How to Record Internal Audio on macOS: Three Methods Compared

You hit record in QuickTime Player and get silence, or your own voice from the built-in microphone. This happens because macOS has no native way to record the audio playing on your Mac. It has been this way for years, and it applies to every macOS version including macOS 26 Tahoe.

The problem is solvable. What you need is a virtual audio driver that bridges system audio output to an input that recording apps can see. This post explains three ways to do that, what each one costs in time and money, and which recording app to use once you have the audio routed.

Why macOS Blocks System Audio Recording

Apple sandboxes each app’s audio for privacy. An app cannot tap another app’s audio output without explicit system-level permission. This prevents a random app from silently recording your FaceTime calls or banking notifications.

The tradeoff: there is no “record what you hear” feature. QuickTime can record your screen and capture your microphone, but system audio is off-limits by default. Apple’s Core Audio framework supports virtual audio devices that can bridge this gap, but Apple does not ship one. You have to install one yourself.

Here is what the audio signal path looks like once a virtual driver is in place:

Method 1: Soundshine (30 seconds, $7.99)

Soundshine installs a lightweight virtual audio driver and creates a “Soundshine Microphone” input that captures all system audio. The key difference from other virtual drivers: your system output stays pointed at your speakers. You hear everything normally while the virtual mic captures it simultaneously. No multi-output device configuration required.

1. Download Soundshine and open the DMG.
2. Run the installer. A guided setup wizard installs the audio driver. This takes about 30 seconds and requires your Mac password once.
3. Click the Soundshine icon in your menu bar. Flip the routing toggle on.
4. Open your recording app and select Soundshine Microphone as the audio input.
5. Hit record.

Audio captures at 48 kHz, 32-bit float stereo. Works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 26 Tahoe or later.

A free trial is available. It watermarks the audio output, so you can test the full workflow before buying. The full version is $7.99 one-time.

Method 2: BlackHole (free, 20-40 minutes of setup)

BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver. It works well but requires manual configuration in macOS Audio MIDI Setup to hear audio through your speakers while recording. Without that configuration, rerouting your system output to BlackHole will silence your speakers.

Here is the complete process:

1. Download and install BlackHole from existential.audio.
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup (search for it in Spotlight).
3. Click the + button at the bottom left and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
4. Check both BlackHole 2ch and your normal output (Built-in Speakers or your headphones).
5. Open System Settings > Sound and set this multi-output device as your output.
6. Open your recording app and select BlackHole 2ch as the audio input.
7. Record.

When you are done, remember to set your system output back to your normal speakers. The multi-output device stays active until you change it.

This is the right method if your budget is zero and you are comfortable with Audio MIDI Setup. If the steps above look tedious, that is a fair read of the situation.

Method 3: OBS (free, heavier setup)

OBS is a free, open-source recording and streaming application. It is powerful, but designed primarily for video. For audio-only recording, the interface is heavier than most people need.

On macOS 12.4 Monterey and later (including macOS 26 Tahoe), OBS 29 and newer includes a macOS Screen Capture source that can capture system audio directly, without requiring a separate virtual audio driver. You add it as a source, grant the screen recording permission, and check the option to capture audio. No BlackHole required for this path.

If you are on an older OBS version or want to capture audio independently of screen capture, you can still use the virtual driver approach:

1. Download and install OBS.
2. Install BlackHole or Soundshine and set it up as described in Methods 1 or 2 above.
3. In OBS, add a new source: Audio Input Capture and select your virtual audio device.
4. Go to Settings > Output and choose your output format (AAC for compressed, WAV or FLAC for lossless).
5. Click Start Recording.

OBS makes sense if you are already using it for streaming or screen recording with video. For a quick audio-only capture, it adds complexity you probably do not need.

Which Recording App to Use

Once your virtual audio driver is set up, any app that lets you choose a microphone input will work. Here is a quick breakdown:

QuickTime Player is already on your Mac. Go to File > New Audio Recording, click the dropdown arrow next to the record button, and select your virtual audio input. Good for simple captures. Exports to M4A.

Audacity is free and excellent for longer recordings or anything you need to edit afterward. Download it from audacityteam.org. Set your input device in the toolbar before recording. Exports to MP3, WAV, FLAC, and more.

GarageBand is also free and already on most Macs. Create a new project, add an audio track, and set the input to your virtual audio device. Better than QuickTime if you want to edit or mix the recording afterward.

Voice Memos works in a pinch. It records from whatever input is set as default, so switch your input device in System Settings first. Limited editing options.

OBS if you need to record audio alongside video, or if you want to live-stream the audio. Overkill for audio-only, but it handles high-quality simultaneous audio and video capture well.

For most use cases, QuickTime or Audacity paired with Soundshine is the fastest path to a good recording.

Which Method Is Right for You

If you want to be recording in the next two minutes: Soundshine. Install it, flip the toggle, pick the input in your recording app.

If you have zero budget and do not mind a one-time setup session: BlackHole with the multi-output device configuration. Follow the steps above carefully and it will work reliably.

If you are already an OBS user recording video: add a virtual audio source in OBS on top of whatever you are already doing.

The common thread across all three methods: you need a virtual audio driver in place before any recording app can see your system audio. That is the step macOS skips by default, and the step all three options solve in different ways.