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On macOS 27 Golden Gate or later, the simplest method is built in: press Shift-Command-5, choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, open Options, choose your microphone, enable Include System Audio, and click Record. Stop from the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.
If your Mac is running an earlier macOS release, use OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 Ventura or later for desktop or single-application audio. When OBS or the built-in recorder cannot obtain playback audio on an older system, route it with the free BlackHole virtual audio driver and an Aggregate Device. The right choice depends mainly on your macOS version and whether you need mixing, scenes, or streaming.
Choose the recording method that fits your Mac
All three approaches can produce one movie containing your screen, computer playback, and spoken narration, but they solve different problems. Use the table before changing any audio settings.
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|---|---|---|
| A fast narrated clip with minimal setup | Screenshot, opened with Shift-Command-5 | It is built into macOS and records the entire screen or a selected portion after you choose a microphone. |
| Native system audio and narration in one recording | Screenshot on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later | The recording Options menu includes Include System Audio as well as the microphone selector. |
| Desktop audio or one application, with scenes, filters, or streaming | OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 Ventura or later | OBS can capture all desktop audio or audio from a single application and lets you mix a separate microphone source. |
| An older macOS installation that lacks native playback capture | Screenshot with a BlackHole Multi-Output and Aggregate Device | The virtual loopback routes Mac playback and your microphone into an input that Screenshot can select. |
| Convenient per-application routing outside the built-in tools | Loopback, a paid routing utility | OBS identifies it as a hassle-free routing option when you need more elaborate audio paths. |
The native method is normally the best first attempt. Move to OBS when you need independent level control, a webcam overlay, multiple scenes, audio filters, or a live stream. Use BlackHole when the operating system is too old for the native system-audio switch or when a compatible capture source is unavailable.
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What you need before recording
- A Mac with a working display and enough free storage for the movie file.
- A microphone: the built-in microphone, a USB microphone, or another input that appears in macOS audio settings.
- Permission for the recording application to use the microphone and capture the screen and system audio.
- Headphones if you are routing playback through BlackHole. They prevent speaker sound from leaking back into the microphone and creating echo or feedback.
- A short test recording. Play the same type of content you intend to capture and verify both meters or the resulting file before making a long recording.
On macOS 27 or later, the built-in recorder handles the two audio sources directly. On earlier releases, the available path depends on whether OBS can use the macOS capture source; otherwise, BlackHole supplies the virtual routing layer.
Record screen, system audio, and narration with Screenshot on macOS 27+
Apple’s Screenshot tool is the shortest path when your Mac shows the system-audio option. It records a complete display or a rectangle you select, with the microphone and Mac playback mixed into the movie.
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 you want.
- Click Options.
- Under Microphone, select the built-in microphone, a USB microphone, or another listed input for your narration.
- Select Include System Audio. This option is available in Screenshot on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later and captures Mac playback along with the selected microphone.
- Choose a save location. You can also set a timer and decide whether the pointer and clicks should be shown, if those controls are offered on your system.
- Click Record. Start the application, presentation, or other on-screen activity only after recording begins.
Stop and find the movie
- Click the Stop control in the menu bar, or press Command-Control-Esc.
- macOS saves the result as a movie in the location chosen in Options. Open it in QuickTime Player or your preferred editor to check the picture, Mac playback, and narration.
Make the test long enough to include a spoken sentence and an unmistakable playback sound. A silent desktop or a muted application can make a correctly configured recording appear to have no system audio.
Why the system-audio checkbox may be missing
Include System Audio is a macOS 27-or-later feature. If your Mac is on an earlier release, Screenshot can still offer microphone narration, but it may not expose a native control for Mac playback. Do not keep searching for a hidden checkbox: use OBS’s macOS capture source where supported, or configure BlackHole as described below.
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Use OBS Studio for mixing and application-specific audio
OBS Studio is free, open source, and runs on macOS. OBS’s macOS desktop-audio guide states that OBS Studio 30 and later on macOS 13 Ventura and higher can capture desktop audio or only the audio coming from a single application. That makes it the practical choice when the built-in recorder is too limited.
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 area, create or select a scene for the recording.
- In Sources, click the add control and choose macOS Screen Capture for the display or window you want to show. Use the source’s available audio choice for desktop playback, or add macOS Audio Capture when you want an audio-only source.
- Configure the macOS capture source to capture all desktop audio or the single application whose sound you need. A single-application source is useful when notification sounds or other apps must stay out of the file.
- Add the microphone as a separate audio input source. Select the intended built-in, USB, or other microphone rather than relying on an unverified default.
- Watch the audio mixer while speaking and while playing a test sound. The microphone and desktop/application source should respond independently.
- Press Start Recording. Perform the demonstration, then press Stop Recording and open the saved file to verify both tracks are audible.
Why use separate sources?
Keeping the microphone separate from the desktop or application source gives you independent level control in OBS. You can lower loud playback without making narration inaudible, apply audio filters to the voice, add a webcam overlay, switch between scenes, or send the same scene to a stream. These controls are the main reason to choose OBS instead of Screenshot for tutorials, presentations, and longer productions.
When OBS does not show the audio you expect
- Confirm that the source is macOS Screen Capture or macOS Audio Capture, not only a video source with no audio path.
- For a per-application recording, make sure the target application is open and producing sound when you configure the source.
- Check that OBS is allowed to use the microphone and Screen & System Audio Recording in macOS privacy settings, then restart OBS if macOS asks you to.
