How to Screen Record on Mac With Audio: Complete Tutorial

Screen recording on Mac is essential for creating tutorials, capturing gameplay, recording video calls, or documenting bugs. If you only remember one thing, use ⌘ Cmd + Shift + 5—it’s the quickest way to get reliable screen captures. In other words, this is how you “record your Mac screen” and “capture video on your Mac.” To screen record on Mac with audio, click Options and select a microphone (and use an audio device for system sound when needed). Here’s exactly how to handle each scenario.

This guide covers every screen recording scenario: microphone input, system audio, simultaneous recording of both, and how to keep your Mac performing smoothly during long recording sessions.

Quick Start: Screen Recording Basics

macOS has built-in screen recording with these quick methods:

Fastest method:

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + 5
2. Click "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion"
3. Click Record button
4. Click Stop in menu bar when done

Default behavior:

• Records video at full resolution
• No audio captured by default
• Saves to Desktop as .mov file
• Shows floating recording controls

Let's dive into the details.

Method 1: Using the Screenshot Toolbar (Recommended)

The Screenshot toolbar is the most user-friendly way to screen record on Mac:

Step-by-step:

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + 5
2. The recording toolbar appears at bottom of screen
3. Choose recording type:
   • Fourth icon: Record entire screen
   • Fifth icon: Record selected portion
4. Click Options to configure:
   • Microphone: None, or choose built-in/external mic
   • Save to: Desktop, Documents, Clipboard, or custom location
   • Timer: None, 5 seconds, or 10 seconds
   • Show mouse clicks: Enable to highlight clicks
   • Remember last selection (keeps your area selection for next time)
5. Click Record button (or wait for timer)
6. Click Stop icon in menu bar when finished

What you get: High-quality .mov video file saved to your chosen location.

Method 2: Using QuickTime Player

QuickTime offers more control and is great for longer recordings:

For screen recording:

1. Open QuickTime Player (in Applications folder)
2. File > New Screen Recording (or ⌘ Cmd + Control + N)
3. Click the down arrow next to record button for options:
   • Choose microphone input
   • Choose to show mouse clicks
4. Click red Record button
5. Click anywhere to record entire screen, or drag to select area
6. Click Stop in menu bar or press ⌘ Cmd + Control + Esc
7. File > Save to export

Benefits over Screenshot toolbar:

• More visible recording controls
• Can trim video before saving (Edit > Trim)
• Can record iPhone/iPad screen (via cable)
• More familiar interface for some users

Method 3: Recording With Microphone Audio

Recording your voice-over while capturing screen is simple:

Using Screenshot toolbar:

1. Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + 5
2. Click Options
3. Under "Microphone", select:
   • None (no audio)
   • Built-in Microphone (MacBook's internal mic)
   • External microphone name (if connected)
4. Select recording area and click Record

Using QuickTime:

1. Open QuickTime Player
2. File > New Screen Recording
3. Click down arrow next to record button
4. Select your microphone under "Microphone"
5. Start recording

Tips for better audio:

• Use headphones to prevent echo/feedback
• Position external mic 6-8 inches from mouth
• Test audio level before long recordings
• Record in quiet environment
• Consider a USB microphone for better quality (Blue Yeti, Audio-Technica, etc.)

Audio quality note: macOS records microphone audio at decent quality, but for professional tutorials, consider recording audio separately in Audacity or GarageBand, then sync in iMovie or Final Cut Pro.

Method 4: Recording System Audio (Computer Sound)

This is the tricky part—macOS doesn't include built-in system audio recording for privacy reasons. You need a third-party audio routing tool.

Option A: Using BlackHole (Free)

BlackHole creates a virtual audio device to route system sound into recordings:

Setup (one-time):

1. Download BlackHole (free, open-source)
2. Install BlackHole 2ch
3. Open Audio MIDI Setup (Applications > Utilities)
4. Click + button > Create Multi-Output Device
5. Name it "Screen Record Output"
6. Check both:
   • BlackHole 2ch
   • Your regular output (e.g., "MacBook Pro Speakers")
7. Close Audio MIDI Setup
8. Go to System Settings > Sound > Output
9. Select "Screen Record Output"

To record:

1. Open QuickTime Player
2. File > New Screen Recording
3. Click down arrow > Microphone > BlackHole 2ch
4. Record as normal

When done:

• Switch System Sound output back to your speakers
• You'll hear audio while recording because of the Multi-Output Device

Option B: Using Loopback (Paid, Easier)

Loopback by Rogue Amoeba is the premium solution:

Benefits:

• Simple visual interface
• Mix system audio + microphone easily
• Per-app audio routing
• No complex setup
• Professional-grade quality

Setup:

1. Install Loopback ($99, 20-minute trial)
2. Create new virtual device
3. Add sources: System Audio, Microphone, or both
4. Select Loopback device as input in QuickTime or Screenshot toolbar
5. Record

If you regularly record system audio, Loopback is worth the investment.

Method 5: Recording System Audio + Microphone Simultaneously

For tutorials where you need both your voice and computer sound:

Using BlackHole + Aggregate Device:

1. Follow BlackHole setup above
2. In Audio MIDI Setup, create Aggregate Device
3. Check both:
   • BlackHole 2ch
   • Built-in Microphone
4. Set as input in QuickTime under Microphone
5. Record—you'll capture system audio and mic together

Using Loopback:

1. Create Pass-Thru device
2. Add both System Audio and Microphone as sources
3. Adjust mix levels for each
4. Select Loopback device in recording software
5. Record

Recording Specific App Audio Only

Sometimes you only want audio from one app (e.g., recording a Zoom call but not notification sounds):

Using Loopback:

1. Create new virtual device
2. Add specific app as source (e.g., "Zoom.us")
3. Add microphone if needed
4. Select Loopback device as input
5. Record

This gives you clean audio without system sounds interrupting.

