How to use an external mic on a Macbook Pro - IT WORKS (2019)!

Not having a mic input on your MacBook Pro is a shame... is it? The truth is that there's a trick that allows you to use the headphone jack with an external mic, allowing you to record straight to your MacBook Pro without any audio interface or USB preamp. It can be a lapel mic, a Rode Videomicro, you name it! It's kinda tricky but extremely easy to do once you figure out how!

02:30 Where the solution starts.

Learn how to build your MIDI controllers!

Fazendo Música com Arduino (português)

Equipment I use:

[mercuriallimit]

YOU ARE MY HARDDRIVE SAVER!!! before I was using my camera to record sound, I know, but it's coz of the Mac. I did this and it worked!!, just out of curiousity, I unplugged the earphone, and it worked too! so my output is just the macbook speaker.

[damianvan]

I got to give you props Bro, English not being your first language and you give a very good tutorial so that nothing is left unturned. My 5 year old now knows how to hook up his mic/headset to his MB Pro. I see a lot of people on here putting you down, "the video was too long" Do not listen to them, a really good teacher can show anyone how to to do it, I believe you achieved that. When you can not make it easy, you don't understand it, like most people on here. Keep up the good obrigado Axel

[JoeCastellon]

Thank you so much for sharing this solution! I found that once the macbook recognizes the splitter, you can disconnect both the microphone and the headset and it will still keep it as external microphone (as long as you don't disconnect the splitter). This essentially means that if you don't want to have your headphones connected along with the microphone, you can disconnect the headphones once the macbook recognizes the splitter.

[moviesjean]

Can't believe we pay this much for a laptop and yet you have to go through all theses trouble just to connect a mic f u apple

[jimgibbons]

Thank you so much! I have spent hours on my laptop looking for a solution and you have provided it. Now, instead of buying a USB mic I can simply buy 2 cables - much cheaper. I'm extremely grateful to you.

[MustafaSheikh]

cant believe in these times we still have to plug 50 wires to make a mic work

[chrissy__morgan]

Thank you so much! I've ordered 4 adapters and they were all wrong. I'm so glad I found this video! Finally connected my Sony ECM-AW4 to my 2020 MacBook Pro using a 2 ring 3mm cord -> 2 ring adapter -> 3 ring mic adapter to my headphone input. I realize that is not technical language but in case another layperson is trying to figure this out. Still don't understand why it's so complicated!

[xanaxod]

if you got a TRRS jack on one side, connect it to your mac and it should do the same. Thanks for your hint

[BernadetteDanceQueendq]

I've been trying to work this out for over a year. I need to use it for recording away from the studio.

[ricardopieper]

I had to do the inverse: I had a splitter around, used a cheap TRRS headphone and a guitar connected to a TRS adapter, worked well on a mac m1 pro.

[ShimmiJayme]

meu amigo, vou te dizer! I have been struggling with this for a couple of years, but just didn't have the strength to deal with it. I watched a bunch of videos giving out the secret to connect the external mic to the macbook pro! All of them just use the splitter. I bought a splitter and it still didn't work. Then I started looking at the TRRS plug. My lapel mic is a TRRS. And I thought this might be it. Then I decided to search videos again and Your video was first in the queue. And you explained everything I suspected! AWESOME! GENIUS! I'm gonna buy an adapter trrs to trs tomorrow so I can try connecting. I think you solved my problem and the problem of hundreds if not thousands of people.

[n.n.]

Thank you! Maybe I can recommend you to stop that background music that is more a kind of disturbing noise. That would level up your videos al lot.
Best Regards!!

[andybelinka]

I bought the cables and tried it but it seems Apple must have overcome this fix. There is another guy on Youtube who recommends an externalplug and play soundcard port that uses a USB port. It's cheaper than one of these adaptors and looks like it will actually work.

[gbeltran]

I've seen so many videos about this but none said anything about the converter. Turns out my lavaler kit even had it!!! thanks so much!!!!
Your content is gold!!! Just change that annoying background music and it will be perfect.

[kimengelen]

LOVE your editing (on music) style. Soooo fun and refreshing! Thanks a bunch.

[cyeganzon]

I'm using BOYA BY MM1 and it came with 2 different cables - 1 with TRRS and TRS. It says to use the TRRS for phones and TRS for DSLR. But when you explain it in this video, i used the TRS (which is intended for the DSLR) and it worked! Thanks for the trick and I don't need to buy another adapter. :)

[SurfistaCamad]

I've been researching this and there is something I would add to the very helpful video as follows: I have a Rode VideoMicroPro, this model has a TRS jack (and I suspect many watching this video will be wanting to use this microphone model on their laptop), in the video the microphone being used has a TRRS jack - therefore I suspect the splitter should work on its' own for my microphone and headphones (which also have a TRS jack).

I have yet to test this but I am going to go ahead and order the splitter without the adapter cable, hopefully it works.

[Lee-shqq]

OMG the trick is to unplug the adaptor and connect TRS mic to the adaptor first ! saving me $$ to buy an extra mic!! thank u so much !!

[JFairweather]

To record audio from a normal TRS stereo source, buy a RODE SC4 ADAPTER CABLE - Female 3.5mm TRS to Right Angle 3.5mm TRRS. It costs US$15.

[SK-nqzp]

Who knew 3 years ago this vid would still help me.