Recording audio from a YouTube video on Mac is not as straightforward as it should be. macOS does not include a built-in way to capture audio that plays through your speakers, so clicking “record” in QuickTime or Audacity only picks up your microphone — not the YouTube video playing in your browser.
The fix is surprisingly simple. A free virtual audio driver called LitLink creates a software loopback device that routes YouTube audio into any recording application. The entire setup takes less than a minute, and you don’t need any Terminal commands or Audio MIDI Setup configuration.
This guide walks through every method for recording YouTube audio on Mac, from the fastest free option to per-app isolation for advanced users.
Why Can’t Mac Record YouTube Audio by Default?
macOS sends all application audio — including YouTube playback in Chrome or Safari — directly to your speakers or headphones. The operating system does not provide a way for one application to intercept another application’s audio output.
This is a Core Audio limitation. When YouTube plays a video in your browser, the audio data flows from Chrome (or Safari) to the system output device. QuickTime, Audacity, OBS, and every other recording application on Mac can only read from input devices like microphones. They cannot tap into the audio that YouTube sends to your speakers.
Windows has a built-in feature called WASAPI loopback that solves this problem natively. macOS has never included an equivalent. The solution is a virtual audio driver that creates a software device acting as both a speaker (where system audio goes) and a microphone (where recording apps read from).
How to Record Audio from YouTube on Mac with LitLink
LitLink is a free virtual audio driver for Mac that captures all system audio with a single toggle. Here’s how to set it up:
Step 1: Download and install LitLink
Head to litpads.app/litlink and download LitLink. The app is free, Apple-notarized, under 300 KB, and works on macOS 14 Sonoma or later (including all Apple Silicon Macs).
Step 2: Enable System Audio Passthrough
Open LitLink and toggle System Audio Passthrough on. This does two things automatically:
- Creates a virtual input device called LitLink Audio Bridge
- Creates a multi-output device called LitLink + Speakers that sends audio to both your headphones AND the virtual device
You’ll still hear YouTube through your headphones normally. No manual Audio MIDI Setup configuration is needed.
Step 3: Open your recording application
Open QuickTime Player, Audacity, OBS, or any app that accepts an audio input device. Select LitLink Audio Bridge as the input/recording device.
In QuickTime Player: Go to File → New Audio Recording, click the dropdown arrow next to the record button, and choose LitLink Audio Bridge.
In Audacity: Go to Preferences → Audio Settings, and set the Recording Device to LitLink Audio Bridge.
Step 4: Play the YouTube video and press record
Navigate to the YouTube video you want to capture. Press record in your recording app, then play the video. The audio flows from YouTube through LitLink Audio Bridge into the recorder at full quality.
Step 5: Stop recording and save
When you’ve captured the section you need, stop the recording and save the file. QuickTime saves as M4A. Audacity lets you export to MP3, WAV, FLAC, or OGG.
The audio captured through LitLink is bit-perfect — LitLink passes raw PCM buffers between the system output and the virtual input with sub-millisecond latency. No re-encoding or quality loss occurs during capture.
How to Record Only YouTube Audio (Without Other App Sounds)
The free version of LitLink captures all system audio. That means if Spotify is playing in the background or you receive a notification sound, those get mixed into the recording alongside the YouTube audio.
For most quick captures, this isn’t a problem — just pause other apps and set your Mac to Do Not Disturb before recording.
But if you need a perfectly clean YouTube-only recording, LitLink Pro adds per-app audio routing. Instead of capturing everything, you select only Chrome (or Safari) as the audio source. LitLink Pro routes that browser’s audio to the virtual device while keeping Spotify, notifications, and every other app out of the recording.
LitLink Pro also includes per-app parametric EQ and per-app volume control, so you can shape the YouTube audio before it hits the recorder — boost voice clarity, cut bass rumble, or adjust the volume independently from your system volume. This is particularly useful when recording from YouTube videos that have inconsistent audio levels.
One thing to keep in mind: per-app routing works at the application level, not the tab level. If you route Chrome to the recorder, all Chrome tabs are captured, not just the one playing YouTube. If you need to isolate a single tab, open YouTube in Safari and use Chrome for everything else (or vice versa), then route only the YouTube browser.
Which Recording App Should You Use?
