Guide

How to record system audio on a Mac

Internal audio, desktop audio, computer sound: whatever you call it, here's every way to record what your Mac plays, from free to one click.

By the KIBA team · Updated 30 September 2026

Why it's awkward on a Mac

For years the Screenshot toolbar (⇧⌘5) and QuickTime Player could only record a microphone. Apps that capture your Mac's sound directly ask permission first. macOS calls it Screen & System Audio Recording (System Settings › Privacy & Security), even when the app only records sound.

1. The Screenshot toolbar (macOS 27 and later)

Press ⇧⌘5, choose a screen recording, open Options and choose Include System Audio. It's free and already there. The catch: you get a movie, so you still have to pull out the audio and trim it somewhere else. Fine for a one-off.

2. BlackHole (free)

BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver: an extra audio device other apps can record from. To still hear what you record, you build a Multi-Output Device:

1. Install BlackHole 2ch.
2. In Audio MIDI Setup, create a Multi-Output Device with your speakers and BlackHole ticked.
3. Make it your Mac's sound output.
4. In your recording app, pick BlackHole as the input and record.
5. Switch the output back when you're done.

Powerful, free, and the right tool for routing audio between apps. The trade-off is setup every time. BlackHole vs. KIBA, step by step.

3. Rogue Amoeba's apps

Audio Hijack ($69) records any app or the whole system and can run effects. Piezo ($29) is their simpler recorder. Loopback ($99) builds virtual devices for routing. Excellent for podcasts, streams and complex setups.

4. KIBA, a recorder in your menu bar ($8.99)

KIBA does one job: grab a piece of what your Mac is playing as a clean, trimmed WAV.

1. Pick the source. By default KIBA records everything your Mac plays. To record one app only, right-click the ring in the menu bar › Record From and pick it.
2. Click the ring (or press ⌥⌘R anywhere) and play the sound. A timer runs next to the icon.
3. Click again to stop. The trimmer drops down with the silence at both ends already cut and the level set to peak at −0.3 dB.
4. Trim. Drag the edges, press Space to play, L to loop the selection. Pinch or scroll to zoom.
5. Keep it. Press Return to save it to your sample folder, or drag the waveform straight into another app or the Finder.

You get a WAV file (uncompressed audio that every editor opens): 48 kHz, 24-bit by default, named like KIBA_260930-141203.wav. 16-bit and 32-bit float are in Settings.

No driver, and your sound output never changes. Recording from a browser? Read the browser guide: KIBA records the whole browser app, not a single tab.

Side by side

Prices from each maker's own site on 30 September 2026.