How to Record Computer Audio

You can record sound from your computer in a few ways

By
Kayla Dube
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Kayla Dube
Writer and Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
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Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Updated on April 24, 2022
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
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Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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What to Know

  • Open Window's built-in Voice Recorder and click the blue microphone icon to start recording.
  • Download Audacity, select your recording device, and click Record.

To record audio on your computer, you can use built-in programs and other free programs you can download.

In this article, we'll show you how to record audio on a Windows-based computer; Mac users will need to use different methods, but you can also download the program mentioned in this article to record audio.

How Do I Record Audio on My Windows Computer?

The first method uses Windows' built-in Voice Recorder program. You can access this directly from the Start menu and record using the steps below.

  1. Open the Start menu and search for Voice Recorder.

    Windows search showing Voice Recorder app

  2. Open the program, and you'll see a blue microphone icon in the center. If you've already made some recordings, the icon will be on the bottom-left.

    Voice Recorder app interface

  3. Click on the blue microphone icon to begin recording. Then hit the blue stop button to end it.

    Voice Recorder app recording audio

  4. Your recordings will appear in a sidebar on the left. You can click on the three dots in the bottom-right and select Open file location to see where they are saved.

    The "Open file location" command in Windows Voice Recorder

    Voice Recorder is a quick and easy method to record audio, but it does lack more advanced features such as choosing different recording inputs. If you need to make a short voice memo, or quality isn't super important, this app should meet your needs.

How Can I Record Sound From My Computer?

If you need a different method, you can use an audio recording program such as Audacity.

  1. Download and install Audacity.

  2. Open Audacity, click on the drop-down box in the top-left just below the play button, and select MME.

    The MME option

  3. In the next box to the right, select your recording device.

    A recording device in Audacity

  4. To record internal sound, select Windows WASAPI, and in the next box, select your computer's stereo device and make sure it includes (loopback). This setting will ensure it doesn't record any external sound.

    Audio settings in Audacity

  5. Click the red record button and begin recording your sound.

    The Record button in Audacity

    This method will allow you to record from any device you have connected to your computer, as well as internal sound. Audacity can also be helpful if you need more control over your recordings instead of a simple voice recording.

FAQ
  • How do I record my computer screen with audio?

    Any program that can capture your screen, such as VLC or QuickTime, can also record sound from your built-in microphone; just look for audio settings while you're setting up the recording. To record the audio from the computer, however, you'll need to look for another app. Before you download anything to your computer, make sure it's coming from a reputable source.

  • How do I record computer audio on a Mac?

    MacOS has several ways to record audio that come included. The simplest one is QuickTime; open the app, and then go to File > New Audio Recording, or press Command + Shift + N on your keyboard. Audacity also has a Mac version, so you can use the above instructions there, too.

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