In short
On macOS 26 the permission to record the sound your Mac plays is in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. Apps that ask only for audio are listed in the lower section of that pane, System Audio Recording Only.
Turn the switch on for the app, then quit and reopen it.
This is separate from the microphone permission. A meeting recorder needs both: the microphone for your voice, and system audio for everyone else, who reach your Mac through its speakers or headphones. When a recording has you but not the other people, this permission is the first thing to check.
Turn it on
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Choose Privacy & Security in the sidebar.
- Choose Screen & System Audio Recording.
- Scroll to System Audio Recording Only. The section says "Allow the applications below to access and record your system audio."
- Turn on the switch next to the app.
- Quit the app and open it again.
If the app is in the upper list, Screen & System Audio Recording, it asked for the screen-capture permission rather than the audio-only one. That is the app's choice, not yours; the section it appears in reflects what it requested.
What macOS asks
The first time an app tries to capture system audio, macOS shows a dialog that says the app "would like access to record your system audio", with a line from the developer explaining why. Choose Allow.
This prompt appears on first use, not in advance. Unlike the microphone, there is no way for an app to check the permission quietly without triggering the dialog, so some apps ask at the moment you first press record. If you pressed Don't Allow at that moment by reflex, the app is listed with its switch off.
Why there are two permissions for audio
For years, apps that wanted to record what a Mac plays had two choices: install a virtual audio driver, or use the screen-capture APIs, which bring audio along with the picture. The second route meant asking for Screen Recording, a permission that lets an app see everything on the screen, just to hear a call.
macOS 14.2 added Core Audio process taps, which capture audio output directly. An app that uses a tap asks only for system audio, and macOS lists it under System Audio Recording Only. It cannot see your screen, because it never asked to. Why some audio apps ask for Screen Recording explains the difference in more detail, and recording your Mac's system audio covers the history.
If the app still cannot hear the call
With the permission on, the app should hear whatever the Mac plays. If it does not, check these.
The call is not playing on this Mac
A process tap hears sound that the Mac itself is playing. If the call is on your phone, or on another computer, or routed to a device the Mac does not control, there is nothing to capture. A phone on speaker is picked up by the microphone, not by system audio.
The permission changed after the app last checked
If you turn the switch off while the app is running, the app usually finds out only when it next tries to start a tap and fails. Quit the app, check the switch, and open it again.
The answer is stuck
Reset it so macOS asks again:
- Quit the app.
- Run, with the app's bundle identifier:
tccutil reset AudioCapture com.company.app- Open the app and start a recording. Choose Allow when asked.
The app is not properly signed
As with the microphone, macOS keys this permission to the app's signing identity. A build that was never properly signed may never get a prompt. Mac microphone permission not working shows how to check a signature with codesign.
It is managed
On a managed Mac, an administrator can block audio capture. If the switch is greyed out, only they can change it.
How Notey handles it
Notey asks for this permission on its first screen, in the row Hear the other people: "So what the meeting plays through your speakers is written down too. Notey never asks to record your screen." Press Allow and macOS shows its dialog.
Notey captures system audio with a Core Audio process tap, so it appears under System Audio Recording Only and never in the Screen Recording list.
- If you refused, the row says "Notey cannot hear the meeting. Turn on audio recording for Notey in System Settings, then come back." and Open Settings takes you to the right pane.
- You can continue with only the microphone allowed. Notey then records your voice but not the other people, says so on that screen, and marks any meeting recorded that way as incomplete rather than presenting half a conversation as the whole.
- During a recording without it, the track for the other side says "Not hearing Them — only your microphone is being recorded", with a pointer to System Settings.
To reset Notey's answer, quit Notey and run:
tccutil reset AudioCapture com.ainject.noteyIf both permissions are on and a recording is still silent, see meeting recording silent or transcript empty.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the system audio permission on a Mac?
In System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording. Apps that record only audio are listed under System Audio Recording Only, lower down the same pane. Apps that record the screen as well are in the list at the top.
Is recording system audio the same as Screen Recording?
No. An app that captures sound through a Core Audio process tap needs only the audio permission and cannot see your screen. An app that captures sound through the screen-capture APIs has to ask for Screen Recording, which also lets it see what is on screen.
How do I reset the system audio permission for an app?
Quit the app and run tccutil reset AudioCapture followed by the app's bundle identifier in Terminal. The next time the app starts capturing, macOS asks again.
Does Notey need Screen Recording permission?
No. Notey records the sound your Mac plays with a Core Audio process tap, which needs only the system audio permission. It never asks for Screen Recording.