Every Mac app that accepts an audio input device works with LitLink. Here are the best options depending on your workflow:
QuickTime Player (Simplest)
QuickTime is built into macOS — no download needed. Go to File → New Audio Recording, select LitLink Audio Bridge, and press record. The output is M4A format. This is the fastest option for a quick, no-fuss YouTube audio capture.
Audacity (Best for Editing)
Audacity is free and open-source. It gives you a full waveform editor after recording, so you can trim silence, normalize volume, remove noise, and export to MP3, WAV, FLAC, or OGG. This is the best option if you need to clean up the recording before using it.
OBS Studio (Best for Streamers)
OBS is free and captures audio alongside video. Add an Audio Input Capture source with LitLink Audio Bridge and you can record or stream YouTube audio alongside other sources. Useful for reaction content or tutorial recordings.
GarageBand (Best for Music/Podcast Workflows)
GarageBand is free with macOS and provides a multi-track timeline. Select LitLink Audio Bridge as the input device, record the YouTube audio onto a track, then layer voiceover, effects, or music on additional tracks. Great for podcast producers who reference YouTube content.
Can You Record YouTube Audio and Your Voice Together?
Yes. LitLink has a built-in mic passthrough feature that merges your microphone signal with the YouTube audio into a single stream.
- Enable System Audio Passthrough in LitLink
- Toggle Mic Passthrough on
- Select your microphone from the dropdown (built-in mic, USB mic, or audio interface)
- Select LitLink Audio Bridge as the input in your recording app
The recording now contains both the YouTube audio and your voice. The two signals are mixed at the driver level with under 1 millisecond of latency, so there’s no sync drift between your commentary and the video audio.
This is perfect for reaction videos, video reviews, or narrating over a tutorial clip. If you need separate tracks for voice and YouTube audio (for independent volume control in editing), use two input sources in OBS or Audacity instead of mic passthrough.
Alternative Methods (and Why LitLink Is Easier)
LitLink isn’t the only way to record YouTube audio on Mac, but it’s the simplest. Here’s how the alternatives compare:
BlackHole (Free, but manual setup)
BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver. It works, but you need to manually open Audio MIDI Setup, create a multi-output device, enable drift correction, and match sample rates across devices. The process takes 5–10 minutes and is easy to misconfigure. LitLink does all of this automatically with one toggle.
Audio Hijack ($76)
Audio Hijack by Rogue Amoeba is the most powerful option. It captures per-app audio natively, applies real-time effects, and supports scheduled recordings. The $76 price is justified for professional workflows but overkill for recording a YouTube clip.
Online YouTube-to-MP3 converters
These websites are riddled with ads, malware risks, and often violate YouTube’s Terms of Service. Many produce low-quality output (128 kbps) and don’t work on age-restricted or private videos. LitLink captures the actual audio output at full quality without visiting sketchy websites.
Browser extensions
Chrome extensions that claim to “download” YouTube audio are frequently removed from the Chrome Web Store for policy violations. They also tend to inject ads, collect browsing data, or simply stop working after YouTube updates. A system-level virtual audio driver is more reliable and doesn’t depend on browser extension APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does recording YouTube audio violate copyright?
Recording YouTube audio for personal, private use (like saving a lecture for offline study) is generally permitted under fair use in most jurisdictions. Redistributing, uploading, or commercially using recorded YouTube audio without the creator’s permission violates copyright law and YouTube’s Terms of Service. Always respect creators’ rights.
What audio quality does LitLink capture?
LitLink captures the exact audio data that reaches your speakers — bit-perfect PCM at your system’s sample rate (typically 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz). The quality matches whatever YouTube delivers to your browser, which is usually AAC at 128–256 kbps depending on the video.
Does LitLink work with Safari and Chrome?
Yes. LitLink operates at the macOS system audio level, so it captures audio from every browser — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Arc, Brave, and any other browser on Mac. No browser extensions or plugins are needed.
Can I still hear the YouTube video while recording?
Yes. LitLink automatically creates a multi-output device that sends audio to both your headphones and the recording app simultaneously. You hear everything normally while the recording captures the same audio in the background.
Does LitLink work on Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4)?
Yes. LitLink runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and uses Apple’s modern system extension architecture — no kernel extensions, no SIP workarounds.