOBS Studio 30 on macOS 13 or newer captures desktop or single-app audio with the macOS Audio Capture source. No BlackHole, but the output is a video file.
4. OBS desktop audio not working on a Mac: fixes in orderFlat meter: Screen Recording permission, wrong source, macOS below 13. Meter moves but silent file: mute, Monitor Only, wrong track. Crackle: sample rate.
5. How to record system audio in GarageBand on a MacGarageBand records only a Core Audio input. Get computer audio in with BlackHole plus a Multi-Output Device, or record it first and drag the file in.
6. How to record computer audio into Ableton Live on a MacLive records only its selected Core Audio input. Route computer audio in with BlackHole in an Aggregate Device, or record a WAV externally and import it.
7. How to record your voice in GarageBand on a MacCreate an Audio track, pick your mic in Settings > Audio/MIDI, set Advanced to 24-bit before the first take, press R, then Share > Export Song to Disk.
8. Can Voice Memos on a Mac record system audio?No. Voice Memos records a mic, headset or external mic only. Use Lossless quality and drag memos to Finder; computer audio needs another app.
9. QuickTime vs OBS vs Audacity for recording audio on a MacQuickTime records a mic to .m4a in a minute. OBS 30 captures desktop and per-app audio into a video file. Audacity edits, needs BlackHole for system audio.

Which Mac app should I use to record audio?

Decide by the source first, then by the output file you need.

• Your voice or an instrument, no editing: QuickTime Player, File > New Audio Recording, Maximum quality for 24-bit PCM. Steps in how to record audio with QuickTime Player. Voice Memos does the same job with iCloud sync and a Lossless option; its limits are in can Voice Memos record system audio.
• Your voice, with editing and a WAV export: GarageBand at 24-bit, see how to record your voice in GarageBand, or Audacity.
• What the Mac is playing, with video: OBS Studio 30, using the macOS Audio Capture source; see how to capture desktop audio in OBS.
• What the Mac is playing, into a DAW project: BlackHole plus a Multi-Output Device, or record first and import. Covered for GarageBand and Ableton Live.

The side-by-side table with setup times and output formats is in QuickTime vs OBS vs Audacity.

What can each free Mac recorder not capture, and why?

Every gap comes from one fact: macOS presents microphones and interfaces as Core Audio inputs, but never presents its own playback as one. Apps that only read Core Audio inputs therefore cannot record computer audio.

• QuickTime Player and Voice Memos read Core Audio inputs. Apple's Voice Memos guide lists "the built-in microphone, a supported headset, or an external mic" and nothing else. QuickTime's screen recording adds only a microphone menu.
• Audacity reads Core Audio inputs; its support page says macOS "does not have built-in desktop audio recording capabilities". Route and traps in can Audacity record system audio on Mac.
• GarageBand and Ableton Live are the same: the input menu is a Core Audio device list, so a virtual driver or an imported file is required.
• OBS Studio is the exception. Since version 28 on macOS 13 it reads system audio through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, and since 30 it can isolate one app. What it cannot do is write an audio-only file, and DRM-protected playback (Apple TV+, some Apple Music) arrives silent. When it fails, OBS desktop audio not working on Mac lists the causes in order.

When is the free tool enough and when do you need a paid recorder?

Free is enough for a microphone (QuickTime, Voice Memos, GarageBand, Audacity), for computer audio with video (OBS), and for computer audio into a DAW if you are willing to set up BlackHole once and live with the Multi-Output Device quirks: volume keys stop working and a wrong output setting silences the speakers or creates a feedback loop.

A paid recorder earns its place in four cases. You want an audio file of computer audio without a driver or a video container. You record for hours and want the app to reconnect by itself if a device stalls. You need one channel pair of a multi-input interface rather than the whole device. Or you want a mic and several apps mixed live, which is a routing job. The first three are what AirCheck does ($39, macOS 14 or newer, one source per take); the last is what Audio Hijack does ($64) and AirCheck does not. The honest split, tool by tool, is in QuickTime vs OBS vs Audacity and in the import sections of the Ableton and GarageBand guides.

What each Mac recording app captures and produces

Ableton Live price varies by edition; see ableton.com.

Other topics

• Screen recording with audio
• Recording internal and system audio
• Recording calls and meetings
• Recording streams, music and video sound
• Virtual audio drivers and Audio MIDI Setup
• Recording DJ sets, vinyl and instruments
• Recording lectures, podcasts and interviews
• Audio formats, quality and file size
• Fixing Mac audio recording problems
• Choosing a Mac audio recorder