Best Free Screen Recorder With System Audio on Mac (2026)

The best free way to record your Mac screen with system audio in 2026 is a recorder that captures internal sound directly, because the macOS screenshot toolbar and QuickTime Player do not record system audio by themselves. BuildBetter's free BB Recorder does this through Apple's ScreenCaptureKit, runs locally and needs no account. If you prefer a general-purpose tool, OBS Studio is a free open-source option. QuickTime can also work if you add a virtual audio device. This guide explains each method, the macOS permissions involved, how to check your audio levels before a recording that matters, and how to handle consent when you record calls.

Why don't the built-in Mac tools record system audio?

The built-in tools record your screen and, optionally, a microphone, but not the sound your Mac is playing. When you open the screenshot toolbar (Shift-Command-5) or start a new screen recording in QuickTime Player, the audio choices are input devices, such as the built-in microphone or a USB mic. System audio is the output: a video's soundtrack, a notification chime, or the other people on a video call. It does not pass through any input device, so neither tool picks it up by default.

Many people set the microphone as the input and let the laptop speakers play the call audio into it. That technically captures something, but the result is usually thin and echoey. It also picks up room noise and your keyboard, and it fails entirely if you wear headphones. Recording system audio properly needs one of these three approaches:

• A recorder that captures system audio natively. On current macOS this generally means an app built on ScreenCaptureKit, Apple's framework for capturing screen content and audio.
• A broadcasting or recording app with its own audio capture sources. OBS Studio falls into this group.
• A virtual audio device. A free driver creates a fake input that carries your system output, so tools like QuickTime can select it as if it were a microphone.

What should you look for in a free Mac recorder with system audio?

Look for reliable system audio capture, separate control of your microphone, local storage, and a setup you can repeat without having to troubleshoot it every time. Price alone is a weak filter, because several good options cost nothing. What separates them is how much configuration they need and what happens to your files afterward. Check these points before you commit to a method:

1. System audio and microphone together. For tutorials and calls you usually want both: the app's or other participants' sound, and your own voice.
2. Window or full-display capture. Recording a single window keeps notifications, other tabs and private material out of the frame.
3. Where files go. Local recording keeps the file on your machine until you choose to share it. That matters for customer calls and internal demos.
4. Account requirements. Some free tools need a sign-up. If you only want a file on disk, an account adds nothing.
5. Setup effort and fragility. Audio routing that you have to rebuild after every macOS update or headphone change will eventually fail you during a recording that matters.
6. What happens after recording. If you record calls, transcription and search may matter more than video editing.

How do the free options compare?

BB Recorder needs the least setup for system audio and meeting recording. OBS Studio gives the most control over scenes and sources. QuickTime plus a virtual audio device works with tools you already have, but takes the most manual routing. The table below summarizes the differences, based on BuildBetter's published recorder page for BB Recorder and on the general behavior of the other methods.

Option 1: BB Recorder (free, local, system audio built in)

BB Recorder is the most direct free option because screen recording with system audio is built in, and you don't have to route any audio yourself. According to the BB Recorder page, you pick a window or a full display, record with system audio, and save or share the file. On macOS it uses ScreenCaptureKit, with no external service required.

What BB Recorder does, per its product page

• Free, offline, no account. The page says it works 100% offline and does not require an account.
• Screen recording with system audio. You can capture a window or a full display, powered by ScreenCaptureKit on macOS.
• Local call recording without a bot. It records Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams calls with full video and audio on your computer, and no bot joins the call.
• Optional bot, switchable mid-call. You can send the BuildBetter bot, which appears as a visible participant, or switch between bot and local recording during the call. The local recording keeps going when you do.
• Pause and resume. You can pause the bot or the local recording and resume it within the same recording. This is useful when someone asks you to stop, or when something sensitive appears on screen.
• Automatic meeting detection. It detects meetings on Mac and Windows and records them automatically.
• On-device transcription and chat. Transcription happens on the device. You can chat with your calls using the company's models, your own API keys, or a local model.
• Dictation in the same app. If you also want voice-to-text, see our guide to free AI dictation tools for Mac.

It is available on Mac, Windows (including an ARM build), iPhone and Android (in beta), and it can import recordings from Plaud recorders. Uploading anything is optional. You can send recordings to a BuildBetter workspace later, and the page states that the BuildBetter platform is SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and GDPR compliant. Those certifications apply to the platform. They do not make your recordings legally compliant on their own, which the consent section below covers.

