MotionShineShort answer: if only one video or app comes out black and the rest of your screen records fine, that content is probably protected, and the black is by design. Apple's own Support page says some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows. If everything is black, the usual cause is a missing screen recording permission, or in OBS the wrong source. If the recording looks fine while it runs but plays back black, the problem is the player, not the recording.
This guide was written on 26 October 2026. Apple facts come from Apple Support pages and OBS facts from the OBS knowledge base, both read that day. Anything else is marked as general advice, because no official page was found for it.
First, a 30-second test that tells you the cause
Record two things for a few seconds each: your Desktop, or a TextEdit window, and then the content that went black. Then watch both.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop is black too, or the whole recording is black | Missing permission, wrong OBS source, or a stuck app | Permission and OBS sections below |
| Desktop is fine, only one video or app is black | Protected content | Protected video section |
| Only a browser window is black | Protected video, or a browser display glitch | Protected video, then the browser section |
| Looks fine while recording, black when you play the file | Player or file problem | The black file section |
This test keeps you from changing settings that do nothing. Most of the time, one of these four rows fits.
Protected video can show black on purpose
Some streaming apps and sites mark their video as protected. When you try to capture the screen, the protected part is drawn as black, or the app blocks the capture. The rest of your screen records normally, so you get a black rectangle where the video should be, often with the audio still there.
Apple's Support page on screen recording says this about one such case: "Some apps, such as the Apple TV app, might not let you record their windows." The page does not explain why, and it does not cover other services. Netflix's help page on system requirements, read the same day, did not mention screen recording at all.
Here is the honest part. This is not a bug in your recorder, and no setting inside a screen recorder is meant to get around it. Recording protected video can also break the terms of the service you are watching it on. This guide does not give a way around copy protection, and nothing here is a trick for it.
What you can do instead:
- Use the service's own offline or download feature, if it has one and your plan includes it.
- Ask the owner. If the video is your own, from your company or a course you run, the owner can give you the file. If it belongs to someone else, ask them or check what they allow.
- Record your own demo of the same thing. If you are making a tutorial about a service, record the parts of the screen that are not protected, such as menus and settings, and describe or screenshot the rest.
- Use a screenshot or a short quote where the rules allow it, instead of footage.
If you are not sure whether something is protected, run the 30-second test. A black rectangle that only appears over video content is the sign.
The screen recording permission
On a Mac, an app needs your permission to record the screen. Apple's guide to this says to open System Settings, choose Privacy & Security, click Screen & System Audio Recording, and turn on the app you want to record with. If the app is not in the list, click the Add button and pick it.
If the permission is off, some apps show a plain black or empty recording instead of a clear error. That is why this is the first thing to check when the Desktop test comes out black too.
After you turn it on, quit the app fully and open it again. Apple's page does not say whether this is needed, so treat that as general advice: it is a harmless step, and many apps only read the permission when they start. The steps for each macOS version are in screen recording not working on Mac, which also covers a recorder that will not start or stop.
OBS shows a black screen
OBS is the most common recorder behind black screens, because it has more ways to capture and more ways to pick the wrong one.
The OBS knowledge base page on macOS desktop audio recommends the macOS Screen Capture source, and describes the older Display Capture and Window Capture sources as deprecated. In the macOS Screen Capture source, the Window Capture and Application Capture options are modes you pick inside it. So if you built your scene with an old Display Capture or Window Capture source and it comes out black, the first thing to try is to add a macOS Screen Capture source instead.
Then work through this list:
- Check the permission from the section above for OBS itself.
- Add a macOS Screen Capture source and pick Display Capture mode for the whole screen, or Window Capture mode for one window.
- Remove the old source you replaced, so two sources are not fighting.
- Check the content. If the Desktop shows in OBS but the video does not, it is the protected video case above, not an OBS fault.
- Restart OBS after you change a permission.
When a window is black in Window Capture but the whole display works, try Display Capture mode and crop. That is general advice, but it only helps for ordinary windows. It does not help with protected video, which can be black in both modes.
For the full setup, see how to use OBS Studio on Mac for screen recording, and the best OBS settings for screen recording on Mac for the options that matter after the black screen is gone.
A browser window is black
If the black window is a browser tab with an ordinary web page, not a streaming video, the cause may be the browser's own drawing. This part is general advice, because the official Chrome and Firefox help pages we tried did not cover it clearly.
- Try a different browser for the same page. If it records fine, the first browser has a display problem.
- In Chrome and other Chromium browsers, the setting is called graphics acceleration or hardware acceleration, in Settings under System. Turning it off and relaunching is a common thing people try for odd rendering. It is not an official fix, and it can make video playback slower, so turn it back on if nothing changes.
- Update the browser and macOS. A bug that makes windows capture black is often fixed in a later release.
- Close extra windows and tabs, then record again, in case memory pressure is the issue.
Do not use this section as a way to record protected video. If a streaming service stays black after these steps, it is protected, and that is the end of it.
The recording is fine but the file plays black
Sometimes the recording is not black. The file just looks black in one player. Open it in QuickTime Player and in another app. If it plays in one and not the other, the file is fine and the first player is the problem.
If it is black everywhere, the capture itself failed, and you should go back to the permission and source checks. If it plays but with the wrong format for where you want to use it, convert QuickTime to MP4 on Mac covers the common case.
A built-in recorder alternative
If a third-party recorder keeps giving you black frames and the content is not protected, try the recorder already on your Mac. Press Shift-Command-5, pick the screen, a window or a portion, and click Record. It uses Apple's own tools and needs no extra setup. See how to screen record on Mac for each step.
Note that Apple's page says selecting a window needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later, so on older macOS record the entire screen or a portion instead.
Where MotionShine fits (by the maker of MotionShine)
MotionShine is the free Mac screen recorder we make. It needs the same screen recording permission as any other recorder, so the permission steps above apply to it. It records your display, a window or an area, and it can add auto zoom, a smooth cursor and click effects afterwards. This guide did not test it on protected video. It does not offer a way around protection, and protected video can show black in any recorder.
It is not for you if your goal is to capture a streaming service. No honest tool can promise that.
FAQ
Why is my Mac screen recording black?
The common reasons are protected content, a missing screen recording permission, the wrong OBS source, or a player problem with the saved file. Record your Desktop for five seconds. If that is fine and only one video is black, it is protected content.
Why is Netflix or Apple TV black when I screen record?
Protected video can be drawn as black on purpose. Apple's Support page says apps such as the Apple TV app might not let you record their windows. That is the service's choice, and recording it may also break its terms, so this guide does not offer a way around it.
How do I fix a black screen in OBS on Mac?
Turn on OBS under Privacy & Security, Screen & System Audio Recording, then add a macOS Screen Capture source in place of any old Display Capture or Window Capture source, and restart OBS. If only the video is black, the content is protected.
Does turning off hardware acceleration fix a black recording?
Sometimes it helps with an ordinary web page that records black, as general advice. It does not unlock protected video, and it can slow playback, so switch it back on if nothing changes.
My screen recording is black but I can hear audio. Why?
That pattern usually means the sound was captured while the picture was blocked, which is what protected video looks like. If the Desktop is also black, check the permission.
Is it legal to record protected video?
This guide cannot give legal advice. What it can say is that protected video is blocked on purpose, and the terms of the service you watch it on may forbid recording it. Check those terms, or ask the owner for the file.
