How to Record MP3 on Mac with Simple Clicks [2024 Guide]

Melissa Lee updated on Nov 26, 2024 to Screen Recording Utility

If you want to record MP3 on your Mac, you will need a recorder. The recorder can be an inbuilt one or a third-party one. No matter what, only if it can record audio on your Mac, then it can be seen as useful. In this article, we will show you how to record MP3 on Mac with detailed tutorials.

MP3 is one of the most common formats of audio files nowadays. And many portable music devices use them. Therefore, many people want to record the audio on their computer and save it in MP3.

The only question is how to record the Mac audio as an MP3 file. Even if you totally have no idea, no worries. In this article, we will show you how to record MP3 on Mac with some feasible tools, inbuilt or third-party. Now. Let's dive in!

🛠️Method 👍Effectiveness 🙉Difficult Level
EaseUS RecExperts High - record both microphone or system audio in MP3, without any background noise Very Easy
QuickTime Player Medium - only supporting capture microphone sound Moderate
Voice Memos Medium - only supporting capture microphone sound Easy
GarageBand High - capture Mac audio in MP3, and offer many editing tools Easy
Audacity Medium - record audio on Mac in MP3 for free Moderate

Record MP3 on Mac with EaseUS RecExperts

EaseUS RecExperts is a well-known Mac screen recorder, which allows you to deal with almost all screen recording tasks on your Mac devices effortlessly. 

Actually, apart from that, it also performs well in audio recording. This tool enables you to capture the system sound, microphone, or both simultaneously based on your needs. And, you can choose to export your recording in MP3, FLAC, WAV, or other common audio formats!

Now, download this tool from the button below and follow the steps to record MP3 on Mac with it.

Step 1. Launch this Mac screen recorder, then click the "Audio" button on the main interface.

Step 2. Next, select the audio source by clicking "Sound" on the lower left. Here you can choose to record system sound, microphone, or both simultaneously, and even adjust the volume. Once done, click on the "OK" option.

Step 3. When you are ready, hit the "REC" button to start the audio recording.

Step 4. Once done, you can preview the recorded music files by clicking "Recordings" on the homepage. If needed, you can trim unwanted parts by clicking the Scissor icon at the bottom.

Now, hit the below button to get this all-in-one Mac MP3 recorder!

Record MP3 on Mac with QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player is a capable built-in Mac software tool. It not only enables users to play MKV files on Mac, open MP3, MOV, etc. but also helps users to record audio from a computer or microphone. After recording, you can even edit the audio by cutting, merging, and pasting the recording sections.

The interface is user-friendly. So it is super easy for users to carry out any operation. Besides, you don't need to download QuickTime Player because it is pre-installed on your Mac. To record MP3 on Mac, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1. Launch QuickTime Player on your Mac. To record audio on your Mac, you have two options.

Step 2. To record internal audio, click "File" > "New Movie Recording" in the top menu bar; To record audio from the microphone, click "File" > "New Audio Recording" in the top menu bar.

Step 3. Click the red "record" button to start recording. When you are done, click the button again to stop recording.

Step 4. After recording, you can save the recording via "File" > "Save".

Don't forget to share this post with others in need!

 

Record MP3 on Mac with Voice Memos

Voice Memos has been brought to macOS since 10.14. It can keep your recordings perfectly syncing with your iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices of yours. And after recording the audio, you can play MP3 on Mac.

It gives users an intuitive interface so everyone can handle it without using it. The only thing you need to take care of is that it records audio only in MP3 format. If you are OK with that, just follow the steps below to record MP3 on Mac.

Step 1. Open the Voice Memos app and click the large red circle to start recording sound.

Step 2. Click the red "Pause" button to stop the recording.

Step 3. After recording, click "Done" and rename the file. After that, the recording will be saved on your Mac.

Record MP3 on Mac with GarageBand

GarageBand is another pre-installed app on Mac computers. With this app, you can use create and edit music on your Mac. And surprisingly, it is also a useful utility for recording MP3 on Mac.

With GarageBand, you can record audio on PCs. For example, you can record your voice or instrument sound, with a microphone, including the sound of pianos, synthesizers, guitars, drums, horns, etc. The only thing that might stop you from using it is that it is not so friendly for novices.

Step 1. Plug an external microphone into your Mac, and then launch GarageBand.

Step 2. Click "Voice" and click the triangle icon to expand the "Details" menu. Select your microphone under "Input Device". Then, click "Choose" in the bottom-right corner.

Step 3. Click the "+" icon to create a new project. In the pop-up window, choose the second button to record MP3 on Mac from the microphone, and click "Create".

Step 4. Click the red button to start recording. Click the white square button to stop when you want to.

Record MP3 on Mac with Audacity

Audacity is the last tool we want to introduce to you. It works on Macs, PCs, and Linux computers, so you don't need to worry about compatibility issues. It allows you to record your voice and then edit it with built-in audio editing tools.

Once you have recorded your file, you can edit the audio with the available effects, such as noise removal, voice generation, track-based management, etc. After that, you can save your recordings to different file formats with one click. Check the steps to record MP3 on Mac with it below.

Step 1. Download and install Audacity. Open the software, and check your microphone under "Primary Sound Capture".

Step 2. Select "Tracks" > "Add New" > "Stereo Track" to proceed.

Step 3. Click the red circle on the top left-hand side of the screen to start recording. If you need to pause, click the pause icon. When you are done, click on the yellow button to stop recording.

Step 4. Click "File" > "Export" to choose the output format. Then, click "File" > "Export" > "Export Audio" to save the file on your Mac.

FAQs about How to Record MP3 on Mac

We gathered some frequently asked questions here. Let's check their answers together.

1. How do I make an MP3 File on my Mac?

You need to follow the steps here.

  1. 1. In the "Music" app on your Mac, choose "Music" > "Preferences" and click "Files".
  2. 2. Click "Import Settings", choose the format you want to convert songs to, then click "OK" to save the settings.
  3. 3. Select one or more songs in your library, then choose "File" > "Convert" > "Create MP3 Version".

2. Can I record MP3 in QuickTime?

The answer is yes. QuickTime is well-known as a video and audio player on Mac. But many people don't know that it can also be used to record things on your computer. Moreover, you can save your other audio files as MP3s with this tool.

3. How do I record an audio file on my Mac?

To record an audio File on your Mac computer, you will need EaseUS RecExperts. Read the introductions and follow the steps to record audio on Mac with it.

Conclusion

Recording MP3 on Mac is easy if you have got a feasible tool on your device. In this article, we give you some capable ones. All the programs can record MP3 on Mac. But we suggest you download and use EaseUS RecExperts as it is user-friendly and comprehensive in the meantime.