How to Record Audio on Mac with External Mic🔥

Are you looking to record professional-quality audio on your MacBook for Podcasts, YouTube Videos, Tutorials, presentations, etc.? The best solution is to use an external mic compatible with a Mac computer. In this article, we shall teach you how to record Audio on a Mac with an external mic.

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Jane Zhou

Updated on Apr 19, 2024

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MacBook is the leading computer brand in the world. The computer is equipped with built-in Mic and audio recording tools. The quality of these features is superior to all its competitors, but for professional work like Podcasts, song recordings, YouTube Videos, etc., you need an external Mic.

The external Mics offer sound specialization with attention to every little detail. You can get studio-quality sound with no background noise. The audio is sharp, crisp, and finely tuned. They provide a better listening experience, and the work gets more positive reviews. That's why they are so popular among professionals. However, the problem with MacBook is that it doesn't allow collaboration with many external Mics.

This blog shall show you some excellent Mac audio recording software and show you how to record professional-quality sound on a MacBook with external audio sources. Stay tuned. 

🛠️Method 👍Effectiveness 🙉Difficult Level
EaseUS RecExperts High - Capturing external Mic without any noise; no time limit recording  Very Easy
Voice Memos Medium - Capture sound from Mic, but the quality is a little low Easy
QuickTime Player Medium - Support recording audio from an external sound without extra installation Moderate

Preparations Before Recording

Audio is the most critical factor behind the success of every video. However, most makers neglect its importance. There are many boxes that you need to tick before pushing the audio recording button. Without these features, you will not get a crisp and engaging sound. Focus on these things before recording an audio

🧜Ambiance

Ambiance refers to the background and surrounding noise present in any scene. The sounds like chirping birds, moving trains, alarms, etc., are cult-classic ambiance voices. They make a video immersive and add depth to it. Most makers fail to get a clear ambiance sound. Therefore, always check the ambient sound quality before recording.  

🎤Type of Mic

Five fingers aren't the same. Similarly, one Mic isn't suitable for all records. For outdoor long-distance shots, you require a high-end boom mic. For indoor use, you can utilize an Omni mic to record multiple situations. For in-person videos like podcasts, you should use a lapel mic. The choice of Mic shows your professionalism.

🎶Headphones for Audio Monitoring 

As a maker, always have headphones on for audio monitoring. It allows you to observe real-time sound. You can adjust the frequency and bandwidths to get clarity of vocals. Headphones are also important to sync or adjust the stereo channels.

🧑‍💻Mic Protection 

For an audio recording, Mic is the most critical part. Make sure it is protected from all outside things like Wind, Traffic, resonating electrical appliances, etc. When wind hits a Mic, it picks up the breathy sounds from the air, which affects the sound quality. To avoid this, always have a windshield known as a dead cat.

✅Connection Check

Any recording session requires a lot of cable connections for different Mics and associated software. Before recording, make sure all connections are in place and functional. So you don't have to record anything twice.   

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Record Audio on Mac with an External Mic

We have explained the prerequisites of MacBook audio recording. Now let's dive straight into recording sound with an external mic. Here are 3 best ways to record audio on Mac with an external mic

#1. Use EaseUS RecExperts

EaseUS RecExperts is an all-in-one recording software. It is equally proficient in recording audio and video from your Mac and Windows systems. For videos, you can choose to record either full or partial screen. Regarding recording audio, the tool offers studio-quality sound with no jitters. It utilizes a built-in AI-Noise remover which eliminates all unnecessary background sounds. As a result, you get a clear sound. 

This tool is highly recommended for recording podcast on Mac, music videos, marketing content, and YouTube videos. After recording, you can add quality customization with editing options. In short, it is a one-window for all streamers and content creators. 

Check out the following tutorial:

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

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.

Select audio source

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

Start 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.

View audio recording

#2. Use Voice Memos

Voice Memos is an app that transforms your Mac device into a temporary audio recorder. You can record lectures, musical notes, ideas, or personal notes with it. It allows you to pause, stop, and edit the recorded audio. The app has been developed exclusively for Mac devices like iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.

Follow these procedures to record a MacBook's external mic with voice memos.

Step 1. Plug an external mic into your MacBook system. Then, turn it on.

Step 2. Select System Preferences > Sound > Input in the phone menu. Now choose your attached external mic as the input sound device. 

System Preferences

Step 3. Navigate to Voice Memos app on your system and open it.

Step 4. To initiate recording, click the red button. Move the mic closer to yourself for better quality.

Step 5. Once finished, tap to stop the recording.

Voice Memos

Step 6. Review the recorded audio file. You can drag the waveform back and forth to observe it.

#3. Use QuickTime Player

QuickTime player is among the most well-rounded media players ever developed by Apple. It provides efficient streaming and recording features. It supports MP3, MP4, AAC, and H.264 audio and video formats. For streaming, QuickTime has HTTP Live streaming protocol support.

QuickTime player provides the best recording from external devices like Mics, webcams, or DVDs. You can also control the output with editing features.

This is how you can record an external Mic from QuickTime Player.

Step 1. Open the QuickTime player from your Mac system.

Step 2. In the app, navigate to the file and select New Audio Recording. A new window will appear.

File and select New Audio Recording

Step 3. Choose the triangle icon. After this, select the external audio device from which you want to record.

Step 4. Select the preferred audio quality.

Step 5. Click the record button and start recording. Once completed, click stop.

Final Words

MacBook is known for its quality. Most people use it for professional audio and video recordings. However, you need to record audio on a Mac with an external mic for studio-quality sound. The external mics provide a crisp and clear sound with no background noises. You can also edit the output sound as per requirement.

This article presents 3 methods to record audio on a Mac with an external mic. You can do it using EaseUS RecExperts, Voice Memos, and QuickTime player. The detailed procedure of each method is presented. We recommend EaseUS RecExperts as the most feasible option for superior quality and ease of usage. Download it now and start professional voice recordings from today.  

How to Record Audio on Mac with External Mic

These are the most frequently asked web questions about how to record audio on a Mac with an external mic.

1. Can I use an external mic with Voice Memos on Mac?

Yes, you can use an external mix with Voice Memos on Mac. They provide excellent recording quality. All you need is to select the external mic as an input audio source; then, you can start recording.

2. Can you record audio internally on Mac?

You can record Mac internal audio with software like EaseUS RecExperts, Easy Audio Recorder Lite, Audacity, etc. You can also use QuickTime player with a configured sound flower app to record internal Mac Audio.

3. How do I record good audio with my microphone?

You can record good audio with a Mac microphone by using QuickTime Player. Follow these steps

Step 1. Open the QuickTime player app. Then choose file> New Audio Recording.

Step 2. Choose the microphone and audio quality in the pop-up menu.

Step 3. Adjust the volume. Click on Start to initiate recording.

Step 4. Click the stop button after completing the work.

Step 5. Select File > Save to save the recording file.

EaseUS RecExperts

One-click to capture anything on screen!

No Time Limit, No watermark

Start Recording

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