If you're new to Audio Hijack, here's a brief look at what it can do for you.

# Application Recording

With Audio Hijack, you can capture and record audio from just about any application on your Mac. Record radio programs streaming from the web, archive a Skype conversation, or save audio from a DVD. If you can hear it, Audio Hijack can record it!

# Input Device Recording

Recording audio from a microphone or any other audio input device is a snap as well. Musicians can record a quick demo, and podcasters will love the power to record both applications and audio devices together.

# Add Effects

It's not just for recording. Audio Hijack can add an equalizer and other sweetening effects to music, movies, and more! If you've got a laptop, crank the volume of any audio way past 100%, to get more out of your small speakers.

We recommend perusing this manual to learn more, but you can always come back later. Just select "Audio Hijack Manual" from the Help menu.

# Audio Hijack: Record Any Audio

Record any audio. Three simple words explain exactly what you can do with Audio Hijack. Record from applications or from microphones and other hardware. Whether you want to record a podcast or archive streaming radio from the web, Audio Hijack is here to help.

### Getting Started

We recommend having a quick read-through of this manual, but you can also just dive in if you like. You can refer back to the full manual for assistance at any time by accessing it from the "Help" menu.

### What's New in Audio Hijack 3?

Used an older Audio Hijack app before? Check out the New in Audio Hijack 3 page.

### System Requirements

- A Macintosh computer

- Mac OS X 10.9 or higher

### Installation and Removal

To install Audio Hijack, just drag it from your download folder to the Applications folder.

If you ever wish to remove Audio Hijack, simply drag it to the Trash.

### Purchasing Audio Hijack

We provide a free trial of Audio Hijack for you to test. During the trial, the quality of audio captured with Audio Hijack is intentionally degraded after ten minutes. The full version of Audio Hijack can be unlocked with a license key from our online store.

When you're ready, head over to our store to purchase Audio Hijack.

For more information, see the Purchasing page.

### Upgrading to Audio Hijack 3

If your license key starts with FNLY-, you already own Audio Hijack 3 - enjoy!

If you purchased a license for Audio Hijack prior to February 21st, 2014 (your license key will start with IPRT3-, IPRT2-, or IPRT-), you're eligible for a heavily-discounted upgrade to Audio Hijack 3.

# The Basics of Using Audio Hijack

Audio Hijack is extremely powerful, but it's also very easy to pick up. In no time at all, you'll be recording audio right on your Mac. Everything in Audio Hijack begins with a Session, which is a reusable collection of settings used to capture audio. Within a Session, you'll take Blocks from the Block Library and chain them together in the Audio Grid. Once your Session is configured, you'll run it to record or sweeten audio.

### Recording Audio

Audio Hijack is most frequently used to record audio from another application running on your Mac, so we're going to demonstrate how to do just that. Follow along with this quick example, as we set up Audio Hijack to record web-based audio from the Safari web browser.

### Creating a Session

First, we'll click "New Session" in the Home window. This brings up the Template Chooser.

Selecting the Web Audio template

The templates provided make it a snap to get started with common audio capture tasks. We'll select the "Web Audio" template by double-clicking it, and Audio Hijack will create a new session for us.

### Configuring the Audio Grid

An Audio Hijack Session

The "Web Audio" template will create a session like the one seen above, with three blocks in the Audio Grid. On the left, the Safari web browser has been selected as the source. Audio will flow from Safari into a Recorder block, where it will be saved, then on to the computer's speakers, so the audio can be heard while it's playing. This default setup can easily be adjusted and extended however you like, by adding in new Blocks from the Library.

Learn more about the Audio Grid on the Mastering Sessions.

### Activating the Session

An Audio Hijack Session, Running

Once the session is configured as desired, we hit the Record button in the lower left. This starts audio flowing through Audio Hijack, and thanks to the blocks we've configured in our Audio Grid, causes it to be recorded. When we're done, we click the Record button off to stop audio flow. Now we can check our recording.

### Find the Recording

Audio Hijack's Recording Bin

After we're finished, we can check our recording. Clicking the "Recordings" button in the lower right will open the Home window to the Recordings tab, where recordings are listed. From here, we can preview the recording, and reveal the actual file in the Finder as well. Great!

# Audio Hijack's Home Window

The Home Window consists of three tabs for quick access to major functionality.

