On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, the quickest method is built in: press Shift-Command-5, choose a screen-recording mode, open Options, select your microphone and Include System Audio, then click Record. On earlier macOS versions, use OBS Studio for native desktop-audio capture where supported, or route audio through the free BlackHole driver when you need a Screenshot-based workaround.
Choose the right recording method first
The best workflow depends mainly on your macOS version and whether you need simple narration or a full production setup. Use this decision guide before changing audio devices or installing anything.
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| What you need | Recommended route | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| A quick narrated clip | Screenshot, opened with Shift-Command-5 | Built-in recording of the entire display or a selected portion, with a chosen microphone |
| Mac playback and your voice in one file without extra software | Screenshot on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later | The Options menu includes Include System Audio alongside the microphone selector |
| Desktop or single-application audio, mixing, scenes or streaming | OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 Ventura or later | Separate desktop/application-audio and microphone sources, level meters, filters and scene layouts |
| An older macOS system that cannot capture playback directly | Screenshot plus BlackHole Multi-Output and Aggregate Devices | A virtual audio route that sends Mac playback to your listening device and a selectable combined input |
| Convenient per-application routing | A dedicated routing utility such as Loopback | Graphical routing with less Audio MIDI Setup work, but it is a paid option |
“System audio” means sound generated by macOS and your applications: music, browser audio, game sound, alerts or a video’s soundtrack. “Microphone narration” is the voice signal from the built-in microphone, a USB microphone or another input. They are separate audio paths, so selecting a microphone alone does not automatically record Mac playback.
Record system audio and narration with Screenshot on macOS 27
macOS 27 Golden Gate adds the simplest native solution. Screenshot can include Mac playback and a microphone in the same screen recording. You do not need QuickTime, a virtual audio driver or a separate mixer for a straightforward capture.
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Set up the recording
- Press Shift-Command-5. The Screenshot control bar appears at the bottom of the display.
- Choose Record Entire Screen for the complete display, or Record Selected Portion and drag the frame around the area to capture.
- Click Options.
- Under Microphone, select the input that should narrate the recording. This may be the built-in microphone, a USB microphone or another connected input.
- Select Include System Audio. This option is available in Screenshot on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later.
- Choose a save location. Options can also provide a timer and controls for showing the pointer or mouse clicks, depending on the current macOS interface.
- Click Record. Speak normally while the Mac plays the sounds you want included.
Stop and find the movie
To finish, click the Stop control in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc. Screenshot saves the result as a movie file in the location you selected. Open it in QuickTime Player or another editor to check the picture, playback audio and narration separately by listening for each.
Make a short test before a long capture
Record 10 to 20 seconds before presenting, demonstrating software or recording a lesson. Play a sound through the Mac, say a sentence, stop, and listen with headphones. This catches a muted output, a wrong microphone, permission denial or an unexpectedly quiet voice before you have to repeat the entire session.
Permissions that must be enabled
macOS protects the screen, microphone and system-audio paths independently. If a recording is silent or fails to start, check permissions before changing your audio setup.
- Open System Settings.
- Select Privacy & Security.
- Open Microphone and enable access for the recording app you are using, such as Screenshot’s host process or OBS Studio when it appears in the list.
- Open Screen & System Audio Recording and enable the same app for screen and playback capture.
- Quit and reopen the recording app if macOS asks you to do so, then make another short test.
Apple’s privacy controls can allow screen and system-audio access together or audio access alone. A microphone permission does not grant screen or playback permission, and screen permission does not automatically select a microphone.
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Why QuickTime often records your microphone but not Mac audio
A microphone is an input device that macOS can expose directly to a recorder. Mac playback normally goes to an output device, such as built-in speakers or headphones, and older built-in recording workflows do not automatically turn that output into a recordable input. As a result, a QuickTime or Screenshot movie can contain your voice while omitting the sound from a browser, player or game.
