MotionShineShort answer: to record audio only on a Mac, open QuickTime Player and choose File, then New Audio Recording, or open the Voice Memos app and click Record. Both record from a microphone: the built-in one, a headset or an external mic. Neither one records the sound your Mac is playing. If you want a video with sound, read how to screen record on Mac with audio. If you want the Mac's own sound, read how to record computer audio on Mac without a plugin.
Apple's steps come from the QuickTime Player User Guide and the Voice Memos User Guide on support.apple.com, read on 23 October 2026. Neither page shows a publish date, and both are shown for macOS 27. Menus can differ a little on older versions.
Which app should you use?
"Record audio from my computer" can mean three jobs. Pick yours first.
| Your job | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A quick voice note, lecture or meeting in the room | Voice Memos | One button to start, and one to finish |
| A recording where you choose the quality | QuickTime Player | It has High and Maximum quality settings |
| A voice-over, podcast take or interview you will edit | QuickTime Player at Maximum, or a browser recorder | Uncompressed audio gives an editor the most to work with |
| The sound a video, call or app plays on your Mac | Neither | See the section on the Mac's own sound below |
| A video of your screen with sound | A screen recorder | See the link at the top |
Method 1: record audio with QuickTime Player
Apple's steps, in order:
- Open QuickTime Player and choose File, then New Audio Recording.
- Open the options pop-up in the recording window (Apple calls it the Capture Device Selection button). Under Microphone, choose one if you have more than one. Under Quality, choose High or Maximum.
- Use the volume control to hear what you are recording.
- Click the red Record button. Click Stop when you are done. To pause, Option-click the Record button, and click it again to carry on.
- Choose File, then Save to name the recording and pick where it goes.
High or Maximum quality?
Apple's page gives the exact formats:
| Setting | What you get |
|---|---|
| High | 44100 Hz AAC audio |
| Maximum | 44100 Hz, uncompressed Linear PCM 24-bit AIFF-C audio |
Apple warns that Maximum recordings are uncompressed and can use a lot of storage. A sensible rule: record at Maximum if you will edit the sound later, and at High if it is a note you will only play back. If a site or app wants MP3, the free AIFF to MP3 converter runs in your browser, and the audio cutter trims the start and end.
Method 2: record audio with Voice Memos
Apple's Voice Memos guide describes the steps like this:
- Open Voice Memos and click the Record button.
- Click the Pause button to pause, and Resume to carry on.
- Click Done to save the recording.
The guide says you can record with the Mac's internal microphone, a compatible headset or an external mic. For stereo, it says you need a stereo input connected, such as a stereo microphone. If Location-based Naming is on and Voice Memos can use your Mac's location, the recording is named after the place. Otherwise it is called "New Recording".
The Apple pages read for this post do not say which file format Voice Memos saves, so none is stated here. The same goes for a recording time limit: not found.
Method 3: a browser recorder
If you want to record, trim and save an MP3, M4A or WAV without opening an app, the free voice recorder on this site does it in the browser. It records your voice from a microphone, so it has the same limit as the two apps above. The webcam and mic test is a quick way to check that your microphone works before an important take.
What these apps cannot record
This is the part most guides skip. QuickTime's audio recording and Voice Memos both listen to an input device. They do not listen to what your Mac plays through its speakers. If you press Record while a video plays, you only capture whatever the microphone hears from the room, with echo.
Apple's Screenshot page, published on 14 September 2026, lists an Include System Audio option for screen recordings on macOS 27 Golden Gate or later. That page describes it for the Screenshot toolbar, not for QuickTime's New Audio Recording and not for Voice Memos. For older versions you need a different route, and the guide on computer audio lays out each one.
Get a clean recording
- Wear headphones if the Mac is playing anything. Apple's screen recording page gives the same tip for feedback: lower the volume or use headphones with a microphone.
- Do a 10 second test. Record a short clip, play it back, and only then start the real take.
- Choose the right input. In QuickTime's options, pick the microphone you mean to use, not the one that happens to be first.
- Keep the mic steady. A mic that moves between sentences makes the volume jump, and no setting fixes that afterwards.
Keep QuickTime or Voice Memos if
You need a voice, a note or a lecture, and you want something free that is already on your Mac. Both are fine for that. Move on when you need the Mac's own sound, several tracks, or video along with the sound.
If that last one is you: MotionShine, by the maker of MotionShine (the people behind this blog), is a free Mac screen recorder that records your screen together with your microphone and your Mac's sound. It is not an audio-only recorder, and the free version exports up to 720p with no watermark and no time limit. For the full list of options, see the best screen recorders for Mac.
FAQ
How do I record audio on a Mac?
Open QuickTime Player and choose File, then New Audio Recording, or open Voice Memos and click Record. Both record from a microphone.
Can I record audio from my computer without a microphone?
Not with QuickTime's audio recording or Voice Memos, because both use an input device. To record the sound your Mac plays, you need macOS 27 Golden Gate or later with a screen recording, or an app that captures system audio. See the computer audio guide.
Where does a QuickTime audio recording go?
QuickTime asks you where to save it when you choose File, then Save. Apple's page lets you name the file and pick the location at that point.
Which is better for audio, QuickTime or Voice Memos?
Voice Memos is quicker for notes. QuickTime gives you a quality choice, including uncompressed Maximum quality, which suits recordings you will edit.
How do I pause an audio recording in QuickTime?
Option-click the Record button to pause, and click it again to resume, as Apple's page says.
Can I record a phone call or a Zoom meeting this way?
The microphone only hears your own side and the room. The other people's voices come from your Mac's sound, so you need a method that records it. How to record a Zoom meeting on Mac covers Zoom's own Record button and the screen recorder route.
