How to Record Audio

Playing on your Mac

Published on 2014-02-03

Published in: Apple Mac - Music

This step-by-step tutorial explains how you can capture

any sounds coming out of the speakers or your Mac. You
can record music from any Internet radio station playing in
your browser, system audio or even sounds coming from
an application open on your Mac.

The technique doesn’t require the line-in port and thus

works on newer Apple iMac and Macbooks.

Step 1: Get the Recording Software

Install Audacity and Soundflower on your Mac. Both are

free software, Audacity allows you to record and edit
audio while Soundflower helps you route sounds to any
other Mac app instead of the default speakers.

Step 2: Configure Soundflower

Click the Apple menu to Open System Preferences on

your Mac, select Sounds, switch to the Output tab and set
Soundflower (2ch) as the device for sound output. Open
the Soundflowerbed app (you can find it through
Spotlight) and it will add a Flower item to your menu bar.
Click the flower and set Built-in Output for Soundflower
2ch.

Step 3: Configure Audacity

Open Audacity Preferences, switch to the devices tab and

select Soundflower (2ch) as the Recording device. Next
switch to the Recording tab and select Software
playthrough. You will then be able to listen to the audio
while it’s getting recorded inside Audacity. Click OK to
save your preferences.
You are now all set to record system audio on your Mac.
Play the audio inside any app, switch to Audacity and hit
the record button. When you are done, just export the
audio as an MP3 file and return your Mac’s sound settings
to the original state (set Output as Internal Speakers or
Line Out).

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