Whenever I'm on a video call and trying to screen record using Quicktime Player, my voice is muted throughout that recording. I have gone to terminal to reset my microphone settings so that I can toggle QuickTime Player, but nothing prompts the system to ask if I can add Quicktime Player under Microphone. How can I get it to appear under Microphone?
iMac 24″, macOS 26.5
CuriousInquiry wrote:
Whenever I'm on a video call and trying to screen record using Quicktime Player, my voice is muted throughout that recording.
you may want to try the method I use for that operation.
to record the mac's internal sound with quicktime (or also “shift-command-5”) 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.
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, if you want to record the internal audio as well as your microphone, it's slightly different. you need to set up an “Aggregate Device”
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 “Built-in Microphone”
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".
*** you will also need to adjust your MIDI settings depending on which input / output methods (microphone / sound output) that you want to use.
*** for best results when using the aggregate device, you should use headphones to hear the mac's audio. if you use your speakers to hear the audio, then depending on the speed of your Mac and the volume of your speakers, the mic will capture the sound from the speakers a fraction of a second later. then you will hear that from your speakers a fraction of a second later, which the microphone will capture it a fraction of a second later, which you will hear from your speakers…….
CuriousInquiry wrote:
Whenever I'm on a video call and trying to screen record using Quicktime Player, my voice is muted throughout that recording.
you may want to try the method I use for that operation.
to record the mac's internal sound with quicktime (or also “shift-command-5”) 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.
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, if you want to record the internal audio as well as your microphone, it's slightly different. you need to set up an “Aggregate Device”
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 “Built-in Microphone”
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".
*** you will also need to adjust your MIDI settings depending on which input / output methods (microphone / sound output) that you want to use.
*** for best results when using the aggregate device, you should use headphones to hear the mac's audio. if you use your speakers to hear the audio, then depending on the speed of your Mac and the volume of your speakers, the mic will capture the sound from the speakers a fraction of a second later. then you will hear that from your speakers a fraction of a second later, which the microphone will capture it a fraction of a second later, which you will hear from your speakers…….
This is a microphone permission issue with QuickTime Player on macOS 26.5. The app has not been granted mic access, which is why your voice is muted. Here is how to fix it:
1. Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and scroll through the list to see if QuickTime Player is there. If it is missing, the permission has never been granted.
2. To trigger the permission prompt: open QuickTime Player > File > New Audio Recording. macOS should prompt you to allow microphone access. Click OK, then check the Privacy & Security > Microphone list again — QuickTime should now appear with its toggle enabled.
3. If QuickTime is listed but toggled off, just turn it on. If the toggle is grayed out, click the lock icon in the bottom left of System Settings to authenticate and make changes.
4. After enabling the permission, fully quit QuickTime (Cmd+Q) and reopen it. The change does not apply to already-running sessions.
5. When starting a new screen recording (File > New Screen Recording), click the dropdown arrow beside the record button and confirm your microphone is selected rather than None.
Since terminal resets did not help, this is almost certainly a first-time permission grant issue, not a settings corruption. The New Audio Recording prompt method should trigger the dialog and resolve it permanently.
Yes, all this is true, but my issue is that that very necessary step of approving the QuickTime Player under Microphones is not prompting. When I select the built-in microphone and hit record, the Player just begins recording — without every prompting for approval. Hence, I can never get to the point of toggling QuickTime Player under Privacy and Security’s Microphone. In fact, since the Terminal reset, there is nothing being listed under Microphone, which is concerning to me. I want to be able to enable the QuickTime Player by being prompted to do so by Microphone, but it never reaches that point. I don’t know how to get QuickTime Player to be listed under Microphone. The New Audio Recording prompt never appeared; the system just begins recording and my voice (so as long as I am not on a zoom or Google chat video call) records perfectly fine, but the system never prompts me to enable or approve the QuickTime Player.
Cannot Add QuickTime Player under Microphones No Matter What...