On macOS 27, select Include System Audio in Screenshot instead of relying on a microphone-only setup. On earlier systems, use OBS Studio’s supported macOS capture source, or create a virtual route with BlackHole. Do not assume that changing the microphone dropdown to an ordinary headset will capture the Mac’s output; it will generally capture only that headset’s microphone.
Use OBS Studio when you need control or are on macOS 13 and later
OBS Studio is free, open-source software for macOS. OBS Studio 30 and later on macOS 13 Ventura and higher can capture desktop audio or the audio from a single application through Apple’s modern capture interfaces. It is a better fit than Screenshot when you need scenes, a webcam overlay, audio filters, separate level control, streaming or a repeatable production layout.
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Create a basic OBS scene
- Install and open OBS Studio 30 or later on a Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or newer.
- In the Scenes panel, create or select a scene for the recording.
- In Sources, add macOS Screen Capture for the display or window you want to show. Depending on the capture configuration, this source can also provide desktop audio.
- If you want audio from one application rather than every desktop sound, add macOS Audio Capture and choose the single application when the source presents that choice.
- Add the microphone as a separate audio input source. Choose the intended built-in, USB or other connected microphone rather than leaving an unintended default selected.
- Watch the mixer meters while playing system sound and speaking. The desktop or application source should move when Mac playback occurs; the microphone meter should move when you speak.
- Use the mixer controls to balance the two signals. Keep the narration clearly above background playback without allowing either meter to remain in the clipping or overload range.
- Start a short recording, stop it, and play the file before recording the full session.
When OBS is preferable to Screenshot
- Separate level control: system audio and narration can be adjusted independently instead of being baked into one input before recording.
- Scenes: switch between a full-screen demonstration, a webcam layout and a close-up without rebuilding the recording setup.
- Audio processing: apply filters such as noise suppression or compression to the microphone path when your environment requires it.
- Single-application capture: capture one app’s sound instead of every alert and notification produced by the desktop.
- Streaming: use the same scene and mixer arrangement for a live broadcast or a local recording.
OBS does not eliminate permissions. Grant it microphone access and Screen & System Audio Recording access in System Settings, then restart OBS if the sources remain blank.
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Combine system audio and a microphone with BlackHole on older macOS
BlackHole is a macOS virtual audio loopback driver. It passes sound between applications so that Mac playback can be treated as an input. The documented Screenshot workaround uses two Audio MIDI Setup devices: a Multi-Output Device to let you hear the Mac normally while sending a copy to BlackHole, and an Aggregate Device that combines BlackHole with your microphone.
Install and prepare the route
- Install BlackHole and restart any audio applications that were open during installation.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup. You can find it with Spotlight or in Applications > Utilities.
- Create a Multi-Output Device containing your normal listening output and BlackHole. Include the headphones or speakers you want to hear and the BlackHole output.
- Set that Multi-Output Device as the Mac’s sound output in System Settings > Sound. Mac playback now goes to your headphones or speakers and to BlackHole at the same time.
- In Audio MIDI Setup, create an Aggregate Device containing BlackHole and the microphone you will use for narration.
- Open Screenshot with Shift-Command-5, choose the recording mode, open Options, and select the Aggregate Device under Microphone.
- Make a short test recording with both playback and speech. Confirm that your voice and the Mac sound are present before starting the real capture.
Why both devices are necessary
The Multi-Output Device handles monitoring and duplication: it sends playback to your ears and to the virtual loopback. The Aggregate Device handles input: it presents the looped-back playback and the physical microphone as one selectable recording source. Creating only one of these devices leaves part of the signal path missing.
Prevent echo and feedback
Monitor through headphones while using this route. Speakers can be picked up by the microphone, producing an echo or feedback loop. Keep the microphone away from headphone leakage, and lower the playback level if the narration becomes noisy. If the Aggregate Device does not appear in Screenshot, close and reopen Screenshot after creating it, then verify that both component devices are still present in Audio MIDI Setup.
