macOS makes basic screen recording effortless — one keyboard shortcut and you are rolling. The catch is audio. Apple's built-in tools happily record your microphone, but they do not capture the internal sound your Mac is playing. This guide covers all three ways to record, and exactly how to get system audio when you need it.
Method 1: The Shift + Command + 5 shortcut
This is the fastest native option and works on every modern version of macOS.
- Press Shift + Command + 5. A small toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen.
- Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
- Click Options and, under Microphone, pick your input so your voice is recorded.
- Click Record. To finish, click the stop icon in the menu bar (or press Command + Control + Esc).
- A thumbnail appears in the corner; click it to trim, then save. The file lands on your Desktop as a
.mov.
Method 2: QuickTime Player
QuickTime offers the same core capability with a slightly more familiar window-based interface.
- Open QuickTime Player.
- Go to File › New Screen Recording.
- Click the small arrow next to the record button to select your microphone.
- Click record, choose full screen or a region, and start.
QuickTime is handy if you also want to record an attached iPhone or trim clips in the same app afterwards.
Method 3: Capturing internal system audio
This is the part most guides skip. Because macOS has no built-in way to record system sound, you have two practical options:
Option A — A virtual audio device (free)
Tools like BlackHole create a virtual output that macOS treats as a speaker. You route your system sound into it, then select it as the microphone in QuickTime. It works well but takes a few minutes to set up and configure a Multi-Output Device so you can still hear what you are recording.
Option B — Record in the browser (no setup)
If the sound you want is coming from a website, a video call, or a web app, the simplest path by far is to record that tab in your browser, where system audio is a single checkbox.
The no-install browser method
A browser recorder skips the virtual-device dance entirely and works identically across macOS versions.
- Open Screen Recorder Pro in Chrome or Edge on your Mac.
- Enable both System Audio and Microphone.
- Click Start Recording and choose to share your screen, a window, or a specific tab. When sharing a Chrome tab, tick Share tab audio.
- Record, stop, preview, and download as MP4 or WebM — no watermark.
If you are deciding between native tools and the browser, our companion guide on recording internal audio in a browser goes deeper on the audio settings. And if you work across machines, you may also like our Windows recording guide.
Ready to capture your Mac screen with full audio? Open the recorder and start free — nothing to install.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I screen record on a Mac with internal audio?
macOS does not capture internal system audio out of the box — the built-in tools only record the microphone. To record the sound your Mac is playing, either install a free audio-routing tool such as BlackHole, or use a browser-based recorder that can capture a tab or screen with system audio directly.
What is the screen record shortcut on a Mac?
Press Shift + Command + 5 to open the capture toolbar, which lets you record the whole screen or a selected portion and choose a microphone.
Does QuickTime record screen with sound?
QuickTime Player can record your screen with microphone audio (File › New Screen Recording). For internal system audio it needs a virtual audio device, so a browser recorder is usually simpler.
Where are Mac screen recordings saved?
By default they save to your Desktop as a .mov file. You can change the location in the Options menu of the Shift + Command + 5 toolbar.
