1. [Clacky](https://clacky.app/) 2. › 3. [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z) 4. › 5. [Answers](https://clacky.app/answers/) 6. › 7. Mac screen recording has no sound Answer # Why does my Mac screen recording have no sound? Because Apple’s recorder (Shift-Command-5 and QuickTime Player) only records a microphone, and only if you picked one: it doesn’t record the sound your Mac plays, its system audio, before macOS 27, where Options gained **Include System Audio**. So a silent video usually means Microphone was set to **None**, or you wanted the Mac’s own sound (a video, an app, click sounds), which needs macOS 27, another app or a different recorder. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing) ![Clacky’s recorder bar: No Mic, No Camera, Mac Audio switched on, Spotlight and a red Record button](https://clacky.app/features27/mic-audio-light.webp)![Clacky’s recorder bar: No Mic, No Camera, Mac Audio switched on, Spotlight and a red Record button](https://clacky.app/features27/mic-audio-dark.webp) ## Find your case What’s missing Why Fix Everything, even your voice Options → Microphone is None Pick a microphone in Options before you record Your voice is faint or crackly The wrong mic, or a Bluetooth headset mic Pick the Mac’s built-in mic or a wired one The Mac’s own sound (videos, apps, clicks) Apple’s recorder doesn’t record it before macOS 27 Include System Audio on macOS 27, or a recorder that records Mac audio Sound in other apps works, the recorder hears nothing Microphone access is off for that app System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone ## Fix a missing voice 1. Press **Shift-Command-5**, pick a recording mode and click **Options**. 2. Under **Microphone**, choose your Mac’s microphone or the one you use. None means a silent video. 3. Check the level in **System Settings → Sound → Input**: speak and watch the meter move. 4. If you use a third-party recorder, turn it on in **System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone**, then quit and reopen it. 5. Record a five-second test and play it back before the real take. ## Record the Mac’s own sound On macOS 27 or later, choose **Include System Audio** in the same Options menu. On macOS 13 to 26, Apple’s tools can’t, so you have three choices: OBS Studio (free), a virtual audio driver like BlackHole, or a recorder that records Mac audio. Every step for each is in [how to record your Mac screen with internal audio](https://clacky.app/blog/record-mac-screen-with-internal-audio/). Clacky’s Screen Recorder (macOS 15 or later) has **Mac Audio** on by default, so everything the Mac plays, Clacky’s click sounds included, is in the video, and you add your microphone when you want it. ## Still silent? - **Muted app.** If the app you recorded was muted or at zero, there is nothing to record. - **Headphones.** Recording the Mac’s sound works with headphones too, but the microphone won’t hear what plays in them. - **Protected video.** Some streaming services block their picture and sound from recordings. - **Sound only in part of the video?** Check that the mic didn’t switch, for example when AirPods connected mid-recording. ## Where these facts come from Checked on 5 November 2026. - [Apple: How to record the screen on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102618) (Microphone option, Include System Audio on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later) - [Apple: Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/take-a-screenshot-or-screen-recording-mh26782/mac) (Microphone None) ## Questions ### Does QuickTime record internal audio? Not before macOS 27. Its screen recording only records a microphone. Use OBS, BlackHole or a recorder with Mac audio on older macOS. ### Why can I hear my voice but not the video I played? The microphone recorded your voice. The video’s sound is system audio, which Apple’s recorder skips before macOS 27. ### Will click sounds be in my recording? Only if the recorder records Mac audio. See [how to record the click sound](https://clacky.app/record-click-sound/). Facts checked on 5 November 2026. ## Related - [How to record your Mac screen with internal audioWhy Mac screen recordings come out silent, and four ways to record the Mac’s own sound with the picture: the Screenshot toolbar, OBS, BlackHole and Clacky.](https://clacky.app/blog/record-mac-screen-with-internal-audio/) - [How to record click sounds on a Mac](https://clacky.app/record-click-sound/) - [Mic and Mac audioMac audio is on, so your clicks and everything the Mac plays are in the video. Add your microphone when you want it.](https://clacky.app/features/mic-audio/) - [Screen recording with click soundsRecord your Mac screen with every click heard and a ripple seen, plus Mac audio and your mic. No editing afterwards. macOS 15 or later.](https://clacky.app/use/screen-recording-with-click-sounds/) - [Mac can’t record the screenThe app needs Screen Recording access in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Turn it on, quit and reopen the app. If you only see wallpaper, that’s why.](https://clacky.app/answers/screen-recording-permission-mac/) - [Remove background noise from a screen recordingIn iMovie, click Noise Reduction and Equalizer, tick Reduce background noise and set the slider. Clacky Studio has Clean Up Voice, done on your Mac.](https://clacky.app/answers/remove-background-noise-recording/) [A–Z](https://clacky.app/features/#a-z)[Pricing](https://clacky.app/#pricing)[Every feature](https://clacky.app/features/) ## Make something on your Mac today. 3 days free, every feature. Then $4.99 once. [Try free for 3 days](https://clacky.app/try/)