macOS makes it surprisingly hard to record system audio and your microphone at the same time. The built-in screen recorder captures one or the other, and the classic workaround is installing a virtual audio driver and routing everything by hand. The fastest fix for screen recordings is a recorder that captures both natively — enable System audio and Microphone, hit record, and you get two synced tracks with no drivers. Here's that easy path first, then the full manual BlackHole method for when you need it, plus how to keep the two sources balanced and in sync.

The easy way (no drivers)

  1. Open Zella and start a recording.
  2. Enable both System audio and Microphone as sources.
  3. Record — both tracks are captured together, in sync.

Zella audio sources and Auto-Duck

No Soundflower, no BlackHole, no Audio MIDI Setup gymnastics. Zella runs 100% on your Mac — no cloud, no account — and the recording itself is free with no watermark. See capture.

What you capture with both sources on:

  • System audio — app sounds, music, video playback, and every participant on a call.
  • Microphone — your voice, narration, or commentary.

Both land in one recording, stamped against the same clock so they stay aligned. To also pull in your face, see how to record your screen and webcam at the same time.

Why the built-in recorder and QuickTime fall short

QuickTime and the macOS screen-recording shortcut can capture your mic or system audio, but not both together without extra software. macOS, by design, doesn't let apps freely capture system output the way it captures a microphone — that single restriction is the entire reason this is a question at all. A purpose-built recorder captures both natively and, crucially, keeps them in sync by stamping frames with real wall-clock timing so they don't drift over a long take.

Method System audio Mic Drivers needed Stays in sync
QuickTime Player No (mic only) Yes — N/A
QuickTime + BlackHole Yes Yes (aggregate device) Yes Needs drift correction
Audacity + BlackHole Yes Yes (aggregate device) Yes Needs drift correction
Zella Yes Yes No Yes (wall-clock)

The manual method: BlackHole, Multi-Output, and an Aggregate Device

If you can't use a dedicated recorder — for example you're capturing into Audacity or QuickTime specifically — the long-standing route is a free virtual audio driver. Here's the full setup so you don't have to hunt it down:

  1. Install BlackHole. Download the free BlackHole 2ch driver from Existential Audio. It creates a virtual audio device your Mac can record from.
  2. Create a Multi-Output Device. Open Audio MIDI Setup, click the + at the bottom left, choose Multi-Output Device, and check both your real output (Built-in Output or your speakers) and BlackHole 2ch. Enable Drift Correction on BlackHole — without it, longer recordings slowly slip out of sync.
  3. Create an Aggregate Device. Click + again, choose Aggregate Device, and check both your microphone and BlackHole 2ch. This merges them into one input your recorder can read.
  4. Route system sound. In System Settings → Sound → Output, select the Multi-Output Device so your Mac's audio flows to both your speakers and BlackHole.
  5. Record. In your app, set the Aggregate Device as the audio input and start recording.
  6. Switch back when done. Set your output back to your normal speakers or headphones — easy to forget, and a common reason audio "stops working" afterward.

It works, but it's brittle. The driver sits between you and your speakers, so a botched setup means you hear nothing, levels drift, and every macOS update risks breaking the routing. You also often end up monitoring through the aggregate device, which adds latency and makes hearing yourself naturally harder. A recorder that captures system audio natively skips all of that — nothing to maintain, reroute, or uninstall later when it conflicts with another app.

Keep music under your voice with Auto-Duck

Two sources only sound good if they're balanced. If your system audio includes music or app sounds, turn on Auto-Duck so the background automatically lowers whenever you speak and comes back when you pause. It's the difference between a hobby recording and a produced one. Set your mic so normal speech sits comfortably below clipping with headroom for louder moments, and keep system audio present but secondary — it should support your voice, not compete with it. More in AI cleanup.

Getting clean levels on both sources

Because both sources stay synced, you can record first and balance later without anything drifting out of alignment. Afterward, run Polish Voice and noise reduction so your voice sits cleanly over the system audio, normalized to a consistent loudness. This matters most for tutorials with sound effects, reaction videos, and anything playing media under narration. Auto-Duck, Polish Voice, captions, and auto-zoom are all in Zella's free plan; the optional one-time $89 Pro unlock adds 4K export and the full creative suite (color, all transitions, speed ramps, auto-reframe, every caption preset).

Why sync is the hidden hard part

Capturing both sources is one thing; keeping them aligned over a long take is another. Cheap setups drift — the mic and system audio slowly slip until a clap or a sound effect lands visibly late. That's exactly why the BlackHole route needs drift correction, and exactly the moment you can least afford to re-record. Zella timestamps frames against the wall clock so audio and video stay aligned across a long recording. For meetings specifically, see how to record a Zoom meeting.

What you can capture once both sources work

Recording system audio and mic together unlocks a whole category of content that's awkward otherwise:

  • Reaction videos — the thing you're reacting to (system) plus your commentary (mic).
  • Software tutorials — app sound effects or video playback (system) under your narration (mic). See how to make a software tutorial video.
  • Call and meeting recordings — every participant (system) plus you (mic).
  • Music or media reviews — the track (system) while you talk over it; respect copyright when publishing.

In every case, missing one source means re-recording, so getting both right the first time matters.

A quick pre-flight to avoid silent regret

The worst outcome is finishing a great take and discovering a source was off. Avoid it with a ten-second ritual: confirm both System audio and Microphone are enabled, do a five-second test recording, and play it back on headphones to hear both. Check your mic isn't clipping on loud moments and that system audio is present but not drowning you out. Mute notifications first so random dings don't end up in the system track. This habit costs almost nothing and saves the one thing you can't get back — a one-time take you can't redo.

FAQ

Do I need extra drivers? Not with Zella — it captures system audio natively. The manual BlackHole + aggregate-device route is only necessary when you're recording into an app that can't capture system output on its own.

Can I record system audio only? Yes — enable just the system source and leave the microphone off for clean app-sound or media-only recordings.

Will they stay in sync over a long recording? Yes — Zella stamps frames with wall-clock timing to prevent drift. With the BlackHole method, you must enable Drift Correction or the two sources slowly slip apart.

Does this work for capturing a video call? Yes — system audio captures the call participants and your mic captures you, all in one synced recording.

The bottom line

To record system audio and your mic at the same time on a Mac, use a recorder that captures both natively, enable System audio and Microphone, lean on Auto-Duck to keep music under your voice, and rely on wall-clock sync so the two don't drift over long takes. The BlackHole + aggregate-device route still works if you need it, but it's a maintenance burden the native path avoids entirely.

Download Zella and record both sources at once.