Audio Hijack

Audio Hijack takes audio out of places macOS would rather it stayed. Point it at a single application, an input device or the whole system output, then wire the capture through a chain of blocks: EQ, a gate, a meter, a recorder, a broadcast output. It is how a large share of Mac podcasts get made, how people record a call with the guest and themselves on separate tracks, and how you rescue audio from an app that has no export button.

$69 buys a key for the current major version, and one single-user licence covers every Mac you personally own. Rogue Amoeba has shipped this since 2002 and patches quickly when a new macOS breaks audio capture, which it does with some regularity.

Major versions are where the money goes back in. Moving from 3 to 4 cost $29 and majors arrive every few years, so think of it as $69 now and a modest fee once more before the decade is out. The trial is the full app with noise laid over the output after a few minutes.

If all you do is record a voice memo or trim a file, this is much more than you need — QuickTime or Fission covers it. Audio Hijack pays off when routing is the problem.