Troubleshooting: Loom “Internal Audio” capture missing on Mac

When recording on macOS, Loom capturing your microphone but omitting internal audio means your voice is audible, but computer sounds—such as YouTube audio, video call participants, web app sound effects, and software notifications—are missing entirely from the finished recording. This issue happens when macOS system audio permissions are disabled, the Loom audio driver extension is missing or unloaded, or you are recording via a browser extension that lacks permission to tap the system-wide audio bus.

Fast Fix

Switch to the Loom Desktop App, as the Chrome extension on macOS cannot record system-wide internal audio due to Apple sandboxing rules. On your Mac, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording, and ensure Loom is toggled On. In the Loom desktop recording panel, confirm that the “Include System Audio” toggle is active before recording.

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Diagnostic Snapshot

Parameter	Operational Detail
Failure Layer	macOS ScreenCaptureKit framework, CoreAudio loopback, or missing audio driver
Operating Systems Affected	macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia
Client Requirement	Loom Desktop Client (Chrome extension is limited to tab audio only)
Common Symptoms	Video records voice normally; computer audio is completely silent

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Why Internal Audio Fails on macOS

Unlike Windows, which provides direct hardware loopback access (WASAPI/DirectSound), macOS strictly isolates output audio streams to protect user privacy. Application audio cannot be captured without explicit user authorization or a dedicated loopback bridge.

[System Audio Output (Apps/Browser/Calls)]
                    │
                    ▼
     [macOS CoreAudio Subsystem]
                    │
       ┌────────────┴────────────┐
       ▼                         ▼
[ScreenCaptureKit / Driver]  [Chrome Extension (Sandboxed)]
       │                         │
Permission Granted?              Cannot access system-wide bus
       ├── YES: Audio Captured   │
       └── NO:  Audio Muted ─────┴──► Output: Silent Video (Voice Only)

Internal audio capture on Mac typically breaks down for three reasons:

1. Using the Chrome Extension for Full-Screen Captures: Due to macOS sandbox rules, the Loom Chrome extension can only capture audio from the active Chrome tab. It cannot capture audio from external desktop software, Zoom meetings, or other browser windows.
2. Missing Screen & System Audio Permissions: Starting in recent macOS versions, screen recording and system audio recording are governed under a unified permission profile. If this permission is partially granted or revoked during an OS update, video captures cleanly while the system audio channel is discarded.
3. CoreAudio Sample Rate Mismatches: If you use external audio interfaces or professional headphones configured to unusual sample rates (such as 96kHz or 192kHz), Loom’s internal audio capture daemon can fail to resample the stream down to its native 48kHz recording pipeline.

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Step-by-Step Resolution

Step 1: Use the Native Loom Desktop Application

Do not use the browser extension if you need to capture system audio from desktop apps:

1. Download and open the Loom Desktop App.
2. Set your capture mode to Full Screen or Window.
3. Locate the Include System Audio toggle (represented by a speaker icon) on the recorder control panel.
4. Ensure the toggle is switched On.

Step 2: Grant Screen & System Audio Permissions in macOS

Ensure macOS has authorized Loom to capture the system audio bus:

1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and open System Settings.
2. Click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down and click Screen & System Audio Recording.
4. Locate Loom:
   • If the toggle is Off, switch it On.
   • If the toggle is already On, switch it Off, wait two seconds, and switch it back On to clear stale authorization tokens.

• If the toggle is Off, switch it On.
• If the toggle is already On, switch it Off, wait two seconds, and switch it back On to clear stale authorization tokens.

1. When prompted by macOS, click Quit & Reopen to restart Loom with updated audio capture rights.

Step 3: Reinstall the Loom System Audio Driver

If Loom’s background audio helper tool was blocked during initial installation, the application cannot bridge the CoreAudio stream:

1. Open the Loom desktop application.
2. Click the three dots (…) in the upper-right corner of the recorder panel and open Preferences.
3. Under the Audio or General tab, look for System Audio Driver.
4. If a prompt says “Driver needs repair” or “Install System Audio Driver,” click Install.
5. Enter your Mac administrator password when prompted by the operating system.
6. If drawing tools or other UI components also lag while working with capture overlays, review Fix: Loom “Canvas” Drawing tools lagging on macOS.

Step 4: Check Audio MIDI Setup Sample Rates

Mismatched sample rates between your playback hardware and Loom’s capture driver will break internal audio loopbacks:

1. Press Cmd + Space, type Audio MIDI Setup, and press Enter.
2. Select your active output device (e.g., MacBook Pro Speakers, External Headphones, or USB DAC) from the left column.
3. Check the Format dropdown:
   • If it is set to 96,000 Hz or 192,000 Hz, change it to 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz.

• If it is set to 96,000 Hz or 192,000 Hz, change it to 44,100 Hz or 48,000 Hz.

1. Match your input microphone to the same frequency. If your microphone voice is also distorted or quiet alongside system audio issues, see Troubleshooting: Loom “External Mic” gain issues (Too quiet).

Format: 96,000 Hz (High Res) ──► Loom Driver Pipeline ──► Sample Rate Mismatch (Silent Audio)
Format: 48,000 Hz (Standard) ──► Loom Driver Pipeline ──► Clean Internal Audio Capture

Step 5: Verify Chrome Tab Capture Settings (If Using the Extension)

If you must use the Chrome extension, you can only record audio generated inside Google Chrome:

1. Open the Loom extension.
2. Select Current Tab instead of Full Desktop.
3. Click the settings gear and ensure Tab Audio is enabled.
4. Note that system audio from outside the browser will not be included. If you encounter browser microphone permissions errors while recording, see Troubleshooting: Loom “Microphone Access Denied” in Chrome/Edge.