PodSplice

The Easiest BlackHole Alternative for Recording System Audio on Mac

AAndrew Best

If you’re trying to record system audio on Mac (the sound from a YouTube tab, Zoom, Spotify, a webinar), skip drivers and virtual devices. Use Podsplice. It runs in Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Arc and records mic, camera, screen, and system audio as separate, synced tracks—no BlackHole, no Audio MIDI Setup, no plugins.
Try Podsplice now

Why BlackHole Feels Like a Detour

BlackHole works, but it’s slow and fragile:

  • You have to install a virtual audio driver and dig into Audio MIDI Setup.

  • Create Aggregate and Multi-Output devices, order outputs just right, and switch outputs every time you record.

  • One misclick and the YouTube audio never gets captured.

  • You still end up with mixed audio in QuickTime (no separate tracks), which makes editing harder.

  • Add a webcam? External mic? Now you’re chasing sync.

If you just want clean system audio + your voice in a reaction or tutorial, this setup is overkill.

How Podsplice Replaces BlackHole

Podsplice records locally—right in the browser—and keeps everything in sync:

  • 🎤 Mic (your commentary)

  • 📷 Camera (your face)

  • 🖥️ Screen (what you’re showing)

  • 🔊 System audio (YouTube, Zoom, Spotify, games)

Each feed is separate and auto-synced, so you can balance levels later without re-recording. No drivers, no command-line, no scene graphs, no wondering why QuickTime can’t hear your tab.

New to reactions? Here’s the full workflow: How to make a reaction video

Why “Browser-Based” Wins on macOS

  • No downloads or drivers — open a tab and record.

  • Fast and lightweight — frees up your Mac for the actual capture.

  • Consistent — same workflow on MacBook, iMac, Mac mini.

  • Local recording — brief Wi-Fi hiccups don’t ruin quality.

If you’ve been burned by silent captures, this explains it in detail:
Why your screen recording has no sound (and how to fix it)

Example: YouTube Reaction on Mac (No Plugins)

  1. Open YouTube in Safari or Chrome and queue the clip.

  2. Open Podsplice in another tab.

  3. Select mic + camera and enable Share system audio.

  4. Record your reaction. Stop, save, and export four synced tracks.

Need Mac-specific tips?
How to record YouTube audio in a reaction video on Mac (without QuickTime or plugins)

Bottom Line

BlackHole + QuickTime is a workaround. It’s fiddly, slower, and fragile.
Podsplice is the alternative: system audio, mic, screen, and camera—captured locally, on separate tracks, in any modern browser, with zero setup.

Try Podsplice now

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