System audio and microphone audio are different sources
System audio is sound from an application: a browser video, a notification in your demo, or an audio editor's playback. Microphone audio is narration or another physical input. For a spoken software tutorial, you may want both; for a silent UI demo, you may need neither.
You do not always need BlackHole, Soundflower, or another virtual audio driver. The available route depends on your recorder and macOS version. Choose a supported native capture option first, then use a virtual device only if your particular routing problem requires it.
Record system audio with Creavit Studio
Open the recorder and choose the display, window, or area you intend to demonstrate. Enable system audio in the recording controls. Enable the microphone separately if you want narration, and select the intended input device rather than assuming the current default is correct.
Make a ten-second test: say one sentence, play a sound in the application, and stop. Open the result and confirm that both are present. This is faster than discovering that a long tutorial contains only the microphone or only the application sound.
- Prepare the source. Open the app at the point where the demonstration begins and close unrelated sound-producing apps.
- Set the audio. Enable the sources you need and confirm that the microphone is not muted.
- Grant required permissions. Follow macOS prompts for screen/audio capture and microphone access. Reopen the recorder if the system requests it.
- Record a short test. Use headphones to reduce speaker sound leaking back into the microphone.
- Record the take. Leave a little space around the start and end of the narration.
- Review the edit and export. Check volume, synchronization, and cuts in the finished file, not only in the preview.
Creavit uses its native capture integration for the recording. This does not make every device combination immune to routing or performance issues: a disconnected microphone, a changed Bluetooth input, or an incorrectly selected source can still affect the take.
What about Screenshot and QuickTime?
The built-in controls vary by macOS version. Apple's current recording instructions document Include System Audio for macOS 27 and later. Older Screenshot and QuickTime workflows can offer a microphone without offering that system-audio switch.
Look at the controls available on your installed system. If you only select a microphone, you may be recording sound from the speakers through the room rather than directly capturing the app. That can introduce room noise and echo. Our Mac recording guide covers the basic capture and save-location workflow.
Record native Mac audio in OBS
OBS also supports native audio capture on compatible Mac versions. According to the official OBS guide, OBS 30 introduced a dedicated macOS Audio Capture source on macOS 13 and later. OBS 28/29 on macOS 13 can capture audio through the macOS Screen Capture source.
Choose the route for your actual OBS and macOS versions. Avoid adding a second source for the same audio unless you intentionally need it; duplicate capture can produce an echo or a level increase. Older configurations may need a different setup, which is why a blanket “OBS requires Soundflower” statement is misleading.
Pick the route for your setup
| Route | System audio | Best reason to choose it |
| Creavit Studio | Native capture integration | Capture and edit a product video in one Mac workflow |
| Screenshot / QuickTime controls | Version-dependent; check Include System Audio | A simple built-in recording when your OS offers what you need |
| OBS | Native options on supported OBS/macOS versions | Recording or streaming with configurable sources |
| Virtual audio routing | Depends on the driver and app configuration | A specific multi-app routing need not covered by your recorder |
Troubleshoot a silent or distorted recording
The app is audible, but the recording is silent
First identify which source is missing. Check the recorder's system-audio switch, the captured app/window, and its permissions. Confirm the application is playing an ordinary, recordable sound. Protected media or an application's capture restrictions may prevent recording even when other audio works.
Make a new test after each change. Changing permissions does not add sound back to a file that was already recorded silently. If the take is valuable, preserve it and decide whether to add narration or re-record the relevant section.
The sound is doubled or has an echo
Listen with headphones. If the microphone is hearing the computer speakers while system audio is also captured directly, the recording can contain two versions of the same sound. In a source-based recorder, also check for duplicate app/desktop audio sources.
The voice is much quieter than the application
Set a comfortable microphone distance and reduce unnecessary application volume before recording. Review the balance using a real sentence and a representative app sound, not only a tap on the microphone. Avoid raising a quiet noisy input so far that the background becomes distracting.
The result drifts out of sync or skips
Check the unedited source and the exported result separately. A problem only after export needs a different investigation from a source recording that already skips. Try a shorter capture with a stable wired audio device and fewer competing workloads. Do not assume one export setting can repair missing source frames.
Finish the explanation, not just the capture
Keep the original project, trim setup time, and listen across each cut. Use silence removal for unnecessary pauses while preserving reading time and meaningful waits. Add captions only after correcting the transcript, and watch the final file once with sound and once muted.
For a demonstration that also needs cursor emphasis, framing, and labels, explore Mac screen recording with audio and the product demo workflow.