### Your Sessions

The Sessions Tab

All of your Sessions are showed in the Sessions tab. From there, you can open any existing Session by double-clicking it, or click the "New Session" button to access the Template Chooser and make a new Session. To rename a Session, just highlight it, then click its name. Delete Sessions you no longer need by clicking a Session once to highlight, then clicking the "Delete Session" button.

#### The Template Chooser

The Template Chooser

The Template Chooser includes ten templates for popular types of audio capture. You can select the type of capture you'd like to perform, then tweak the resulting Session slightly to get it just right. Alternately, you can start from scratch by selecting "New Blank Session".

Tip: To quickly create a new blank Session, hold option as you click the "New Session" button in the Home window. This will skip the Template Chooser window.

### Your Recordings

The Recordings tab shows your recordings.

The Recordings tab shows any recordings you've made, grouped by Session. The files themselves will be on your hard drive where you specified, of course, but the Recordings tab provides a quick way to view and access them. You can click the magnifying glass next to any file to instantly locate it in the Finder. You can also preview the recording with the Play button, to make sure it's what you need.

### Scheduling

The Schedule Tab

After making a Session, you can trigger it to fire at a specific time, by setting up a Timer in the Schedule tab. Use Timers to record audio on a schedule or create a musical alarm. Once your Timer is configured, just make sure your computer is on and you're logged in. After that, Audio Hijack will run the Session at the time you specify, launching itself and your sources if necessary.

# Sessions and the Audio Grid

## Sessions

As mentioned on the Audio Hijack Basics page, Sessions are reusable collections of settings used to capture audio. Once a Session is configured to your liking, you'll run it and audio will be sweetened and recorded as you specify.

Sessions are automatically saved for re-use, and all saved Sessions are shown in the Sessions tab of the Home Window.

## Understanding the Audio Grid

The Audio Grid is the heart of each Session. To set up a Session, two or more Blocks are added from the Block Library to the Audio Grid. Connections will be made automatically between nearby Blocks, and you can always experiment to get the exact audio pipeline you're after. If you need to, just select Undo to revert undesired changes.

When a Session is activated, audio from the sources selected will flow from left to right through the Blocks in the Audio Grid. The audio is show in orange as it flows through the audio pipeline. Each Block in the chain will adjust or record the audio according to its settings. To hear the audio you're recording as you record, don’t forget to add an Output Block!

### The Block Library

On the right side of each Session is the Block Library. This library holds all available Blocks for use in the Audio Grid. Every Session will need at least one Source Block, which will bring audio in, and one Output Block, to record audio or pass it along to your speakers. In addition, Sessions can use audio effects to manipulate and improve audio. Audio Hijack comes with a powerful collection of over a dozen built-in effects. In addition, Audio Unit effects provided by Mac OS X and those available from third-parties are also be recognized and shown by Audio Hijack. Finally, Meter Blocks provide visual meters so you can see how audio is flowing.

Configuring Blocks is a fairly straightforward process, and the library itself provides a quick explanation of most Blocks. Some audio effects may have more complex settings which will require some audio knowledge to use, but you can always experiment to get just the sound you're looking for.

### Laying Out Blocks

The sequence of Blocks you lay out will determine what audio is affected by Audio Hijack, and how it's affected. Block layouts can be very simple, like this layout where audio from the computer's built-in microphone is being recorded.

Layouts can also be more complex, and more powerful. Here, audio from two different inputs is being adjusted with different audio effects. Each input is then recorded separately, before a third recording combining the two is made. This layout will result in three different audio files.

### Block Settings and Popovers

Blocks can be laid out in nearly limitless ways to create the audio pipeline you're after. Once you've laid out your Blocks, you may also wish to tweak their individual settings. A few of the simple Blocks have controls right on their face.

The Volume Block, with on-face controls

Other Blocks have their controls available in their popover. Click these Blocks to get a popover showing the Block's controls and settings.

The Recorder Block's popover

Here you can see the Recorder Block's popover, one of Audio Hijack's most powerful popovers. It offers two controls up top, and three sections below. In addition to what's visible, each section has additional settings which can be revealed with a click. While there are many settings in this popover, they're easy to understand.

# Three Hidden Popover Features

Blocks have popovers for easy access to their settings. These popovers also offer three handy features which are somewhat hidden, but well worth learning about.

#### The On/Off Switch

First up is the On/Off switch, found in the upper right of each Block's popover. Using this switch (or right-clicking a Block and selecting "Turn Off This Block") enables you to turn off an individual block in your audio chain.