- If the Mac is older than macOS 13 or the required capture source is unavailable, use the BlackHole route instead of repeatedly changing OBS scenes.
Route older macOS audio with BlackHole
BlackHole is a macOS virtual audio loopback driver. It can pass Mac playback from the system output into an input that Screenshot can select. The documented setup uses two devices in Audio MIDI Setup: a Multi-Output Device to keep audible playback while sending a copy to BlackHole, and an Aggregate Device that combines BlackHole with the microphone.
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- Install BlackHole and restart any audio applications that were open during installation.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup. If it is not visible, find it with Spotlight or in the Mac’s Utilities folder.
- Create a Multi-Output Device containing your normal listening output, such as headphones or speakers, and BlackHole.
- Set that Multi-Output Device as the Mac’s sound output. Mac playback now reaches both your normal listening device and BlackHole.
Combine playback and narration
- In Audio MIDI Setup, create an Aggregate Device.
- Add BlackHole and the microphone you want to narrate with to that Aggregate Device.
- Open Screenshot with Shift-Command-5, choose a screen-recording mode, and open Options.
- Under Microphone, select the new Aggregate Device. Screenshot now receives the BlackHole playback signal and the microphone through one selectable input.
- Put on headphones and make a short recording. Speak while playing a definite system sound, then stop and check that both are present.
Headphones are important in this arrangement. If the Multi-Output Device sends sound through speakers, the microphone can pick it up acoustically and produce an echo or feedback loop. Monitoring through headphones keeps the playback in the routed signal instead of allowing it to re-enter the microphone through the room.
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BlackHole checks when the file has only one sound
- If narration is present but playback is silent, confirm that the Mac’s output is the Multi-Output Device rather than the ordinary speakers or headphones alone.
- If playback is present but narration is missing, reopen Audio MIDI Setup and verify that the physical microphone is a member of the Aggregate Device, then reselect that Aggregate Device in Screenshot’s Options > Microphone.
- If you hear feedback, stop the recording, switch from speakers to headphones, and test again at a comfortable listening level.
- Always test after changing either device. Screenshot records the input selected at the moment recording starts; changing the Mac output alone does not replace the selected microphone input.
Grant macOS the permissions it needs
Audio routing cannot compensate for a blocked privacy permission. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security and review both relevant controls.
Microphone permission
In Microphone, enable access for Screenshot, OBS, or the application you are using. If the app was already open when you granted access, quit and reopen it so macOS reloads the permission.
Screen and system-audio permission
In Screen & System Audio Recording, enable the recording application. Apple provides controls that can allow screen and audio together or audio alone, so select the permission level that matches your workflow. If macOS displays a restart or relaunch prompt, follow it before testing again.
Permission symptoms
- No narration: the microphone permission is off, the wrong input is selected, or the input is muted.
- No desktop playback: the system-audio permission is off, the selected source cannot capture playback on that macOS version, or the output is not routed to the capture device.
- A blank or blocked application window: the application may prohibit screen recording of its content.
Protected content and recording limits
Some protected applications do not allow their windows to be recorded. Apple gives Apple TV as an example. A permission change or a different recorder does not necessarily override that protection. If a protected window appears black, blank, or absent, record other permitted content rather than attempting to bypass the application’s restrictions.
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Fix the most common failures
“My Mac records my voice but not its audio.”
On macOS 27 or later, reopen Screenshot’s Options and enable Include System Audio. On an earlier release, use OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 Ventura or higher and add a macOS audio or screen-capture source. If that source is unavailable, create the BlackHole Multi-Output and Aggregate Devices and select the Aggregate Device as Screenshot’s microphone.
“I hear playback, but the narration is missing.”
Check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, then verify the selected input in Screenshot or OBS. With BlackHole, the selected input must be the Aggregate Device containing both BlackHole and the physical microphone; selecting BlackHole alone cannot provide your voice.
“The recording has an echo.”
Use headphones when monitoring a BlackHole Multi-Output Device. Speakers can be captured by the microphone while the same playback is also being injected through BlackHole, creating a delayed duplicate.
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“The protected app will not record.”
Some applications intentionally block capture; Apple TV is Apple’s documented example. Treat a blank or missing window as a content restriction rather than an audio-routing error.
“I cannot tell whether the setup worked.”
Make a brief test containing all three signals: move or resize a window, speak a complete sentence, and play a clearly audible system or application sound. Stop, open the movie, and check the beginning, middle, and end before starting the final capture.
Which workflow should you keep?
Keep Screenshot as your default when you are on macOS 27 or later and only need a screen region, system playback, and narration. It has the fewest moving parts and a direct stop shortcut.
Keep OBS as your production setup on macOS 13 Ventura or later when you regularly need scenes, webcam overlays, streaming, audio filters, separate level control, or per-application capture. Its extra configuration pays off when the recording is more than a one-off clip.
Keep the BlackHole configuration for an older Mac or a native recorder that cannot capture playback. Save the device arrangement once it works, monitor with headphones, and repeat a short test whenever you change the output, microphone, or macOS permissions.
Quick Recap
Final pre-recording checklist
- Screen mode and capture area are correct.
- The intended microphone is selected and its permission is enabled.
- System audio is enabled in Screenshot, captured by OBS, or routed through BlackHole.
- Headphones are connected for BlackHole monitoring.
- The target application is allowed to be recorded.
- A short test movie contains both narration and playback.
- The save location has enough space and is easy to find after stopping.
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