In this troubleshooting guide, we’ll break down the reasons why your audio may not have been recorded, and we’ll also explain how to screen record your Mac with audio, so that you can make the best out of your future recordings.
Why Wasn’t Your Audio Recorded?
There may be a few reasons your audio wasn’t recorded with your screen recording. Some of these aren’t that obvious, so it’s worth a try going through the each of the issues below to figure out what went wrong.
External Audio Was Being Recorded
All screen recordings on macOS record the external audio by default. This means your Mac doesn’t record any of the audio being played by the computer itself, but rather it records input from the external mic. This may be useful for voice-overs, but can be quite irritating if you’re trying to screen record a video or anything with built-in audio on your Mac.
If you are looking to record your computer audio, you can use a virtual audio driver, like BlackHole to do so. This creates a virtual link between your computer’s audio output to your Mac’s audio input, allowing you to route the audio from your Mac directly into the screen recording on your Mac.
To install and use BlackHole:
Register on the BlackHole website, and you should get an email with a download link. Download and install the two-channel option since it’ll be enough. Restart your Mac. Head to System Preferences > Sound on your Mac. Click on the Output and select BlackHole from the list. Click on the Input and choose BlackHole. Press Cmd + Shift + 5 to open the Screenshot Toolbar and select one of the screen recording options. In Options, make sure BlackHole 2ch is selected under Microphone. Once you are happy with all the other settings, press Record to start the recording. Once done, either press Cmd + Shift + 5 or press the Stop icon in the Menu bar to stop the recording.
The Computer Audio Was Being Recorded
The process works both ways—if you were trying to record a voice-over on a screen recording and your Mac was set up with external audio drivers to record the computer audio, you might not get any audio in your final recording. It’s always helpful to confirm the source of input audio before starting a screen recording. To this, simply select the appropriate audio source from Options in the Screenshot Toolbar (Cmd + Shift + 5).
If you want to record both the external and computer audio, you can set the screen recording function to record external audio from the mic. Doing so effectively makes the external mic record any audio being input to the mic, including what you say and whatever’s being played on your Mac’s speakers. While this does work, the sound quality is incredibly poor at times, and you also face other external sounds from your room or workplace being recorded.
There Are Issues With an External Mic
Another possible reason for there being no audio in the final screen recording is that there’s an issue with the external microphone connected to your Mac. If you suspect this, you can always check if your Mac is receiving any input from your microphone from System Preferences > Sound > Input. Check to see if your microphone is selected, and then speak into the microphone. If there is no increase in the input level bar, it means your microphone is not working properly.
There Are Issues With the Audio Drivers
As macOS doesn’t record any computer audio during screen recordings by default, it’s recommended to install third-party audio drivers such as BlackHole if you want to include computer audio in your recordings. These are easy to use; however, you may be left confused if you forget to choose the appropriate driver before and after your recording.
You should only switch to an audio driver right before your recording, as doing this will route your system audio through a virtual audio driver instead of your Mac’s speakers. Hence, you won’t hear anything from your Mac. Make sure you select the appropriate audio driver from System Preferences > Sound > Output.
Similarly, make sure to switch back to the default output audio once you are done with the recording! You’ll be wondering why your Mac’s speakers aren’t working otherwise.
Possible Fixes for Your Existing Screen Recording
If you’ve identified the issue with the audio input, you can go ahead and re-record the video, making sure the appropriate audio source is selected. However, that may not be possible all the time. If you’ve already recorded a video clip, you can’t ever get the original computer audio for it, but you can choose to record a voiceover on it instead. A voiceover can then be merged with the video using a video editor app to create a complete video.
To record a voice-over, open up Voice Memos on your Mac. You can play your video in the background while recording your voice-over to make sure you keep the audio in sync with the video. Once done, listen to the audio recording to make sure you are happy with it, then save the recording.
Then use a video editor such as iMovie or Final Cut Pro to merge the video and audio together. Export the final project to create a complete video.
Use a Third-Party Screen Recorder to Capture Audio
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of struggling with different audio drivers, you can use a third-party application to record your Mac’s screen with the computer audio. Most good screen recorders present all these options in a much easier format. However, they do come at a premium, so be ready to invest some money. There are also some good apps available for free.
One of these is OBS Studio, which is generally regarded as one of the best freeware screen recording apps available. OBS offers features for both novice and advanced users that allow you to customize every aspect of your screen recording. If you are a fan of sharing your recording, you can use the app’s built-in features to stream directly to multiple platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and more.
Download: OBS Studio (Free)
Sorting Out Recording Issues
If you are struggling with your first recording, don’t worry! We’ve all been there. Just make sure you get the hang of the different options, so you can use them effectively. It also helps to do a small trial recording right before the actual recording to review if all audio and video sources are working as you want them to.
