How to Add Audio to a Screen Recording on Mac (2026)
A screen recording with the right audio — background music, sound effects, or a voiceover — immediately feels more polished and professional. Here is how to add an audio track to your Mac screen recording without opening a video editor.
Why audio makes screen recordings more effective
Silent screen recordings work for internal documentation and quick walkthroughs. But for anything meant to persuade — an App Store preview video, a product demo, a tutorial — audio is the difference between something that feels like a screencast and something that feels like a product.
Background music sets the tone without explaining anything. A subtle ambient track gives a recording energy and signals polish. Voiceover narration guides viewers through complex interactions they might otherwise misread. Sound effects add tactile feedback to button taps and transitions.
None of this requires a full recording setup or a video editing course. With cursiq, you add an audio track directly in the app, set the volume, and it exports with the video.
What macOS screen recording tools offer for audio
The built-in Cmd+Shift+5 toolbar and QuickTime can capture microphone input while recording — so if you speak during the recording session, your voice gets captured. What they cannot do is add a separate audio track to an existing recording. There is no way to attach a music file, layer in a voiceover recorded separately, or replace the audio track entirely without a video editor.
cursiq handles this differently. You record your screen, then add an audio file from your Mac — any MP3, M4A, WAV, or AAC file — and it gets mixed into the final export. No additional tools required.
How to add an audio track in cursiq
Record your screen
Record your app or workflow as you normally would. If you want silence during recording (to add music in post), disable the microphone in the recording settings. If you want to narrate live, keep it enabled — you can mix both sources.
Open the Audio Track panel
In the cursiq editor, find the Audio Track section. Click the import button and select your audio file from Finder. cursiq accepts MP3, M4A, WAV, and AAC formats.
Set the volume
Adjust the volume level for your audio track. For background music under a voiceover, keeping it at 20–40% of the recording volume is a good starting point. For standalone music on a silent recording, 70–80% usually works well.
Preview and adjust
Play back the recording with the audio track to check how they sit together. If the audio is too long for the video, it gets trimmed automatically at export. If it is shorter, you can loop it.
Export with audio
Export as usual. The audio track is mixed into the video file. For App Store exports, note that App Store preview videos autoplay silently by default — music will only play if the viewer has sound on. Design your video to work without audio too.
Music vs voiceover: which to use
Both have their place. The right choice depends on what your video is trying to do.
Background music works best for:
- App Store preview videos
- Short product demos (under 60 seconds)
- Social media clips where sound is optional
- Landing page hero videos
Voiceover works best for:
- Tutorial and onboarding videos
- Complex feature walkthroughs
- Investor and sales demos
- Content where context matters
Tips for better audio in screen recordings
Use royalty-free music
For anything published publicly, make sure your music is licensed for commercial use. Good sources include Pixabay, Uppbeat, and the YouTube Audio Library. Using a track you do not have rights to can get your App Store listing or video flagged.
Record voiceover in a quiet room
Background noise, fan hum, and room echo are the most common voiceover killers. A closet full of clothes is surprisingly effective as a recording booth. Even a decent USB microphone in a noisy room will underperform a built-in mic in a quiet one.
Keep App Store previews short and silent-safe
App Store preview videos autoplay without sound. Design your video to communicate clearly through visuals alone — use music as an enhancement, not a crutch. Your zoom points, interaction highlights, and motion effects should do the heavy lifting.
Related articles
Add audio to your recordings in seconds
cursiq lets you import any audio track, set the volume, and export — all in the same app you use to record. No video editor, no timeline, no re-encoding.
Free to try. Mac App Store. No subscription required.