How to Record Internal Audio on Mac✅ [6 Ways]

Recording internal audio on a Mac is not as straightforward as recording your voice on Mac. Luckily, using the methods given in this guide, you should be able to know how to record internal audio on Mac or Macbook with ease. Now, continue reading to find the solution that works best for you.

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Jane Zhou

Updated on Aug 14, 2024

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Due to there is no built-in system audio recording tool on Mac, Mac users might always face a problem when they want to capture streaming sound or audio from YouTube: how to record internal audio on Mac device? If you are one of them, this post will help you out. Here, you will learn some effective ways to record the sound coming from your Mac effortlessly. Now, let's dive into it!

Record System Audio on Mac with Professional Internal Audio Recorder

Method rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advantages: Users can use this tool to record and edit high-quality system sound on almost all Mac models easily, and export the audio recordings in various formats, like MP3, FLAC, etc.
Limitations: Users can only record audio in basic modes. If they want to improve the quality, they might need to purchase for the full verison. 

Whether you use an M1 or M2-based Mac, you can easily capture the system sound in high quality with EaseUS RecExperts, a professional internal audio recorder for Mac. This tool is also compatible with many macOS versions, including Sonoma, Venture, and more.

With this high-quality Mac screen recorder, you can effortlessly record audio from YouTube, streaming services, internet, and more on your Mac device. Plus, it allows you to adjust the audio recording parameters flexibly, from audio sample rate to audio format. To capture your Mac's desktop sound, you only need to choose the System sound as the audio source and click Rec. Once done, this versatile program even offers you editing tools to trim or split the recorded audio files as you like! 

Here is how to record internal audio on Mac using EaseUS RecExperts:

Step 1. Install and launch EaseUS RecExperts. Click on the "Audio" option on the main screen.

main interface

Step 2. Click the Sound icon from the bottom left corner of the interface. Here you can enable the "System sound" option to record your Mac's audio. 

system sound

Step 3. To apply more options on Audio, click "Settings" from the main interface. Here you can set the output format, bitrate, sampling rate, etc. 

mac audio settings

Step 4. Once done, the audio file is saved on its "Recordings". The recent audio file is listed first.

record system sound on mac

📺Check a YouTube video tutorial to get more information!

If this post solves your problem, share it with more users now!

 

Record Mac Computer Audio with QuickTime Player and Soundflower

Method rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
Advantages: It is completely free for any user, as both tools are non-cost.
Limitations: Users need to install and set the Soundflower first, and it might be a little difficult for novices. 

You can rely on QuickTime Player to capture the Mac computer audio for free. However, the pre-condition is that you need to install the extra add-on called Soundflower, which is only used to capture desktop audio. With both two free programs, you can successfully record your Mac's internal audio. Here are the tutorial you can check:

Step 1. Download and install Soundflower on your Mac. Then, click System Preferences > Sound > Output > Soundflower (2ch) to change your Mac's output device.

record mac internal audio with audacity - step 1

Step 2. Click the "Launchpad" in your "Dock," search for "QuickTime Player," and open the app. Then, click on the option that says "File" at the top menu bar and select "New Audio Recording."

New audio recording with QuickTime

Step 3. Click the down-arrow icon next to the record button and choose an appropriate source.

Select audio source

Step 3. After you have chosen a source for your audio recording, hit the large record button on your Mac to start recording the internal audio on your Mac. When you are done, click the stop recording button to stop your internal sound recording.

begin internal audio recording

Step 4. You can play the audio after it has been recorded by clicking the play icon. If you think it is good to proceed, click the "File" menu at the top and choose "Save."

save internal audio recording

💔The steps above work when you have Soundflower installed on your Mac computer. If you don't know how to download and change the settings, it's better to use EaseUS RecExperts instead. Download it right now!

Record Desktop Audio on Mac Free Using Audacity and Soundflower

Method rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advantages: Audacity is open-source, and users can use it to record Mac computer audio for free. Moreover, it provides many editing tools to modify the recordings.
Limitations: It can only deal with audio recording and editing issues. If you want to record a Mac screen with internal sound, you will fail.

Audacity is an open-source audio recording and editing tool that can run smoothly on Mac devices. It can record live audio through a microphone or mixer, or digitize recordings from other media. After recording, you can edit your recorded sound by cutting, copying, pasting, etc. Moreover, it allows you to export your recordings with high quality in many different file formats, including multiple files at once. Similar to the QuickTime Player, you also need to download and install an add-on called Soundflower.

Step 1. Click the Apple menu to open System Preferences, and click "Sound" > "Output" to set Soundflower (2ch) as the audio source. Then go to Audacity Preferences and choose the Soundflower (2ch) as the recording device.

record mac internal audio with audacity - step 1

Step 2. Once done, you can play the audio inside any app on your Mac, then open Audacity and click the Record button to capture the system sound from your Mac.

record internal audio on mac with audacity - step 2

Step 3. If you are going to end the recording, hit the button to stop it. After that, you can export the audio as an MP3 file and save it on your computer.

record internal audio on mac using audacity - step 3

You can share this article with more people in need if you find it helpful!

 

Record Mac Internal Audio with Simple Recorder

Method rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advantages: It requires almost no learning curve to record computer audio on a Mac, and lets you adjust basic recording settings.
Limitations: Users can only export the audio recording in MP3 or M4A format.