When BB Recorder fits best

Choose it when system audio is the main requirement and you don't want to configure anything, or when many of your recordings are meetings. Transcription and search are often more useful for calls than raw video. If you are comparing it with cloud-based async video tools, our roundup of privacy-first screen recorders for Mac covers that category in more depth.

Option 2: OBS Studio (free, open source, highly configurable)

OBS Studio is a good free choice if you want full control over layout and sources and are willing to set up a scene first. It is open-source software built for recording and live streaming. You arrange sources such as a display, a window, a webcam and audio inputs into a scene, then record that scene to a file.

How to approach system audio in OBS

Recent OBS releases on macOS include capture sources that use Apple's screen capture frameworks, and some of these can include audio. The exact source names and options have changed between versions, so check the OBS documentation for the version you install rather than relying on an older tutorial. If your version cannot capture system audio directly, the virtual audio device method described in the next section also works with OBS: add the virtual device as an audio input source.

A reliable general workflow:

• Create one scene for each recording type you use often, such as "full screen tutorial" or "single window demo."
• Add the display or window source, then the system audio source, then your microphone as a separate source. Keeping them separate lets you balance them in the mixer.
• Set a recording format and output folder once, before your first real recording.
• Do a 15-second test recording and play it back before every important session (see the level check below).

The trade-off is complexity. OBS can do much more than most people need, and an incorrect setting usually shows up only when you play back the file. For quick recordings it can feel heavy. For polished tutorials with a webcam overlay, that flexibility is the reason to use it.

Option 3: QuickTime Player plus a virtual audio device

QuickTime can record system audio if you install a free virtual audio device and send your Mac's output through it. QuickTime then records that device as though it were a microphone. The method costs nothing and relies on Apple's own player, but it takes the most setup and is the easiest to get subtly wrong.

The core problem is that once system output goes to the virtual device, you stop hearing it unless you also send it to your speakers or headphones. macOS handles this with a Multi-Output Device, which you create in the Audio MIDI Setup app that ships with macOS. The general sequence is below. Labels can differ slightly between macOS versions.

1. Install a virtual audio driver. Several free, open-source drivers exist. Install one from its official source and restart if the installer asks you to.
2. Open Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device. Include both your real output (headphones or speakers) and the virtual device, so audio goes to both.
3. Set your Mac's sound output to the Multi-Output Device. You now hear audio and it also reaches the virtual device.
4. Start a new screen recording in QuickTime Player and choose the virtual device as the microphone in the recording options.
5. Record, then switch your output back to your normal speakers or headphones when you finish.

Limitations to expect

QuickTime takes only one audio input, so this setup gives you system audio or your microphone, not both. To capture both you would need an aggregate device that combines the virtual device and your mic, which adds another configuration step. Volume keys often don't control a Multi-Output Device, so set the level in the source app instead. Remember to switch outputs back afterward. Otherwise you may wonder later why your Mac sounds different or why a call app is using an unexpected device.

Which macOS permissions does a screen recorder need?

A recorder that captures your screen and system audio needs the Screen Recording permission. If it also records your voice, it needs Microphone access. macOS asks for these the first time an app tries to use them. You can review or change them later in the Privacy & Security area of System Settings, where the wording varies a little between macOS versions.

Screen Recording

This permission lets an app capture what is on your display. For ScreenCaptureKit-based apps it also covers capturing system audio along with the screen. If you deny it by accident, recordings may come out black, show only the desktop wallpaper, or fail to start. After you turn the permission on, macOS often asks you to quit and reopen the app before the change takes effect.

Microphone

This controls whether the app can hear your voice. It is separate from Screen Recording, so an app can have one without the other. A common sign of a missing microphone permission is a recording that has the call audio but none of your voice.

Good permission habits

Grant permissions only to recorders you actually use, and review the list now and then to remove apps you have uninstalled or abandoned. After a major macOS update, open your recorder and make a short test file. Updates sometimes cause macOS to ask for permission again.

How do you check audio levels before recording?

Make a short test recording, play it back with headphones, and check that both system audio and your voice are clear, balanced and not clipping. Level meters help, but listening to the actual file is the only check that confirms what was saved. Use this routine before any recording you cannot redo:

1. Record 15 to 30 seconds in which you play some system audio (a video, or a test call) and speak at your normal volume.
2. Play it back on headphones. Laptop speakers hide problems like low hum, echo and clipping.
3. Listen for balance. If system audio drowns out your voice, lower the source app's volume rather than raising your mic gain.
4. Listen for distortion. Crackling on loud words means the input is clipping. Lower the mic level or move back from the mic a little.
5. Check for duplicated audio. A slight echo can mean you are capturing system audio twice, for example from both a system audio source and a microphone that hears your speakers. Use headphones or remove one source.
6. Confirm the correct devices. If you changed outputs for the QuickTime method, make sure your call app is not still using the virtual device as its microphone.

