Recording system audio on a Mac: every option compared
"Record what my Mac is playing" sounds like it should be a checkbox. It isn't: macOS deliberately keeps apps from listening to each other's audio, so every solution involves adding a device or permission that bridges the gap. Here's the full menu.
Screen recording with system audio (built in)
Recent versions of macOS can capture system audio as part of a screen recording, and screen-capture tools like OBS can use the same mechanism. If a video with sound is what you want, start here — it's free and already on your machine.
The limitation: you get a video file, not an audio track, and you can't route the audio anywhere else — it goes straight to the recording. For audio-only work you'll be extracting tracks after the fact.
BlackHole + QuickTime (free, manual)
The classic free recipe: install the BlackHole virtual driver, set your Mac's output to BlackHole, then record from "BlackHole" as if it were a microphone in QuickTime, Audacity, or any recorder.
It works, with homework attached. While recording you can't hear anything (audio is going into the virtual device, not your speakers) unless you build a multi-output device in Audio MIDI Setup. You'll also need every device set to the same sample rate, and there's no volume control anywhere in the chain.
Audio Hijack ($64+) and Loopback ($109)
Rogue Amoeba's tools are the professional answer. Audio Hijack records any app directly with effects and scheduling; Loopback builds arbitrary virtual routing. Both are polished and deep. If recording audio is your job, buy them. If you record a webinar once a month, the price stings.
A routing utility ($10)
SoundPipe takes the BlackHole recipe and removes the homework. It creates the virtual device, routes your chosen apps (or the whole system output) into it, keeps your speakers or headphones live so you can still hear everything, matches sample rates automatically, and gives each channel a volume slider. Point QuickTime, Audacity, or your DAW at the SoundPipe device and press record.
It's $10 once, covers three Macs, and the trial runs the complete app in 20-minute sessions — enough to record something real before deciding.
The short version
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| A screen recording with sound | Built-in screen capture |
| Free audio-only capture, don't mind setup | BlackHole + QuickTime |
| Professional recording workflows | Audio Hijack / Loopback |
| Easy audio-only capture with monitoring | SoundPipe |