System Audio Recording Permission on Mac, Explained

Short answer: SoundDial changes the volume of other apps, so it has to work with the audio those apps play. macOS puts that kind of access behind a privacy permission, listed as System Audio Recording Only. SoundDial uses it to change levels; it is sandboxed, has no network entitlement and needs no account.

The first time you set up SoundDial, macOS asks you to allow access under a heading with a slightly alarming name: Screen & System Audio Recording. It's a reasonable thing to pause at. You bought a volume mixer, not a recorder. This article explains what the permission is, why a per-app volume app needs it, what SoundDial does with it, and how to turn it on or fix it.

What the permission is

In System Settings > Privacy & Security, recent macOS versions have a section called Screen & System Audio Recording. It covers two kinds of access: capturing the screen, and working with the audio other apps play. The audio-only kind has its own list, System Audio Recording Only.

SoundDial asks to be turned on in that audio-only list. It's a volume mixer, so screen capture isn't part of its job.

The word "recording" is Apple's name for the whole category. macOS doesn't offer a separate permission called "adjust other apps' volume", so an app that changes other apps' sound goes through this one, whatever it does with the audio.

Why a volume app needs it

A Mac has one volume slider for the whole system. To give each app its own level, a mixer has to take each app's audio, change its level and pass it on to your speakers or headphones. That means working with audio that another app is playing, which is exactly what this permission is about. SoundDial needs macOS 14.2 or later.

What SoundDial uses it for

SoundDial uses the access to change each app's sound on your Mac as it plays. That's what makes its features work:

• a volume slider from 0% to 200% and mute for each app
• a per-app equalizer and left/right balance
• Play Through, which sends one app to a different output device
• lowering other apps during calls

What else is worth knowing

• Sandboxed. SoundDial runs in the macOS App Sandbox, and the only entitlement it has is audio input.
• No network entitlement, no account. SoundDial changes levels; it has no network entitlement and no account to sign in to.
• No microphone listening. To lower other apps during calls, SoundDial checks whether a call app or a listed browser reports that audio input is in use. It does not read or record microphone audio.

How to turn it on

The easiest way is SoundDial's guided setup. It has 6 pages, walks you through granting audio access, and then checks with a real test that access actually works, so you know per-app volume will work before you close it.

If you need to set it by hand:

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording.
3. Find the System Audio Recording Only list.
4. Turn SoundDial on.
5. Switch back to SoundDial and let the setup check access again.

Menu names can shift a little between macOS versions; if your Mac shows a slightly different wording, look for the audio-only list in the same section.

The recording indicator in the menu bar

macOS shows a recording indicator in the menu bar when an app is capturing audio. SoundDial has an optional setting, Show live meters for every playing app, which is off by default. When you turn it on, SoundDial listens to every playing app while its popover is open so it can draw a level meter for each one, and macOS shows its recording indicator during that time. That's expected. If you'd rather not see the indicator, leave the setting off. Apps you've adjusted, and apps lowered during a call, still show their meters. More in audio level meters in the menu bar.

If it isn't working

Permissions sometimes get stuck, for example after an update or after restoring a Mac from a backup. If access isn't working, the SoundDial popover tells you: you'll see Finish setup to control app volumes or Audio access isn't working, with a Fix It button. Then work through these in order:

1. Click Fix It in the popover.
2. Toggle the permission. In System Audio Recording Only, turn SoundDial off, then on again.
3. Restart SoundDial. Quit it and open it again.
4. Use Setup & Help. In SoundDial's Settings, open Setup & Help. Check Again re-runs the access check, and Open Guided Setup walks you through it from the start.
5. Contact support. Still stuck? In Setup & Help, use Copy Diagnostics and then Email Support, so the details of your setup go along with your message.

Common questions

Does SoundDial need screen recording?

No. It asks to be turned on in the System Audio Recording Only list, the audio part of the Screen & System Audio Recording section.

Can I use SoundDial without granting the permission?

Not for its core job. Without access to other apps' audio, the per-app sliders can't change anything. The popover shows Finish setup to control app volumes until access works.

Why does macOS call it "recording"?

Apple uses one permission for any access to other apps' audio. The name describes the category of access, not one specific use.

Why did the recording indicator appear?

Most likely because you turned on Show live meters for every playing app (it's off by default) and the SoundDial popover is open. Turn the setting off if you prefer not to see it.

Does SoundDial listen to my microphone during calls?

No. It only checks whether a call app such as Zoom or Teams, or a listed browser, is using audio input, so it knows when to lower other apps. It does not read or record microphone audio.

SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac needs macOS 14.2 or later and costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.