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How to Record Audio on Mac with External Mic in 3 Ways

After reading this guide, you will know how to record audio on Mac with external mic with either the built-in or third-party audio recorders.

Myra Xian Avatar

Updated on

Quick Answer:
You can record audio on your Mac with an external microphone using the built-in QuickTime Player, Voice Memos app, or a third-party audio recorder like SurFlex Screen Recorder.

Microphone recording on Mac is quite simple since there are preinstalled audio recorders on macOS that allow you to record audio on Mac directly. Besides, there are many third-party sound recorders that enable you to capture any type of sound on your computer. Thus, if you want to know how to record audio on Mac with an external mic, the answers are many. There are some of them:

How to Record Audio on Mac with External Mac for Free

Tool: QuickTime Player

QuickTime Player on your Mac not only works to record your Mac screen but also helps to record audio on Mac with a microphone, be it the integrated or an external mic. Thus, the easiest way to record audio on your Mac with an external mic is to use QuickTime Player.

To record audio on Mac via an external Mac:

Step 1. Connect the microphone to your Mac and make sure it works properly.

Step 2. Open QuickTime Player on your Mac and go to File > New Audio Recording.

Step 3. Click Options (the arrow icon next to the Record button) and choose the external microphone as the input device.

Step 4. Click Record.

Step 5. When you are done, end the recording and save the audio file.

Create New Screen Recording with QuickTime

How to Record Audio on Mac via Microphone Easily

Tool: Voice Memos

If you are going to record your voice on Mac via a microphone, using the native Voice Memos app on Mac will fit your needs. With it, you can create audio recordings to capture microphone sound and save the audio files in M4A format.

To record your voice on Mac:

Step 1. Make sure your microphone works correctly.

Step 2. Launch the Voice Memos app on your Mac and click Record to start.

Step 3. Click Done to end the recording when needed.

Step 4. Trim and rename the audio.

Record Audio on Mac with Voice Memos

How to Perform Microphone Recording on Mac

Tool: SurFlex Screen Recorder

The built-in apps are only helpful for recording microphone audio on Mac. When you want to record internal audio on Mac or record both internal and external audio on your computer, they won’t work. If you want to record different types of audio on your Mac, the best choice for you is to use a third-party audio recorder like SurFlex Screen Recorder. With this app installed on your MacBook, you can:

  • Record microphone sound
  • Record internal audio (system sound and app sound)
  • Record both system audio and microphone audio

Besides, SurFlex Screen Recorder, as its name indicates, is mainly a screen recorder. That means you can screen record on Mac with audio with it. If you need to record video and audio on your Mac often, it’s highly recommended to try this app.

To record the microphone on Mac:

Step 1. Open SurFlex Screen Recorder on your Mac and select the audio recording mode from the interface.

Select the Audio Recording Mode

Step 2. Click the Arrow icon to expand more options and then choose Microphone since you want to record your voice.

Select Audio Recording Type

Step 3. Once the microphone audio recording is done, click the Stop button and check the audio file in the recording list.

Recording Audio

Wrapping Up

When you record audio on your Mac, the best way for you varies depending on the audio type you are going to capture. If you are looking to record your own voice via a microphone, using the built-in apps on your Mac is enough. If you want to do more than just recording the microphone sound, using a third-party video and audio recorder like SurFlex Screen Recorder will suit you better.

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