Why does my recording of a call only have my voice?

QuickTime Player takes sound only from the microphone. The other people's voices play through your speakers or headphones, so they are missing from the recording, especially with headphones on. Record with a tool that captures the computer's sound as well, such as the meeting app's own recording or the free Screen & Sound Recorder Chrome extension.

Guides

How to record a Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call on your Mac with both sides' audio

Q: Do I need permission to record a call?

Always tell everyone before you record. Recording laws differ between countries and states, and some require everyone on the call to agree. A screen recorder does not tell the other people that you are recording.

Updated October 28, 2026

Short answer: Use the meeting app's own recording if your plan and the host allow it. Otherwise, record your screen with a tool that captures the computer's sound as well as your microphone, such as Screen & Sound Recorder, a free Chrome extension. A QuickTime screen recording only has your voice, because the other people play through your speakers or headphones. Whatever you use, tell everyone before you record.

First: ask before you record

Tell everyone on the call that you're recording, and stop if anyone objects. Recording laws differ between countries and states, and some require everyone on the call to agree. A meeting app usually shows everyone a notice when its own recording starts. A screen recorder doesn't, so saying it out loud is up to you.

Option 1: The meeting app's own recording

Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams can each record a meeting. Whether you can use it depends on your plan, your organisation's settings and whether the host allows it, and the file is often saved to the recorder's cloud account instead of your Mac.

Option 2: Record the call with Screen & Sound Recorder

This works with any meeting app, whether it runs in the browser or as a Mac app, and saves the file on your Mac. It needs macOS 14.2 or later and Chrome 141 or later.

Put on headphones, so the microphone doesn't pick up the other people a second time.
Click the Screen & Sound Recorder icon, turn on your microphone, and press Start Recording.
In Chrome's picker, choose what to record and turn on the audio switch at the bottom:
- A call in a Mac app such as Zoom or Teams: choose Entire Screen and turn on "Also share system audio".
- A call in a Chrome tab such as Google Meet: choose that tab and turn on "Also share tab audio".
Talk as usual. Your microphone and the call's sound are mixed into one track.
Press the toolbar icon to stop. The MP4 is saved into your folder in Downloads.

Nothing is uploaded, which helps when the call is confidential.

Tips

Make a 10-second test recording before an important call, and play it back.
Pause from the toolbar icon during breaks, so you don't have to cut them out later.
Recording your screen doesn't share it with the meeting. Sharing your screen in the meeting is a separate button in the meeting app.

Record your next call with both sides

Free for Mac. Your screen, the call's sound and your voice in one MP4.

Add to Chrome, it's free