Recording iPhone or iPad Screen

You can record connected iOS device screens directly:

Using QuickTime:

1. Connect iPhone/iPad via USB cable
2. Trust computer if prompted
3. Open QuickTime Player
4. File > New Movie Recording
5. Click down arrow next to record button
6. Under "Camera", select your iPhone or iPad
7. Under "Microphone", select device microphone if needed
8. Click record button

Note: This records the iOS screen, not your Mac screen. Perfect for app demos or mobile game recordings.

Optimizing Performance for Screen Recording

Screen recording is resource-intensive, especially at high resolutions. Here's what impacts performance:

Performance factors:

• Resolution: 4K/5K displays consume more CPU/GPU
• Frame rate: Higher frame rates (60fps) require more processing
• Recording area: Full screen is more demanding than partial
• Background apps: Each running app takes resources
• Storage speed: Writing large video files benefits from fast SSD

Signs your Mac is struggling:

• Dropped frames in recordings
• Cursor lag during recording
• Fan noise increasing
• Recording app crashes
• Choppy playback

Monitoring Performance During Recording

This is where real-time monitoring becomes valuable. Sensei shows exactly what's happening under the hood during recording sessions:

What to monitor:

• CPU usage: Screen recording can spike CPU to 60-80% on demanding tasks
• GPU utilization: Video encoding taxes the GPU significantly
• Temperature: Extended recording heats up the system
• Available disk space: Video files grow fast (1GB per 10 minutes at high quality)
• Memory pressure: Editing tools alongside recording consume RAM

From Sensei's menu bar, you can see these metrics in real-time. If CPU/GPU is maxing out, you'll know to:

• Close background apps
• Lower recording quality
• Enable hardware encoding
• Give your Mac a cooling break

For content creators doing regular screen recordings, Sensei's performance monitoring prevents frustrating recording failures and keeps your Mac running smoothly through long capture sessions.

Editing Your Screen Recordings

After recording, you have built-in editing options:

Quick edits in QuickTime:

1. Open your recording in QuickTime Player
2. Edit > Trim (⌘ Cmd + T)
3. Drag yellow handles to cut beginning/end
4. Edit > Split Clip to cut middle sections
5. File > Export to save

More advanced editing:

• iMovie (free): Transitions, titles, music, multi-track editing
• Final Cut Pro ($300): Professional-grade editing
• DaVinci Resolve (free): Color grading, effects
• ScreenFlow ($169): Screen recording + editing in one app

Reducing Video File Sizes

Screen recordings create large files. Here's how to reduce size:

During recording:

• Record only the needed portion of screen (not full screen)
• Avoid recording at high frame rates unless needed
• Close unnecessary apps to reduce background activity

After recording:

• Trim unnecessary footage before exporting
• Export at lower resolution (1080p instead of 4K for most purposes)
• Use H.264 compression instead of ProRes
• Use Handbrake (free) to compress without quality loss

Typical file sizes:

• 5 min full screen (1080p): ~500MB
• 5 min full screen (4K): ~2GB
• 5 min partial screen (1080p): ~300MB

Troubleshooting Common Issues

No audio in recording?

• Check microphone wasn't set to "None" in Options
• Verify microphone permissions: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone
• For external mics, check System Settings > Sound > Input
• For system audio, verify BlackHole/Loopback is configured correctly

Laggy or choppy recording?

• Close background applications
• Restart Mac before long recording sessions
• Record smaller area instead of full screen
• Check available disk space (need at least 10GB free)
• Monitor performance with Sensei to identify bottlenecks

Recording stops unexpectedly?

• Check disk space—full drives abort recordings
• Verify you're not hitting storage quota limits
• Some security software interferes with screen recording
• Update macOS to latest version

Black screen in recording?

• App may be blocking recording (e.g., Netflix, Apple TV+)
• Some DRM-protected content can't be recorded
• Try recording in different browser or app

Can't see recording controls?

• Click menu bar recording icon
• Press ⌘ Cmd + Control + Esc to stop recording
• Check if screen recording permission is enabled: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording

Screen Recording Checklist

Use this before important recordings:

Pre-recording:

• Close unnecessary applications
• Check microphone input level
• Test system audio routing (if needed)
• Clear Desktop of sensitive information
• Disable notifications (Do Not Disturb)
• Check available disk space (10GB+ recommended)
• Test 10-second sample recording
• Put phone on silent

During recording:

• Monitor menu bar for recording indicator
• Watch for performance issues
• Speak clearly if recording mic audio

After recording:

• Trim unnecessary footage
• Save with descriptive filename
• Back up important recordings
• Re-enable notifications

Conclusion

You now have complete control over screen recording on Mac—from basic captures to advanced multi-audio setups. Whether you're recording tutorials, gaming, video calls, or product demos, macOS provides flexible tools to capture exactly what you need.

Key takeaways:

• ⌘ Cmd + Shift + 5 is your one-stop recording hub
• Microphone audio is built-in and easy
• System audio requires BlackHole or Loopback
• Monitor performance with Sensei during intensive recording sessions
• QuickTime offers more control for advanced users

For creators doing regular screen recordings, keeping an eye on system performance helps prevent dropped frames and failures—especially on high‑resolution displays.

Happy recording!

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From real-time performance monitoring to comprehensive storage cleanup, Sensei provides features that keep your Mac running at peak performance.

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Related guides:

• How to Take a Screenshot on Mac
• How to Connect AirPods to Your Mac

For Apple’s official instructions, see Record the screen on your Mac.