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The video has no microphone narration
- Reopen Screenshot’s Options > Microphone menu and choose the intended input.
- Check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and enable the recording app.
- In System Settings > Sound > Input, confirm that the microphone receives a level when you speak.
- Disconnect competing microphones or select the USB input explicitly instead of relying on an automatic default.
- Restart the recording app after changing privacy permission.
The narration works but system audio is missing
- On macOS 27 or later, confirm that Include System Audio is selected in Screenshot’s Options.
- On macOS 13 or later with OBS Studio 30+, add macOS Screen Capture or macOS Audio Capture and verify that its mixer meter moves during playback.
- On an older system, use the BlackHole Multi-Output and Aggregate Device route rather than selecting an ordinary microphone.
- Check Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording for the recording app.
- Ensure the application producing sound is not muted and that the Multi-Output Device is still selected as the Mac output.
The recording has an echo
- Use headphones instead of speakers when routing playback through BlackHole.
- Mute any duplicate microphone or desktop-audio source in OBS. Adding the same signal twice creates a delayed or louder echo.
- Check that only one OBS source is capturing the application’s audio if you added both a screen source and an audio source.
- Move the microphone away from the headphone earcups and reduce monitoring volume if leakage remains.
OBS meters move, but the saved file is silent
- Open OBS’s recording settings and confirm that the active audio tracks are included in the recording output.
- Check the mixer’s mute buttons and the selected track assignment.
- Record a short test to a local file and play it in a media player before changing more settings.
A protected application shows a blank or missing window
Some protected applications do not allow their windows to be recorded. Apple gives Apple TV as an example. A permission change or different audio route cannot override an application’s content-protection policy. If only that application fails while ordinary windows record correctly, the restriction is likely specific to the protected content.
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Get clean narration and usable system audio
Choose the microphone before you start
The built-in microphone is convenient, while a USB microphone can provide a more consistent voice signal in a quiet room. Whichever you choose, verify its input meter and position it close enough for a clear voice without pointing it directly at a loud speaker or fan.
Use headphones for monitoring
Headphones let you hear whether playback is present without sending it back into the microphone. They are especially important with BlackHole, where the same Mac sound is intentionally routed to both your listening device and the recording path.
Control notifications and unwanted sounds
System-audio capture includes more than the application you are demonstrating. Silence notification sounds, close unrelated media players and pause cloud-sync alerts before recording. OBS’s single-application audio option is useful when you need to exclude the rest of the desktop.
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Leave headroom in the mix
Keep an eye on OBS’s level meters and listen to a test file. If speech is buried, lower playback rather than forcing the microphone to an extreme level. If the voice or playback sounds harsh or distorted, reduce the source level and record again; an overloaded recording is difficult to repair later.
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A reliable preflight checklist
- Confirm the macOS version and select Screenshot, OBS or BlackHole accordingly.
- Choose the exact screen or window area and close private information that should not appear.
- Select the intended microphone and verify its input meter.
- Enable Include System Audio in Screenshot on macOS 27 or later, or verify the OBS/BlackHole playback source.
- Grant microphone and Screen & System Audio Recording permissions.
- Connect headphones if you are routing playback through a virtual device.
- Mute notifications and unrelated applications.
- Record and review a short test containing both a spoken sentence and recognizable Mac playback.
- Check the save location and available storage before a long recording.
Which workflow should you keep?
Keep Screenshot if you are on macOS 27 or later and need a clean, occasional screen recording with one narration track. It has the fewest moving parts and requires no additional audio driver.
Keep OBS Studio if you regularly record tutorials, need a webcam or multiple scenes, want separate control over application sound and narration, or need streaming. Its setup takes longer, but the sources and mixer are reusable.
Keep the BlackHole route for older macOS versions or for a specific Screenshot-based workflow that cannot otherwise obtain playback audio. It is powerful, but the Multi-Output and Aggregate Device configuration must remain intact, and headphones are strongly recommended.
Quick Recap
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