Record Mac Internal Audio Without BlackHole: Use Qureco Screen Recorder
- After installing, just toggle Mic and System Audio on in the recording panel
- No virtual audio device (BlackHole / Soundflower) required
- Your system sound output isn't rewritten, so Zoom won't go silent after you stop recording
- Screen recording and system audio capture are completely free (unlimited duration, no watermark)
Qureco is built specifically for Mac and taps directly into the modern macOS API for system audio (more on that below). If you want to reclaim the hours you lost in Audio MIDI Setup, downloading and flipping two switches is the quickest way.
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Why BlackHole Is No Longer Needed on Mac
- Use an app that adopts ScreenCaptureKit's audio API
- Or use a virtual audio driver (BlackHole / Soundflower / Loopback)
This article focuses on the first path, in three flavors.
Method 1: ScreenCaptureKit-Native Screen Recorder (Recommended)
The shortest route is to pick a screen recorder that adopts ScreenCaptureKit's audio API natively. Install, hit record with Mic and System Audio enabled, and you're done.
Notable options
| App | Price | Mac-native | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qureco Screen Recorder | Free (Pro is $9/month) | ✓ | Mac-only, with AI minutes & Notion sync in Pro |
| Screen Charm | Paid (one-time) | ✓ | Mac-only, made by an indie studio |
| Cap | Free (OSS) | ◯ | Cross-platform open source |
How to record with Qureco Screen Recorder
- Download the app from the official site (no credit card required)
- Launch and pick your capture source
- Toggle Mic and System Audio on
- Hit record
That's the whole flow. You never open Audio MIDI Setup, you never build a Multi-Output Device, and you never have to remember to switch your sound output back after recording — because Qureco doesn't touch it.
Best for
- Recording screen and audio together (demos, sales calls, tutorials)
- People who don't want to spend time on setup
- Anyone trying to stay on a free plan
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Early adopters get 3 months of Pro plan for free
Method 2: Audio-Only GUI App (Audio Hijack)
How it differs from BlackHole
- You don't have to manually build a Multi-Output Device
- You can source audio per-app ("just Zoom," "just the browser")
- No need to flip your system audio output back after each session
Notable options
| App | Price | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Hijack | $69 one-time | Capture audio from apps / devices |
| Loopback | $129 one-time | Create a virtual input device for other apps |
Best for
- Audio-only recording (no screen)
- Routing multiple apps to separate tracks
- People willing to pay for a polished tool
Method 3: Browser-Based Recording (Loom)
How it works
It uses your browser's tab audio sharing to capture sound playing inside the browser. No native app to install, just the extension.
Trade-offs
- It captures browser tab audio primarily. Native desktop apps (Zoom desktop client, Slack calls) aren't covered by the extension alone
- Free tiers cap video count and length (Loom's free plan limits each clip to about 5 minutes)
- Quality is generally below native apps
Best for
- Locked-down corporate Macs where you can't install software
- Browser-based product demos and walkthroughs
- Short clips you want to share via link
Comparing the Three Methods
| Criterion | Method 1: Qureco | Method 2: Audio Hijack | Method 3: Loom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free → $9/mo | $69 one-time | Free → paid plans |
| Screen recording | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ (browser-centric) |
| System audio | ✓ (native API) | ✓ (virtual audio) | △ (tab audio only) |
| Mic + system audio | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Setup difficulty | ★☆☆☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AI minutes | ✓ (Pro) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Recommendation | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
Quick decision guide:
- Recording video + audio: Method 1 (Qureco)
- Audio only: Method 2 (Audio Hijack)
- Can't install apps: Method 3 (Loom)
When BlackHole Is Still the Right Choice
To be fair, BlackHole hasn't gone obsolete. There are cases where it (or Loopback) is still the right pick:
- DTM and live streaming where you need fine-grained routing across apps
- Existing workflows that already depend on OBS + BlackHole
- You need a free virtual audio driver (Audio Hijack and Loopback are paid)
For the simpler goal of "record Mac internal audio," any of the three methods above is friendlier.
Notion Sync and AI Minutes with Qureco Pro
If you're recording Mac audio to eventually produce meeting notes, you can collapse the whole pipeline into one app. With Qureco's Pro plan ($9/month, first month free, no credit card required), AI generates meeting minutes from your recording and pushes them straight into your pre-configured Notion page.
- Don't take notes mid-call — just talk
- Notion has the minutes ready by the time the meeting ends
- Templates let you customize the format
If you'd like recording on Mac to be the starting line — not the finish — for your knowledge base, the Pro plan is worth a look.
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Early adopters get 3 months of Pro plan for free
Summary
"No audio in Mac screen recording," "I can't record internal audio on Mac" — these aren't problems you need to solve with Audio MIDI Setup anymore. macOS 14.2 brought a proper system audio API, and the modern answer is simply to pick an app that uses it.
To recap:
- Want video and audio together → Qureco Screen Recorder (free, Mac-only, fastest)
- Just audio → Audio Hijack (GUI routing, $69)
- Can't install apps → Loom (browser extension, free tier)
If you need a setup that works before tomorrow's call or recording, start with Qureco's free download and flip the System Audio toggle. Recording Mac internal audio shifts from "configuration nightmare" to "two switches and a record button."
Qureco Screen Recorder
Powerful screen recording app for Mac
Record meetings, let AI handle the notes, just read what arrives in Notion.
Join the beta waitlist and get Pro plan free for 3 months.
Join the Beta Waitlist
Early adopters get 3 months of Pro plan for free
