How do I get a screen recording to capture the audio from my AirPod speakers and not just the mic?

to record the mac's internal sound with quicktime you need additional software. i use the free BlackHole Virtual Audio Driver. then you can choose "BlackHole 2ch" in the recording options instead of "Built-in Microphone."

you will also need to set up a multi-output device in your audio MIDI setup utility to be able to both hear and record the internal audio at the same time.

make sure your AirPods are connected at this point.

to set up a multi-output device:

Open Audio MIDI Setup: (found in /Applications/Utilities)

hit the '+' button in the bottom left corner and select "Create Multi Output Device"

then in the panel that appears on the right, in the Multi-Output Device tab, select "Built in Output" AND "BlackHole 2ch". (and, if you want, any of your other connected devices.)

once you do that, (and BEFORE recording) you can choose "BlackHole 2ch" or "Multi-Output Device" in your menubar "sound options". 

to both hear the speakers and record the audio at the same time, choose "Multi-Output Device". before choosing multi-out, set the internal speakers' volume to a comfortable level first. you cannot control the volume once you are in multi-out mode.

then, to be able to record the internal audio as well as your microphone, it's slightly different. you need to set up an “Aggregate Device”

make sure your AirPods are connected at this point.

to set up an Aggregate Device:

Open Audio MIDI Setup: (found in /Applications/Utilities)

hit the '+' button in the bottom left corner and select “Create Aggregate Device”

then in the panel that appears on the right, in the Aggregate Device tab, select “BlackHole 2ch” AND your "AirPods". *** please note, my headphones are "WI-C300" ***

then when you choose the recording options, select “Aggregate Device”.

once you do that, (and BEFORE recording) choose “Multi-Output Device" in your menubar "sound options".

*** for best results when using the aggregate device, you should use headphones to hear the mac's audio. ***

*** when using your AirPods for hearing audio and using their microphone, go back to the MIDI Multi Output Device and select "AirPods" AND "BlackHole 2ch" and remove the checkmark from any other devices. ***

Hello carey_h_icf,

When screen recording, the audio recorded would only include sound that's able to be picked up by the microphone selected for input. You would need to use something other than headphones to accomplish this.

Using the built-in speakers or an external speaker would be your best bet in this situation. If you're using QuickTime Player, Record your screen in QuickTime Player on Mac covers how to manage this under the "Options" menu.

Take care!