ThinkScribe records the audio coming out of your Mac and the audio going into your microphone at the same time, so a video call is captured with both sides, without a bot joining and without anything appearing to the other participants. This guide sets it up, runs a short test, and shows what to check afterwards.
What system audio capture records on a Mac
The record bar in ThinkScribe's window has two source toggles next to the record button:
- Microphone: your voice, through whichever input device you use.
- System audio: everything other apps play, which on a call means the other participants.
Turn both on to record a call. Turn on only System audio and you can record a webinar, a lecture stream or a YouTube video without your own voice in it. The capture uses the standard macOS system audio permission you allowed in the welcome; there is no audio driver to install and nothing to configure in Zoom.
The ThinkScribe menu bar item has the same three choices ready: Record Your Voice, Record App Audio Only and Record Meeting (Mic + App).
Test your recording setup before the meeting
- Open ThinkScribe and check that System Audio is allowed under Settings > Permissions. If you skipped it in the welcome, allow ThinkScribe in the macOS system audio recording settings.
- In the record bar, turn on both Microphone and System audio.
- Play any video with speech in a browser and start recording (Command-R). Say a sentence yourself while it plays.
- Stop after a minute (Command-period). Open the transcript. You should see both the video's speech and your sentence, usually split into two speakers.
If one side is missing, check the Fix missing audio section below before your real meeting.
How to record a Zoom, Teams or Meet call on Mac
- Join the call in Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, FaceTime, Webex or a browser as usual. Tell the other participants you are recording.
- In ThinkScribe, turn on Microphone and System audio in the record bar and start recording with Command-R, or choose Record Meeting (Mic + App) from the ThinkScribe menu bar item.
- Keep working. You can close the main window; the menu bar item stays available.
- When the call ends, choose Transcription > Stop Recording (Command-period).
- The transcript is made on your Mac and appears in your library, with speakers separated.
No meeting bot joins the call and nobody is added to the participant list. The recording and transcript stay with you: no account, and they are never sent to us.
Check the transcript
- Open the transcript from the library. Click a line to play the audio from that moment.
- Speakers are separated automatically. Use Rename Speaker... on a speaker badge to give it a real name; saved voices are recognized automatically in future calls. See teach ThinkScribe who is speaking.
- The transcript opens clean, without filler words. Switch to Original to see every word as it was transcribed, and to find (Shift-Command-F) or edit.
- Summarize with Shift-Command-S, or ask a question with Option-Command-C and click the sources to hear the moment. See meeting minutes from a recording.
Fix missing or quiet audio
- The other side is missing: System audio was off, or the system audio permission was not granted. Check Settings > Permissions.
- Your voice is missing: the Microphone toggle was off, or a headset changed the active input. Check the input device under Sound in System Settings before you start.
- Echo or doubled voices: you were listening through speakers rather than headphones, so the microphone picked up the call too. Use headphones, or check Echo Cancellation under Settings > Recording.
- The recording is very quiet: check the call app's own output volume and your microphone input level before the next call, then run the one-minute test again.
Recording a webinar, lecture stream or video
Turn on only System audio, press Record, and play the content. This is the way to transcribe a training video, an online lecture or a podcast episode playing in a browser. Transcription > Record System Audio (Shift-Command-R) starts this kind of recording directly. If you already have the file, transcribe an audio or video file is quicker than playing it back. For a meeting around a table rather than on a screen, see record an in-person meeting on iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
How do I record a Teams meeting on a Mac without a bot?
Record the meeting on your own machine instead of inviting a note-taking bot into it. With system audio capture switched on alongside the microphone, the Mac saves what Teams plays and what you say, so nothing joins the call and no participant is added to the list. The same approach works for Zoom, Google Meet, Webex and a call in a browser.
Do I have to tell people I am recording a meeting?
Consent rules vary by country and, in some countries, by state. Some places are satisfied if one person on the call knows, and others require every party to agree before you start. The practical default is to say it out loud at the beginning and let anyone object. If a recording could ever matter legally, check the rules where the participants are.
How do I record both sides of a call on a Mac?
You need two sources at once: the microphone for your voice, and the audio the Mac itself is playing for everyone else's. Recording only the microphone through speakers gives you a thin, echoing copy of the other side. Capturing the system output separately keeps both halves clean, and speakers can then be told apart in the transcript.
Is the meeting audio sent anywhere?
It is never sent to us. Recording, transcription and speaker labels run on your Mac and work offline. Summaries are written by ThinkScribe AI on your Mac or by Apple Intelligence, provided by Apple, depending on your choice in Settings. Transcripts go to iCloud only if you turn on sync, and audio only if you also turn on Sync Audio to iCloud.