A popover's On/Off switch

With this control, you can test and fine-tune your audio pipeline, even as it's capturing audio. Test audio effects individually, or check your audio inputs without recording until you're ready.

Left: A Recorder Block that's on;
Right: A Recorder Block that's off

You can see which blocks are currently off by looking at your chain. Those blocks which are grayed out are inactive, and won't affect audio in any way (it will simply flow past them). Be sure all desired blocks are on when needed!

#### Popover Tearing and Pinning

Single-clicking a Block will reveal its popover for quick adjustment. When you click a second Block, its popover will open and the first Block's popover will be dismissed. Generally, this is desirable, but in some cases you may wish to more rapidly adjust a Block's settings.

To do this, you can tear off the popover by pulling it away from the Block. Here you can see the 10-band Equalizers popover after it has been torn off. Its settings will now be accessible in Audio Hijack, even if another Block is selected.

The Equalizer's popover, torn-off

You may also wish to have a Block's settings accessible even if Audio Hijack is in the background, and that's possible as well. Click the Pin button in the popover's upper left corner, and it will float above all windows on your system, making it accessible from within any application.

The Equalizer's popover, torn-off and pinned

#### Presets

At the bottom of each popover, you'll see a section called "Presets". Presets are a way to save settings for a particular Block, for later use. Presets are saved globally, so they can be used in another copy of the Block in the same Session, or in another Session entirely.

A simple example of presets can be found in the 10-band equalizer. While it comes with some built-in presets for Rock or Jazz, you can also make a custom preset. Tweak the settings to your liking, then select "Save as Preset" from the "Presets" menu. You'll be able to name your preset, and it will always be accessible from the "Presets" menu.

The 10 Band EQ's Presets Menu

Do note that presets aren't limited solely to audio effects like the 10 Band EQ. In fact, you can save a preset in any Block complex enough to offer a popover! That means you can save presets for the Application input, the Recorder Block, and more. As you use Audio Hijack more, presets will save you tons of time.

# An Overview of Audio Formats

Audio Hijack records audio to six of the most popular audio formats: MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV.

### Selecting an Audio Format

If you're unsure what audio format to record in, MP3 is likely a very safe bet, as it provides a very small audio file which can be played almost anywhere. If you don't want to lose any quality but still wish to save disk space or bandwidth when transferring the file, Apple Lossless is a good choice for use with Apple devices. If you want a lossless file which will play anywhere, both AIFF or WAV should work.

For more information on each specific audio format, read below.

### MP3

MP3 is the most popular format for audio compression, making it the most universal file type; MP3 files can be played almost anywhere. MP3 files are compressed lossily, meaning some audio quality may be lost when they're created. However, the files are also very compact, using only a small amount of disk space.

### AAC

Though not as universal as MP3, AAC is another well-known format for audio compression, popularized by Apple. As such, AAC files play well on the Mac and iOS devices, but may not be as easy to play elsewhere. Like MP3, AAC files are compressed lossily, meaning some audio quality may be lost when they're created. AAC files are generally even more compact than MP3, using less disk space for the same level of quality.

### Apple Lossless

As you might expect, the Apple Lossless format was created by Apple. It's a lossless compression format, which means that even though the files are shrunk down in size, no audio quality is lost. Though they are compressed to around half the size of uncompressed AIFF/WAV files, these files will still be quite large. They'll play on all iOS devices and in iTunes, as well as in many applications on the Mac.

### FLAC

FLAC is an open competitor to Apple Lossless. Like Apple Lossless, it offers lossless compression, creating large files of around half the size of uncompressed AIFF/WAV files but losing no quality. FLAC is a popular format for web distribution of lossless audio. Unfortunately, FLAC files currently require special plugins or players on the Mac, and do not play on iOS devices.

Our audio editor Fission makes it easy to convert files out of the FLAC format, if you desire.

### AIFF/WAV

AIFF and WAV are twin uncompressed audio formats, which generally work identically. While AIFF was once used largely on the Mac platform and WAV used largely on Windows, they're now each compatible on both platforms. These files have no compression, so they're enormously large, but as with Apple Lossless and FLAC, no quality is lost. AIFF and WAV files will play in almost any audio player.

# Preferences

Audio Hijack's preferences can be accessed from the Audio Hijack menu. At the moment, they're quite simple.