Hypothetical example: a product manager records a 40-minute customer demo and plays it back afterward to find their own voice missing, because the call app had switched to a Bluetooth headset mic that the recorder was not set to capture. A 20-second test would have caught it. The fix is to treat the test file as part of setup, not an optional extra.

Do you need consent to record calls on your Mac?

Yes. In practice you should tell everyone on a call that you are recording and get their agreement, and in many places the law requires it. Recording laws differ by country and, in some countries, by state or region. Some require consent from every party and others from only one. This article is not legal advice. If you record calls for work, check your organization's policy and the rules that apply where you and the other participants are.

Local, bot-free recording makes this more important, not less. When no bot joins the call, nobody sees a participant labeled as a recorder, so the responsibility to disclose is entirely yours. Practical habits that hold up in most situations:

• Say it at the start. For example: "I'm recording this so I can focus on the conversation and refer back to it. Is everyone okay with that?" Wait for an answer.
• Put it in the invite. A line in the calendar description gives people notice before they join.
• Offer to stop. If someone objects or a sensitive topic comes up, stop or pause. In BB Recorder you can pause the local recording or the bot and resume later in the same recording. That is a pause control, not a consent system, so you still need to ask.
• Consider the visible bot when transparency matters. A bot that joins as a participant makes the recording obvious to everyone, which some teams prefer for external calls.
• Handle the file carefully. Store recordings with sensitive content locally or in a controlled workspace, share specific clips rather than whole calls, and delete what you no longer need.

Which method should you choose?

Choose BB Recorder if you want system audio with no setup or you record meetings. Choose OBS Studio if you need custom scenes and multiple sources. Choose QuickTime plus a virtual audio device only if you want to stay with Apple's player and don't mind configuring audio routing.

Hypothetical examples of how this plays out:

• A designer recording a 3-minute prototype walkthrough with sound effects. A window capture with system audio and their mic in BB Recorder, finished in a few clicks.
• A developer advocate producing a weekly tutorial with a webcam in the corner. OBS Studio, with a saved scene reused every week.
• Someone who needs one recording of a web video's audio and already has QuickTime. The virtual audio device method works, and they switch outputs back afterward.
• A researcher running customer interviews on Zoom. Local call recording with on-device transcription, after asking for consent at the start of each interview.

Whichever you pick, the method that protects your recordings is the same: grant the right permissions, run a short test and listen back on headphones, and disclose recording to everyone on a call.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickTime record internal audio on a Mac?

Not by itself. QuickTime records from input devices such as microphones. To capture internal audio you need to route system output through a virtual audio device and select that device as QuickTime's microphone, as described above.

Does the Shift-Command-5 screenshot toolbar record system audio?

No. The screenshot toolbar can record your screen with a microphone, but it does not capture the sound your Mac is playing. Use a recorder with native system audio capture, OBS Studio, or a virtual audio device setup.

Why is my screen recording silent even though I gave permission?

The most common causes are a recorder that is capturing only the microphone, a missing Microphone permission when you expected your voice, or audio routed to a device the recorder is not listening to. Quit and reopen the app after changing permissions, check which audio sources are enabled, and make a short test recording.

Is BB Recorder really free, and does it need an account?

According to its product page, BB Recorder is free, works 100% offline and does not require an account. Signing in to a workspace is optional.

Can I record both system audio and my microphone at once?

Yes, with a recorder that supports both, such as BB Recorder or OBS Studio with separate audio sources. With QuickTime you would need an aggregate audio device that combines your mic and the virtual device, because QuickTime takes only one audio input.

Will people on a call know I'm recording locally?

Not automatically. Local recording does not add a participant to the call, so you have to tell people yourself. If you want the recording to be visible to everyone, use a recorder bot that joins as a participant.

Try it on your next recording

If you want screen recording with system audio and no audio routing to set up, BB Recorder is the quickest place to start. It is free, works offline, and needs no account. Download BB Recorder, grant Screen Recording and Microphone access, make a 20-second test, and you are ready. If your team later wants shared recordings, transcripts and workflows, BuildBetter is there when you need it.