How to Record Internal Audio on Mac with 7 Ways

There is no default internal audio recording support for all Mac computers. If you want to record system audio on Mac, you need a third-party Mac audio recorder. Most audio recorders require soundflower for Mac internal audio recording, such as Audacity, QuickTime, etc. Because soundflower can create a "virtual" output device for routing audio. Or you can record streaming audio and desktop sound on Mac via Aiseesoft Screen Recorder directly. Soundflower is not your must-have audio recording tool on Mac. Now, let's see how to record internal audio on Mac with or without soundflower.

Record System Audio Mac

Part 1. Best Way to Record System Audio on Mac 🔥

If you want to screen record with Mac computer sound and microphone voice, Aiseesoft Screen Recorder can be your first choice. You can record any sound from your computer without losing quality. The internal and external audio recording triggers are easy to use. No matter you want to record screen audio on Mac only, or record both computer and microphone sound, you can get satisfying results here.

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Aiseesoft Screen Recorder

  • Record internal audio on Mac from any browser, program, website, etc.
  • Save the Mac audio recording into MP3, M4A, WMA, CAF, FLAC, OGG, or OPUS.
  • Adjust the output audio quality from the lossless to the lowest.
  • Set custom audio recording length.
  • Trim the unwanted audio clips before exporting.
  • Compatible with Mac OS X 10.10 or above. (including macOS Sequoia).
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Step 1.
Free download, install, and launch the audio recorder for Mac. Choose Audio Recorder on the main interface. You can record System Sound on Mac Big Sur and earlier versions here.
Choose Audio Recorder Mac
Step 2.
Turn on System Sound and adjust the input audio volume. If you want to record external audio on Mac, you can turn on Microphone as well.
Audio Recorder Interface Mac
Step 3.
The program will record desktop audio and save it as an MP3 on Mac by default. You can click the Preferences icon and navigate to the Output section. Find and adjust with Audio format and Audio quality options.
Output In Preferences Mac
Step 4.
Click Rec to start recording system sound on Mac. When you stop recording, you can click Play in the Preview window to pre-listen it. Use the built-in audio clipper to extract any audio clip. At last, click Save to download the recorded Mac audio file.
Save Interface Mac

Part 2. How to Record Mac Computer Audio with QuickTime

QuickTime Player can be your free screen recorder for Mac. You can record a Mac screen with microphone sound. If you want to capture system audio on Mac with QuickTime Player, you need to install soundflower or other similar audio capture plugins. Once you have configured with soundflower, you can record internal audio on Mac with QuickTime.

Best for: Users who want a built-in recording solution on Mac

Worst for: Users who want to record audio and video together.

Follow the steps below to record audio on a Mac with QuickTime:

Step 1.
Download and install soundlfower for Mac first.
Step 2.
Find and open QuickTime Player. Choose New Audio Recording from the File drop-down list on the top.
Step 3.
From the down-arrow icon list, choose the internal audio recording source. Keep High in the Quality list.
Step 4.
Click the Record button to start the Mac internal audio recording process.
Record Mac Computer Audio with QuickTime

Part 3. How to Record Internal Audio on Mac with Audacity

Audacity for Mac is also a free Mac audio recorder you can use. Here you can digitalize audio recordings from other media platforms, as well as an external microphone or mixer. Moreover, you can edit audio with Audacity by trimming, merging, etc. To start with, you also need to install soundflower to record system audio on Mac with Audacity.

Best for: Users who want to record audio only.

Worst for: Users who are reluctant to download extra software.

Follow the steps below to record sound on a Mac with Audacity:

Step 1.
Download soundflower for Mac. Follow its wizard to complete the installation.
Step 2.
Choose System Preferences from the Apple drop-down list. Choose Sound followed by Output. Here you can set soundflower(2ch) as the primary audio source.
Step 3.
Open Audacity. Go to the Audacity preferences and set soundflower(2ch) as your recording device.
Step 4.
Click Record and use Audacity to record computer audio on Mac for free.
Step 5.
Stop recording and save the Mac audio file in MP3 format.
Record Mac Computer Audio with Audacity

Part 4. How to Record Internal Sound on Mac Using OBS

As a free and open-source software, OBS is available for both Mac and Windows users and is very popular among the recording solutions. It supports recording audio and video from almost any internal or external source, making it suitable for capturing system sounds and internal audio. However, if you want to record audio only, OBS might fail you. It doesn't support audio-only recording, and you must record video as well, and there's no option to disable the screen capture feature.

Best for: Users who are seeking for an economical option.

Worst for: Users who want to record audio only.

