7 Quick Fixes for QuickTime Screen Recording with No Audio

One very common problem for many Mac users is the QuickTime screen recording with no audio. So how do you fix a video that was recorded without capturing audio? Try these quick fixes.

If you have the problem of QuickTime not recording audio, you’ll surely want to know why. These are the main reasons why this might have happened:

• Your version of QuickTime Player is out of date.

• There is no audio source to record.

• The microphone isn’t selected as QuickTime’s audio input device for recording.

• QuickTime Player doesn’t have permission to use your microphone.

• Your microphone input level is too low so QuickTime Player is not capturing audio.

• The speaker level is too low to be captured by your microphone when capturing screen audio.

• QuickTime Player can’t record system audio.

When you’re trying to capture a screen, and QuickTime Player is not recording audio, it can really be frustrating. There are many reasons why this could be happening, and luckily, most of them have quick fixes that will help you get back on track in just minutes.

One of the most likely reasons for QuickTime Player not recording sound is that it’s out of date. And while it might take a few minutes to download and install a new version, this is really the easiest fix there is for this problem.

To solve this issue of an outdated version of the program, simply head to Apple’s support website through the link below.

Go to Apple’s support website

Here you can find the most recent (even though they’re all a bit dated) versions of QuickTime Player for a Mac and Windows. Simply choose the appropriate version for your operating system, download the installation file, and install this program. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, and with luck, this will be all you need to get back on track capturing audio for your screen recordings.

If you still have an issue of QuickTime screen recording with no audio, you might need to create an audio source. It may sound simple, but you’d be surprised how many users try to record audio when there is no source. If, for example, you’re trying to record the audio from a video you’re playing in your screen capture, make sure it’s not muted. Seriously, it happens to all of us. 

And if you are trying to capture system audio, then you have to ensure it’s coming out to a microphone. QuickTime Player by itself doesn’t record system audio unless you do something to get that audio out using speakers or a software add-on. So if you play a video while doing a screen capture, QuickTime Player won’t capture its sound, even though you might be able to hear it playing.

If you want to record from a microphone instead, however, you need to let QuickTime Player know.

When QuickTime screen recording has no audio, it’s likely because it doesn’t know which audio source to capture. While you’d expect it to default to your internal or external mic, your settings may have been changed, so this isn’t working. This is a quick and easy setting to adjust.

1. Go ahead and open up New Recording in QuickTime.

2. If you’re using macOS Mojave or an earlier operating system, you’ll see the screen recording window pop up. Click on the small arrow next to the recording button, and a list of audio sources will pop up. Select your internal or external microphone as appropriate.

   If you use macOS Catalina or later versions, you’ll see the controls menu. Select Options and then select the correct mic from the list.

3. Now QuickTime Player knows you want to record from your microphone. If you still have the problem of QuickTime not recording audio from your microphone, check the next solution.

However, even though you told it to use the internal or external mic you’ve indicated, you might still have the problem of QuickTime screen recording with no audio. Why is that?

Simply put, your Mac may not have given permission to let QuickTime Player access your microphone. Yes, you told it to use that as the audio source, but it also needs to be allowed to use it. Frustrating, we know, but this is another quick and easy fix.

1. Click on the Apple icon on the top left of your screen. Select System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy. You’ll see a menu on the left and select Microphone from it.

2. QuickTime should appear as checked in the list of apps with permission to use your microphone.

3. Suppose it doesn’t, click the lock icon and enter your password to make changes to your settings. You can then check the box next to the QuickTime app name, and this will give the app permission to access your mic. Hopefully, things now work.

If you still encounter the issue of QuickTime screen recording with no sound, the problem could well be with your microphone or mic settings.

To check if your microphone is working, you can use a microphone testing tool – macOS has this built-in. 

1. Click the Apple icon > System Preferences > Sound > Input.

2. Select the input mic you want to check out and then talk into the mic. If your mic works, you should immediately see bars flashing to indicate that input is being picked up. If not, there could be a problem with your mic.

3. You can also use the slider in this window to increase your microphone’s input level. It might be that you had this set too low for QuickTime to pick up anything during your screen recordings. 

You can also check your mic through a program like Zoom. Open up and join any meeting and then click on the upward-pointing arrow next to the Microphone icon. Select Test Speakers & Microphone from the list that pops up, and you’ll be walked through a mic test that will show you if your microphone is working to input audio correctly. It’s always good to have a second opinion!

Since QuickTime Player by itself can’t record screen audio, many users try a workaround to input sound. They play the system audio through their speakers, then use a microphone to record it and often their voices, too. It’s not the neatest way to do things, but it works for some people.

If your audio recording is not working, the problem is that sometimes the speaker volume is too low to pick up that screen audio. If that’s the case, try cranking up your speakers and adjusting the microphone level, as we’ve previously seen. This will ensure that the audio coming from your system will be loud enough to be captured.

If your main problem with QuickTime Player screen recording with no sound isn’t the mic but the lack of system audio recording, you’ll have to look to other software to help you. There are plug-ins like Soundflower for Intel Macs and Blackhole for M1 Macs. These extensions both work with QuickTime Player to allow it to record your screen audio. However, both of these extensions are discontinued and may invite security issues or simply may not work for newer devices.

A better bet is to use an alternative to QuickTime Player for screen recordings, where you want to capture both screen audio and a microphone input at once. That way, you can let your viewers hear background audio while you comment over top without having to do any fancy edits or later overdubbing.

No matter what the reason is for QuickTime screen recording with no audio, the question is always the same. Is it possible to recover the audio? Unfortunately, the answer is no. If you didn’t capture one or both of the screen audio and microphone audio channels during the recording, then there’s simply nothing there to recover. If there’s no sound on your QuickTime screen recording, then the program didn’t record any audio, and you’ll have to use a quick fix instead.

If you’ve tried all of the fixes above and you’re still wailing, “Why is QuickTime Player not recording audio?” it’s probably time to try out an alternative. While QuickTime Player is an essential part of the macOS ecosystem, it’s not always the best program for the job, especially if you need to record multiple audio streams at once. 

So if QuickTime screen recording has no audio, luckily, there are lots of alternatives out there that you can use instead. One of the best is Movavi Screen Recorder. This program does what QuickTime can’t, which is to record both the screen audio and mic audio together.