Can't get Audacity to screen record

Audacity 3 Help Forum
1

Spent hours on this without luck. I’m using a 2013 MacBook Pro running Catalina 10.15.7.
I’ve installed Audacity and Blackhole 2 channel.
All I want to do is record off YouTube etc. Don’t want to use the Mic.
I’ve gone through various YouTube video’s setups and forums but noting works.
Nothing is being recorded.

After a setup that works if someone could help.

I’d like to get it recording on this laptop first before I set it up on a new MacBook Air M4. That’s why I’m using Blackhole as it’s suitable for M series Macs.
Up to now I’ve been using Audacity on a Windows laptop.

2

Did you select Blackhole as sound output in your system settings?
Did you select Blackhole as your input source in Audacity?
Did you grant access to “Microphone” in your system settings for Audacity?

3

To record your screen, use tools like OBS Studio, ScreenRec, or Xbox Game Bar Windows
Use Audacity for audio editing or voice recording only.

4

Yes been through that numerous times. Don’t want to use the mic.

5

Only want to record audio on YouTube etc..No Mic. Audio only. Audacity does exactly 100% what I want in Windows ii but can’t get it to record on Mac.

6

While you are searching for a solution, here is a good workaround for you. Install ClipGrab on your Mac. One of the options in the drop-down menu is to download only audio. This means you don’t need to record in real-time which is a huge time-saver.
Hope that helps in the meantime. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
Mark B

7

The “grant access to Microphone” does not only concern a physical Microphone but every sound surce the Mac should record.

8

Thanks I’ll look into that if it gets the better of me. Works ik in windows 11 so I’'m using that. Just want it on the Macs. Thanks again.

9

That’s really helpful. Thanks. I’ll have another try.

10

Followed through with the grant access microphone and the setting in your first post. No audio coming through to Autacity. I watched this YouTube video https://youtu.be/ORLJo2d7IcQ?si=YQHNsdkulfKsWYKX. and setup a midi multi-output device setup as in the video. Still nothing until I set Audacity output to built in output and the mac output to the multi-output device. Audacity records and plays back and you can still hear the audio source in this case YouTube. They’re the only settings that work nothing else does. Does that make any sense? Doesn’t to me. The first recordings were really bad with feedback and echoing. Unticking some default options under transport options fixed that.

12

MME and WASAPI are Windows. The OP says “I’m using a 2013 MacBook Pro running Catalina 10.15.7.”. So your comment is not of any help.

Häh? I thought you want to record sound, not play…

Again (as I already wrote earlier):

  1. The system setting for sound output must be set to Blackhole
  2. The input for sound in Audacity must be set to Blackhole
  3. Unless you activate “software playthrough” (Menu “Transport → Transport Option → Enable audible input monitoring”) in Audacity, you won’t hear anything on your Mac’s loudspeakers.

Anyway, I’d rather not record Youtube this way but rather download it using “JDownloader 2” (or any other tool) and then just edit the sound file.

14

Yes have it working now following what you wrote earlier. Thanks for your help.

15

Thanks all good now.

16

Thanks have it working now.

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