Audio Hijack's Preferences window

### Software Update

Automatically check for software updates: With this option activated, Audio Hijack periodically compares itself to the most current version available from our server and alerts you when a new version is available. Leave this on and Audio Hijack will help you stay up-to-date. You can also select "Check for Update" from the Audio Hijack menu to initiate a check manually.

# Purchasing Audio Hijack

Quick Link: Visit our online store to buy a license key for Audio Hijack.

### Why should I buy Audio Hijack?

Put simply, you should buy Audio Hijack because it isn't free - we give you a chance to test out the program and all its features before you buy it. It's like test driving a car, for as long as it takes you to decide.

In trial mode, all of Audio Hijack's features are available to sample, but it won't work for full-time use. During the trial, audio quality is degraded after ten minutes of audio capture per session.

If you use Audio Hijack and find you like it, please purchase a license key - support the software you use and love!

To purchase your license key, just visit http://rogueamoeba.com/store/.

### What about upgrades?

If your license key starts with `FNLY-`, it's valid for Audio Hijack 3. Just enter it to unlock Audio Hijack, and enjoy!

If you purchased a license for Audio Hijack before February 17, 2014, you can purchase a heavily-discounted upgrade to Audio Hijack 3.

## After Purchase

### How do I unlock the full version?

The download of Audio Hijack from our site contains both a free trial of the software and the full version. To unlock the full, unlimited version, you just need a valid license key. When you purchase through our store, you'll immediately receive a license key in your browser as well as via email. Simply enter this key into Audio Hijack to unlock it.

### What's your upgrade policy?

Our philosophy regarding paid upgrades is simple: We try to do what's right for you and what's right for us.

Rogue Amoeba doesn't have a hard and fast upgrade policy, just a great track record. Since 2002, across our entire product line, we've provided dozens of major updates and hundreds of new releases total, free of charge.

If we add substantial new functionality, we may charge an upgrade fee. However, we do not make most of our income from recurring sales, and we provide nearly all updates free of charge, including both bug fixes and new features. Finally, when an upgrade fee is charged, we even grandfather in a generous amount of recent purchases with free upgrades.

### What's your refund policy?

All Rogue Amoeba products are available as demos for an evaluation prior to purchase. We believe that no customer should have to buy software in order to find out how well it works. Our software can be fully evaluated with no limitations in capabilities, prior to purchase. Customers are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these trials prior to purchase. You may also seek any needed technical support from us - we answer support emails rapidly and responsively for current and potential customers alike.

If you would like a refund, please contact hello@rogueamoeba.com within 14 days of your purchase. Because we cannot recover the license key that was sold, refunds are issued on a case-by-case basis.

# What's New in Audio Hijack 3

Audio Hijack 3 is a massive upgrade over previous versions, with many great new features. If you were using Audio Hijack Pro 2, or any older Audio Hijack app, you'll notice dozens of new features and refinements in Audio Hijack 3. Here are just some of the improvements you'll find!

### Brand New Interface

Every aspect of Audio Hijack has been thoughtfully examined and considered, with enhancements made across the board. If you haven't used Audio Hijack before, you'll find it's a snap to get started.

If you have used Audio Hijack before, you'll find it very much improved. We've updated the entire workflow to streamline how the most common tasks are performed. Simply put, Audio Hijack is easier and faster than ever.

### Session Templates

Built-in templates will help you create Sessions for the most common tasks. Whether it's recording from a web browser or cranking up the volume on a quiet laptop, you'll be able to get started faster than ever.

### Full-Screen Mode

Clear away clutter with Audio Hijack's new full-screen mode. It's great for giving you the maximum amount of space to adjust your Session and get it just right. And if you're looking to concentrate on a distraction-free view while recording audio, particularly from hardware devices, full-screen mode will help you there too.

### Audio Block Presets

With Audio Hijack 3's powerful new presets, you can save your settings for a particular Block, then use them again in other Sessions. Saving a custom Equalizer setting in one Session and using it in another is fairly obvious, but presets are available with almost every block. If you have a tricky Application Source that needs custom settings, or a detailed Recorder Block configuration, you can save them once, then access them in any Session with a few clicks. Dive in and you'll find presets are a tremendous time-saver!

### Instant On, Instantly

The "Instant On" extra has long provided you with the absolute most powerful audio recording. With Instant On, you can capture all System Audio at once. When it's installed, you can also pull audio from already-running applications with no need to relaunch.

