How to record your Mac screen with audio (macOS 14 to 27)

These steps describe macOS 14 Sonoma to macOS 27 Golden Gate. Checked on 2026-09-29 against Apple’s support pages published 2026-09-14.

Which method fits your Mac

Checked on 2026-09-29. Sources below.

Apple names macOS 27 Golden Gate as the first version where the Screenshot app records system audio. On anything older, the built-in tools still record your voice through a microphone, which is enough for a narrated walkthrough.

Method 1: The Screenshot app with system audio (macOS 27 or later)

1. Press ⇧⌘5 to open the Screenshot app.
2. Choose Record Entire Screen, Record Selected Portion, or Record Selected Window (the window tool needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later). Drag the borders of a portion to resize it.
3. Click Options and choose Include System Audio.
4. For your voice, choose a microphone in the same Options menu. On macOS 14 to 26 this is the only audio option.
5. Click Record, or click the window you want to record.
6. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press ⌃⌘Esc.
7. Click the thumbnail in the corner to trim the recording, or wait. It is saved to the desktop as “Screen Recording [date] at [time].mov” unless you chose another place under Save to.

Method 2: QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player records a microphone on every version covered here. It does not add a system-audio option of its own.

1. Open QuickTime Player from the Applications folder.
2. Choose File → New Screen Recording, or press ⌃⌘N.
3. If the Screenshot toolbar appears, recording is done by the Screenshot app: follow Method 1. On macOS 27 or later that includes Include System Audio.
4. If a Screen Recording window appears instead, click the arrow next to the Record button and choose a microphone. To avoid echo, lower the volume or use headphones with a microphone.
5. Click Record, then click anywhere to record the whole screen, or drag over an area and click Start Recording.
6. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press ⌃⌘Esc. QuickTime Player opens the recording.

Method 3: Screen2Shot System Audio switch (macOS 15 or later, free)

Screen2Shot records the Mac’s sound and your microphone together, which is what macOS 15 to 26 lack. Recording is part of Screen2Shot 1.1 and needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later.

1. Click the Screen2Shot icon in the menu bar, open Recording ▸ and turn on System Audio.
2. For your voice, turn on Microphone in the same submenu. The first time, macOS asks for microphone access.
3. Press ⌥⇧⌘9 to record the display under the pointer, or choose Record Area…, drag a rectangle and press Return. Recording starts at once, with no countdown.
4. To stop, press ⌥⇧⌘9 again, or click the menu-bar icon (a red dot with the elapsed time) and choose Stop Recording.
5. Studio opens with the recording. Choose Save Video…; the save panel opens in your Movies folder and the file is an MP4.

A free recording exports up to 1080p with no watermark and no time limit. PRO adds export up to 4K and auto zoom on clicks; see pricing.

Method 4: OBS Studio (macOS 13 or later, free)

OBS Studio is free and open source. It is a larger tool built for streaming and scene mixing, and it captures desktop audio without an extra driver on macOS 13 or later.

1. Download OBS Studio from obsproject.com and open it.
2. In the Sources dock at the bottom of the window, click + and add macOS Screen Capture. Its audio appears in the Audio Mixer.
3. To record sound from all apps or from one app only, add a macOS Audio Capture source (OBS Studio 30 or later).
4. Check the meters in the Audio Mixer. OBS Studio captures desktop audio and your microphone by default; change devices in Settings → Audio.
5. Click Start Recording in the Controls dock. Stop the recording from the same dock.

Method 5: BlackHole with the Screenshot app (macOS 14 to 26)

BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver from Existential Audio. It passes the Mac’s sound to the Screenshot app as if it were a microphone.

1. Install BlackHole 2ch from existential.audio, or run brew install blackhole-2ch. Restart when the installer asks.
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup, click + at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
3. Select the new device and turn on Use for your speakers or headphones and for BlackHole 2ch. Keep your speakers or headphones as the Primary Device.
4. Right-click the Multi-Output Device and choose Use This Device For Sound Output.
5. Press ⇧⌘5, click Options and choose BlackHole 2ch under Microphone. Only one microphone can be chosen, so this recording carries the Mac’s sound without your voice.
6. Record as in Method 1. When you finish, set your speakers back as the sound output in System Settings → Sound.

Troubleshooting

• The recording has no sound from apps. On macOS 14 to 26 that is expected: the built-in tools record only the microphone chosen in Options. Use Method 3, 4 or 5.
• BlackHole records silence. Check that the volume of BlackHole is up in Audio MIDI Setup, and that your speakers are ticked and listed first in the Multi-Output Device.
• The volume keys stop working. macOS does not change the volume of a Multi-Output Device. Set the volume of each device in Audio MIDI Setup, or switch the sound output back after recording.
• Sound crackles after a few minutes with BlackHole. Turn on Drift Correction for every device in the Multi-Output Device except the primary one.
• Screen2Shot’s Microphone switch turns itself off. Microphone access was denied. Allow Screen2Shot in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
• An app’s window will not record. Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows.