Your Mac screen recording has no sound

Why it happens

The Mac's built-in screen recorder only records sound through the microphone you pick in Options. Out of the box that's set to None, so you get video with no sound at all. It hears the room through the microphone, not the sound your Mac plays inside, so videos and music only come through faintly from the speakers.

How to fix it

1. Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot toolbar near the bottom of the screen.

2. Click Options and look under Microphone. Choose your Mac's built-in microphone, or the headset or USB mic you want to use.

   Screenshot toolbar›Options›Microphone

3. Pick Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion, then click Record and say a few words.

4. Stop with the Stop button in the menu bar, open the recording and play it back. Your voice should be there. Options remembers your microphone for next time.

Still not fixed?

1. Still silent? Open Sound settings, click Input, select the same microphone and speak. If the level bars don't move, raise Input volume or try another mic.

   Sound›Input

2. Bluetooth headphones often record poor or no sound in screen recordings. Choose the Mac's built-in microphone in Options instead and try again.

3. Need the sound your Mac plays, like a video or a call, recorded cleanly? The built-in recorder can't take it directly. An app that records system audio needs your permission under Screen & System Audio Recording, so turn it on there and reopen that app.

   Privacy & Security›Screen & System Audio Recording

4. If the microphone shows level in Sound settings but every recording is still silent after a restart, contact Apple Support. If no microphone works anywhere on your Mac, it may be a hardware fault and worth a repair check.