Now, Instant On is even better, as installing and updating it no longer requires restarting your Mac!

### Audio Cleanup

Audio Hijack now features three custom plugins for one of our users' most popular requests — cleaning up audio. The brand-new Denoise, Declick, and Dehum plugins are powered by code from iZotope, an industry leader in audio technology. Use them to improve the sound of records, tapes, and other lower-quality audio.

### Streamlined Recording Options

With the new default recording options, you can make a quick selection from a half dozen sensible options. But power users should fear not! All the powerful recording options Audio Hijack has always offered are still available in our "Advanced Recording Options", just a click away.

### One Session, Multiple Recorders

This one’s especially for the podcasters. With our new audio grid setup, you can easily record to multiple formats in sync. Now you can record to compressed and lossless formats together, with just a single click. The Record button will activate everything at the same time.

### Bulletproof Recording

We've long offered "bullet-proof" recording, which meant that even if a crash occurs, audio is saved. Previously, however, this feature was confined to the MP3 and AIFF formats. In the event of a problem, audio recorded to the more fragile AAC and ALAC formats could be lost. No longer! Now, recordings made in all formats will be preserved if you have an unfortunate computer malfunction.

### FLAC Recording

Speaking of audio formats, audiophiles will be thrilled to know that Audio Hijack can now record directly in the popular lossless FLAC format.

### Simplified Audio Effects

We’ve worked to make audio effects a lot simpler, and prettier too. There's no need to be scared! They're fun and easy to play around with, so you can get the exact sound you want.

### And Finally, A New Name

Audio Hijack 3 is the successor to all of our previous "Audio Hijack" products, including Audio Hijack Pro 2, Audio Hijack Pro 1, Audio Hijack 2, and Audio Hijack 1. Consumers and professionals alike will be able to harness unparalleled audio capture power with Audio Hijack 3. Best of all, if you've owned any previous Audio Hijack product, you can upgrade to Audio Hijack 3 with a great discount.

# Editing Audio

Audio Hijack excels at recording your audio, but what if you also need to edit it? Rogue Amoeba has you covered, with our award-winning editor Fission.

Fission makes editing fast and easy

Fission is a great choice for editing the recordings you make with Audio Hijack. With Fission, you can crop and trim audio, paste in or join files, or just rapidly split one long file into many. Better still, it works without the quality loss caused by other editors, so you can get perfect quality audio even when editing MP3 and AAC files.

To try out Fission, just download a free trial. Even better, you can bundle up Audio Hijack and Fission together to save almost 25%! See our Store for more details.

# Contact Information

#### Audio Hijack Homepage

http://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/

#### Rogue Amoeba Homepage

http://rogueamoeba.com

#### Audio Hijack Support

For immediate answers, be sure to check out our Support Center first.

If you still need assistance, choose "Contact Support..." from Audio Hijack's Help menu to get in touch!

#### Rogue Amoeba Mailing List

Join the Rogue Amoeba low-traffic announcement list. There's no spam, EVER. It's as simple as that.
http://rogueamoeba.com/company/lists/maclist.php

# Audio Hijack Rights and Restrictions

### Distribution

Unless explicitly stated in writing, Rogue Amoeba Software does not grant permission to sell Audio Hijack ("The Software"). Non-profit distribution of The Software in its trial form is acceptable provided that The Software is not modified in any way, and the complete works of The Software are included in the distribution package. If The Software is to be included in a distribution package, Rogue Amoeba requests but does not require that one complimentary copy of said package be sent to the snail mail address found on our site.

#### What that said:

Don't sell this software directly for profit. If you want to distribute it, great! Just make sure it's unmodified from the download from our site. If you create a distribution package, it'd be cool if you sent a copy to the address above, though this is not required.

### Disclaimer

Audio Hijack ("The Software") is provided as is. Rogue Amoeba Software ("The Author") is not responsible for any damage to the user's computer system or data and in no event will The Author, its officers, directors, employees or agents be responsible to the user for any consequential, incidental, or indirect damages (including damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use the The Software, even if The Author has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitations may not apply to you. Further, the consumer agrees that using this software in any way illegal, or even for the purposes of assessing its viability for illegal usage, is prohibited.

#### What that said:

Be safe when you use the software. Be aware that it's simply a tool designed to make your life better. Don't use it to do illegal or evil things. If you do, be ready to take responsibility for your own actions.