Blackbox • For macOS 14+ (Native CoreAudio AUHAL + 24-Bit Lossless FLAC) • Free Forever (Ad-Supported) Meet Blackbox.
Always-On 24-Bit Lossless FLAC Multitrack DAW Safety Recorder.
Blackbox taps directly into your macOS audio interface via an input-only CoreAudio AUHAL unit and records every channel continuously in the background with 0 lost samples, native 24-bit lossless FLAC compression (88.6% smaller than WAV), and sample-exact stem stitching.
Designed for Real Classrooms, Tracking Rooms, and Production Workstations
Captures every hardware channel alongside Pro Tools, Ableton Live, or Logic Pro at 1.3% CPU without touching your DAW buffer or master clock.
Hardware-accelerated Apple AudioToolbox 24-bit FLAC shrinks an 8-channel studio day from 33.2 GB down to 3.7 GB with bit-identical audio.
Stitches 10-minute safety chunks into one continuous per-channel stem with 0 frame drift, plus automatic nightly rsync to NAS storage.
Download & Use Free Forever. Pay Once to Remove Ads.
Every person can download and run the full version of Blackbox free forever (supported by a subtle studio sponsor strip and automatic update notifications). Want a 100% ad-free studio interface, or using our Classroom Educational Edition? Choose a one-time license below.
- ✓ Full Blackbox feature set unlocked forever
- ✓ Instant direct download with zero login or trial timer
- ✓ Automatic in-app update notifications when new versions ship
- ✓ Includes a compact Build Forward Tech / MusicMind sponsor banner
- ✓ Upgrade to Ad-Free in-app anytime with an
MM1-...key
- ✓ Removes all sponsor banners forever across 3 computers
- ✓ Signed native Blackbox.app + blackbox-engine CLI for macOS 14+
- ✓ Up to 64 simultaneous channels in 24-bit Lossless FLAC or WAV
- ✓ Lock-free 10-second SPSC ring buffer between CoreAudio RT callback and disk
- ✓ 1-click sample-exact stem stitcher (blackbox join) for instant DAW import
- ✓ Offline Ed25519 MM1-... license key for up to 3 personal or studio Macs
- ✓ Removes all sponsor banners across up to 25 lab/studio seats
- ✓ Removes sponsor banners across up to 25 tracking rooms, edit bays, or lab Macs
- ✓ Automatic background launchd daemon with disk free-space guardrails
- ✓ Built-in rsync archival to studio NAS servers after every session
- ✓ Commercial & institutional receipt for department purchase orders
- ✓ Priority support from Build Forward Tech & MusicMind
Saw "Educational Edition (learn more)" in Your Classroom?
When Blackbox is deployed in college recording studios and media classrooms, the bottom of the interface is labeled Educational Edition (learn more). While regular pricing is $19 Personal (3 computers) and $149 Studio Pack (25 computers), enrolled students and educators qualify for a 50% Educational Discount ($10 one-time), and schools can inquire about department site licenses and Purchase Orders (POs).