You just recorded an important sales call on your Mac, hit play, and heard only your own voice — no other party, no shared-screen audio.
The free solution: Qureco Screen Recorder
- No virtual audio device required (no BlackHole or Soundflower setup at all)
- Screen recording is completely free — unlimited time, no watermark, no locked features
- No credit card required to download
- Just install, then toggle the mic and system audio in the recording UI
If you need this working before tomorrow, downloading it right here is the fastest path.
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Early adopters get 3 months of Pro plan for free
More details for those who want them
Why the Mac's built-in tools can't capture system audio
- Shift+Command+5 and QuickTime only list "Microphone" as an audio source. Sound playing inside your Mac is routed to output devices, not input devices, so it simply doesn't show up.
- Since macOS Catalina, TCC (Transparency, Consent & Control) has governed audio access. "Screen Recording" and "System Audio Recording Only" are separate permissions, and the native tools don't even call the latter API.
- On macOS Sequoia and later, screen recording permission resets weekly and after every restart. "It worked yesterday but doesn't today" usually traces back to this.
In short: no matter what setting you change, the built-in tools alone can't capture system audio. You either route through a virtual audio device, or use an app that handles it natively.
Three reasons Qureco fits this problem
1. No virtual audio device required
To get system audio through the built-in recorder, you have to install BlackHole, create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup, grant two separate TCC permissions, and remember to revert your sound output after every recording.
Qureco skips all of that. Install, sign in, toggle mic and system audio in the recording UI, and both are captured together. It doesn't change your sound output device, so there's no "I forgot to revert and now Zoom is silent" disaster.
2. Screen recording is completely free — no time limit, no watermark
The usual catches of free recording apps don't apply here:
- Recording time: unlimited
- Watermark: none, even on the free tier
- Feature locks: screen recording and audio capture are unrestricted
- Credit card: not required to download
Whether it's a sales call or a long tutorial recording, the free tier is enough on its own.
3. Pro adds AI meeting notes and Notion sync
If you also want to skip "transcribe the recording and paste it into Notion" by hand, Pro ($9/month, first month free, no credit card required) generates AI meeting notes from the recording and saves them straight to a Notion page.
Join the Beta Waitlist
Early adopters get 3 months of Pro plan for free
DIY route: BlackHole + built-in recorder
For people who already have BlackHole installed or strongly prefer not to add another app, here's the route through the built-in recorder:
- Install BlackHole 2ch (works on M1 / M2 / M3; Soundflower no longer works on Apple Silicon, so BlackHole is the de facto standard)
- Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup (built-in speaker + BlackHole 2ch)
- System Settings > Sound > Output → set to the Multi-Output Device
- In Shift+Command+5 > Options, set Microphone to "BlackHole 2ch"
- Start recording
Where this route trips people up
- Skip the Multi-Output Device and your own speakers/headphones go silent. Sending output to BlackHole alone routes audio away from you, so you can't hear the meeting.
- Forget to revert your sound output and the next Zoom / Meet will be silent. Build the habit of switching it back.
- Under System Settings > Privacy & Security, you need both "Screen Recording" and "System Audio Recording Only" permissions for the recording app.
- If the Multi-Output Device's clock source isn't set to BlackHole, audio can drift during long recordings.
If you're fine looking up each pitfall as you hit it, this route is free. But if "tomorrow, reliably" is the constraint, going straight to Qureco is faster.
FAQ
Can QuickTime Player record system audio?
It behaves the same as Shift+Command+5 — only captures audio through "microphone input." It can't record system audio directly.
Will a future macOS update fix this?
As of May 2026, no shipping macOS exposes system audio recording in the native tools (Shift+Command+5, Screenshot, QuickTime). Plan around "virtual audio device, or an app that supports it" for now.
Does Qureco change my Mac's sound settings?
No. Qureco handles audio internally without routing through a virtual audio device, so it doesn't change your sound output device. No revert step required after recording.
Recap
- The Mac's built-in screen recorders (Shift+Command+5 / QuickTime) can't capture system audio — that's the design.
- The free solution is Qureco Screen Recorder. No virtual audio device needed — just install, hit record, and the screen and system audio are captured together. Unlimited recording time, no watermark.
- If you'd rather wire it up yourself, the BlackHole + Audio MIDI route works — for people who don't mind running into each pitfall along the way.
Install the free version, run one short test recording to confirm the other person's voice is captured, and you'll be set for the next real meeting.
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
