Soundflower on a Mac: does it still work?
No, not on a modern Mac. Soundflower is a kernel extension whose last release, 2.0b2, came out in 2014; it was never rebuilt for Apple silicon, and its own project page marks it deprecated. To route audio between apps today, use BlackHole (free) or Loopback. To record what the Mac plays, use an app that records system audio on macOS 14.4 and later, or macOS 27’s screen recorder if you want a movie.
What Soundflower was
Soundflower was a free, open-source virtual audio device for the Mac. Matt Ingalls wrote it for Cycling ’74, and it was later kept on GitHub: Rogue Amoeba’s copy was archived in 2025, and Matt Ingalls’s repository holds the last release. It added pretend audio devices that any app could play into and any other app could record from.
People used it for two jobs:
- Recording the Mac’s own sound. Set the output to Soundflower, then record from Soundflower in QuickTime Player, Audacity or a DAW.
- Routing audio between apps. A DAW into a video call, or a browser into streaming software.
A small menu-bar app, SoundflowerBed, let you listen to what was passing through. The 2.0 releases retired it.
Why Soundflower doesn’t work any more
- No Apple silicon version. It was never rebuilt for M-series Macs. The project’s page now opens by marking it deprecated and saying Apple silicon Macs aren’t supported.
- It’s a kernel extension. Soundflower runs inside the core of macOS. Apple has deprecated kernel extensions in favour of safer alternatives, and deprecated the audio kernel interfaces Soundflower is built on in macOS 12.3 (Apple’s developer note).
- No updates. The last release, 2.0b2, dates from December 2014. Its release title says it’s for macOS Big Sur 11.1 and earlier, and its notes walk you through an installer that fails the first time until you allow it in Security settings.
If an old tutorial tells you to install Soundflower, it’s out of date. Every job it did has a better answer now.
What replaced Soundflower
| Tool | Cost | What it does | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlackHole | Free, donation-based | A virtual audio device for routing between apps, Intel and Apple silicon | Install a driver; usually a Multi-Output Device so you can still hear |
| Loopback | US$99 | Virtual devices that combine and route apps’ audio, managed in an app | Install, then build a device in the app |
| PrintBus | US$39 once | Records whatever the Mac plays into named, trimmed WAV or AIFF files | None (macOS 14.4+) |
| Piezo | US$29 | Records an app or an input | None (macOS 14.4+) |
| Audio Hijack | US$69 | Records apps, the whole system and mics, with effects and mixing | Build a session |
| Screenshot app, Include System Audio | Free, built in | A screen recording with the Mac’s sound, as a movie | None, on macOS 27 or later only |
Prices in US dollars, checked 4 October 2026.
If you used Soundflower to record your Mac’s sound
You no longer need a virtual device for this. Since macOS 14.4, apps can record other apps, or the whole Mac, once you give them permission. Your output stays the same and your volume keys keep working, which they didn’t in the Soundflower days.
- PrintBus suits keeping songs, references and talks as audio files: press record once and each track is saved, named and trimmed.
- Piezo is the cheaper, simpler recorder if you’re happy to start, stop and name files yourself.
- Audio Hijack does far more: combining sources, mixing in a microphone, effects and schedules.
- macOS 27’s screen recorder (Shift-Command-5, then Options → Include System Audio) when you want the picture too.
Our guide to recording internal audio on a Mac walks through each one.
If you used Soundflower to route audio between apps
BlackHole is the direct replacement. It’s free and open source, runs on Intel and Apple silicon, and works the same way: send one app’s output to BlackHole and choose BlackHole as the other app’s input. To keep hearing the audio, build a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup with your speakers and BlackHole. See our BlackHole guide.
Loopback does the same job with an app to manage it: combine several apps into one device and choose channels without touching Audio MIDI Setup. It costs money where BlackHole is free; Loopback vs BlackHole compares them.
How to remove Soundflower from an older Mac
If Soundflower is still installed on an Intel Mac, take it out before you set up anything else that touches audio. These steps follow the project’s own uninstall instructions.
- In System Settings → Sound (System Preferences on older macOS), set the output and input back to your speakers and microphone. If you built a Multi-Output or Aggregate Device with Soundflower in Audio MIDI Setup, select it and remove it.
- In the Finder, press Shift-Command-G, type /Library/Extensions and press Return. Drag Soundflower.kext to the Trash. You may be asked for your administrator password.
- Check /System/Library/Extensions the same way, where versions before 2.0 were installed, and remove Soundflower.kext if it’s there.
- Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities), type
sudo touch /Library/Extensions/, press Return and enter your password. This tells macOS its extensions have changed. - Restart the Mac. If an old SoundflowerBed app is still in your Applications folder, drag it to the Trash too.
Questions
Does Soundflower work on Apple silicon Macs?
No. Soundflower was never rebuilt for M-series Macs, and its project page says Apple silicon isn’t supported. Use BlackHole to route audio between apps, or an app that records system audio to record what the Mac plays.
What are good free alternatives to Soundflower for Mac?
BlackHole is the closest: a free, open-source virtual audio device that works on Intel and Apple silicon. To record, pair it with QuickTime Player or Audacity. OBS Studio is free too and records desktop audio into a video, as does macOS 27’s screen recorder.
Is there a way to record internal audio on a Mac?
Yes. On macOS 14.4 and later, apps such as PrintBus, Piezo and Audio Hijack record the Mac’s sound directly with no driver. On macOS 27 the screen recorder can include system audio in a movie. On older Macs, use BlackHole with a recorder.
How do I delete Soundflower from my Mac?
Switch your sound output and input away from Soundflower, then drag Soundflower.kext from /Library/Extensions (and /System/Library/Extensions, for older versions) to the Trash. In Terminal, run sudo touch /Library/Extensions/, then restart.
How do I loop back audio on a Mac?
Install a virtual audio device such as BlackHole, set the sending app’s output to BlackHole and the receiving app’s input to BlackHole. Add a Multi-Output Device if you want to hear it too. Loopback (US$99) does the same with an app to manage it.
Is it safe to download Soundflower?
If you really need it for an old Intel Mac, get it only from the project’s GitHub page, not a download site. On any Mac running a recent macOS, BlackHole is the better choice.