Simple Recorder is one of the simplest voice recorder apps that you will ever come across for your Mac machine. With this tiny yet very effective Mac computer audio recorder app, you can record your voice and system audio with just a single click. There are not many options that you need to configure to get started with this app. All that you basically need to do is just install the app, select a source for the audio, and you can start your audio recordings.

The lightweight and clear interface attracts many users for it. However, only M4A and MP3 formats are supported for audio files. 

Step 1. Once the app is installed, you will see a little icon in your menu bar. Click this icon to view the app options. You need to specify a source for your internal audio and select the source Soundflower created on your Mac.

Select audio source

Step 2. Select a location to save your recordings. Click "Preferences" > "Set Default Folder" to choose the default folder to save your audio recordings.

choose save location

Step 3. Click the app icon in the menu bar and hover over "Preferences" to customize the audio recording parameters, such as the sample rate and file format.

edit recording settings

Step 4. Finally, click the "Record" button at the top, and the app will start recording the internal audio on your Mac machine. When you want to stop the recording, click the app icon again in the menu bar and choose the "Stop" option.

Record mac internal audio

Record Internal Audio Mac with Easy Audio Recorder Lite

Method Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advantages: This Mac system audio recorder is lightweight and easy to use. Any levels of users can use it to create high-quality audio files.
Limitations: It doesn't provide any editing tools to enhance your recorded audio files.

Easy Audio Recorder Lite, as the name implies, is a system audio recording app for Mac machines. No matter what kind of audio you want to record on your machine, this app has all the features that you would ever need for any kind of recording.

The best thing about this Mac internal audio recorder is that it won't take up too much space on your Mac computer. If your computer is running out of space, try this audio recorder. 

Step 1. Click the cog icon at the top, which will open the settings menu for you. From this newly opened menu, click the "Input Device" dropdown menu and choose the device created by the Soundflower app.

Step 2. On the same screen that you chose an audio source, you can specify the file format for your audio recording. Click the option next to "Format" and choose a file format for your internal audio recordings. Then, click "OK" at the bottom to save your changes.

Step 3. To start your recording, click the red record button. When you are done, click the stop button to stop your recording.

Initiate internal audio recording

Step 4. To access all of the recordings that you have made with this app, go to the settings menu and click on "Go to files location".

Record Sound Coming from Your Mac with MP3 Audio Recorder

Method rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Advantages: You can customize recording parameters to create your desired audio recordings.
Limitations: It can only record your Mac's internal sound into MP3.

Those of you who prefer to customize quite a few options for your recordings are going to like the MP3 Audio Recorder to make internal audio recordings on your Mac. Not only does this app let you make new recordings quickly and easily, but you can also use the app to specify a plethora of options for your custom recording. This way, you can customize basically each aspect of your file, ensuring you get what you expect.

A unique selling point of this audio recorder is that users can change the settings to make the recorded audio files be shown in the Finder app automatically. This could save users a lot of time.

Step 1. Fire up the app after it is installed, and you will be on the main interface. Click the dropdown menu next to "Audio Device" and choose the audio device that outputs your Mac's internal sound.

Step 2. After specifying an audio source, click the settings icon to open the settings menu. On this screen, you have many options to modify for your audio recording.

choose audio source

Step 3. You are now back to the main screen of the app. Click the red recording button to start recording the internal audio on your Mac. When you are done, click the stop button to stop the recording.

start internal audio recording

Step 4. The app will automatically open the folder where your recording is saved. You can then double-click on your recorded file to play it in your default media player app.

Conclusion

Recording internal audio on Mac is pretty easy, provided you set up things the right way. If you do not know what that means, the above guide will walk you through each stage of the procedure one by one. This way, you will learn how to record internal audio Mac using various methods on your Mac machine.

Record Internal Audio on Mac FAQs

1. How to record internal audio on a Mac without Soundflower?

To record internal audio on a Mac, Soundflower is necessary while using some free audio recording software. If you want to install such add-on software on your Mac, you can use EaseUS RecExperts to record system audio on Mac:

Step 1. Download and launch this software, and click Audio.

Step 2. Enable the System Sound option by clicking the Sound icon from the bottom left corner of the interface.

Step 3. Click REC to start your audio recording.

2. How do you screen record on Mac with internal audio?

There are lots of screen recorders with internal audio for Mac on the internet, which helps you record Mac screen with internal audio effortlessly. You can go ahead to this post for more information: how to screen record on Mac with internal audio.

3. Does Mac have a built-in internal audio recorder?

Mac offers some built-in audio recorders like QuickTime Player and Voice Memo to let you record your sound. However, when it comes to the internal audio recorder, Mac doesn't have one. If you need to record internal audio on a Mac, you can rely on some professional Mac internal audio recorders, like EaseUS RecExperts, Audacity, OBS Studio, or others.

4. How to record internal audio and external audio on Mac?

There are two ways to help you record internal audio and external audio on a Mac. One is QuickTime Player, which will assist you in recording external audio on a Mac. However, if you want to capture the internal audio, you need to install another add-on program called Soundflower. It may sound a little complex. Another is to use fantastic audio recording software (EaseUS RecExperts, OBS Studio, MP3 Audio Recorder, etc.), and these programs let you complete your task with simple clicks.

EaseUS RecExperts

One-click to capture anything on screen!

No Time Limit, No watermark

Start Recording

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