Follow the steps below to record sound on a Mac using OBS Studio:

Step 1.
Download OBS on your Mac computer and click the plus icon under Sources.
Step 2.
Go to Display Capture > Create/Select Source > OK.
Step 3.
Choose the display and click OK.
Step 4.
Click Start Recording to capture the Mac audio now.
Record Audio OBS Display And Sources

Part 5. Capture Internal Audio on Mac with Free Online Audio Recorder

For Mac users seeking audio recording without downloads or installations, online audio recording tools offer a convenient alternative. Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder is a prime example, providing a user-friendly experience for recording system sounds, browser audio, or microphone input, all from the comfort of a web browser. But this online tool only allows you to record up to 1 hour, and you still need to download its desktop version if you want to record more. And as a simple option, it also offers a few features, which make it a bad option for advanced audio recording.

Best for: Record online easily without downloading third-party software.

Worst for: Record audio only or record more than 1 hour of audio.

Here are the steps to record system audio on Mac using Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder:

Step 1.
Go to apowersoft.com and choose Audio Recorder under Product & Solution menu.
Step 2.
Click Start Recording and check System Sound.
Step 3.
Click Start Recording again.
Step 4.
Select the screen you want to record and click Share.
Step 5.
Now it will start to record your system audio on Mac. After the recording, you can click Save to download the result.
Free Online Audio Recorder

Part 6. Screen Record on Mac with Internal Audio Using Recordit

Recordit also offers a straightforward way to capture system audio on your Mac without needing to dive into complicated settings or installation guides. It’s lightweight, fast, and gets you recording without any hassle. You can use it to record internal audio like app sounds, system alerts, streaming audio, or Zoom calls. This screen recorder for Mac with internal audio can save recordings in commonly used formats for easy sharing or editing.

Best for: Short recordings on a low-end Mac computer.

Worst for: Record audio only.

Here are the steps to record internal audio on a Mac using Recordit:

Step 1.
Download Recordit on your Mac and press the white camera icon to choose the recording area.
Step 2.
Press the Record button to begin the recording.
Step 3.
Click the Stop button to finish the recording.
Step 4.
Now you can access the result via a link or download it directly to your local device. You don’t need to select the internal audio intentionally for it captures both screen and internal sound by default.
Recordit Record Internal Sound

Part 7. Capture System Audio on Mac Using MP3 Audio Recorder

MP3 audio recorder is an internal audio recorder on Mac that captures audio and saves it in the MP3 format, which is a common and widely used audio file format. These recorders can be used to capture sound from microphones, internal sound sources like your computer's audio, or even streaming audio from the internet. They are often used for recording voice memos, music, interviews, or any other audio that needs to be saved and shared in a digital format.

Best for: Record system audio in MP3 format.

Worst for: Record audio and video simultaneously.

Follow the steps below to record sound on a Mac using MP3 Audio Recorder:

Step 1.
After installing MP3 Audio Recorder on your Mac, you can select Audio Device from the drop-down menu.
Step 2.
Click on the Settings to customize your recording preferences.
Step 3.
Click the red rec button to begin the system audio recording on Mac.
Step 4.
Click the Stop button to end the recording. Then, it will automatically open the folder where your recording content is stored.
Mp3 Audio Recorder

Part 8. FAQs of Recording System Audio on Mac

Can you screen record with system audio on Mac?

Yes. You can record Mac screen and system audio at the same time. Just run Aiseesoft Screen Recorder for Mac. Choose Video Recorder. Set the screen capture area and system audio recording. Later, you can click REC to record the Mac screen with system audio.

How to fix macOS Big Sur doesn't record internal audio?

If you want to make soundflower "work" in Big Sur, you can install soundflower for Mac in /Library/Extensions. Restart your Mac computer. After that, you can capture system audio on Mac. Or you can use other free audio routers alternative to soundflower.

Is there any soundflower alternative?

Yes. You can replace soundflower with Blackhole, Record It Audio Device, loopback audio, and more. Later, you can record Mac computer's audio with QuickTime successfully.

Conclusion

That's all you need to record system audio on macOS Sequoia, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, etc. You can use Aiseesoft Screen Recorder to quickly record internal and external audio on Mac with multiple customization options. You can also install Soundflower for audio routing on Mac and run QuickTime Player, Audacity, and more to record internal audio on Mac. You can also rely on an online choice to record audio easily. But overall, I recommend Aiseesoft Screen Recorder best, which allows you to record audio with a scheduled plan and record sound at high quality in multiple audio formats like MP3, OGG, and more.

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