What you need to record computer audio

Recording audio from your computer means capturing sound that plays through your speakers — music, video dialogue, podcast streams, or system sounds. You need two things: recording software that listens to your audio output, and a way to route that sound to the software instead of (or in addition to) your speakers.

Most computers come with basic recording tools built in. Windows includes Voice Recorder, and macOS includes QuickTime Player. Both can record system audio, though the steps differ slightly. If you need more control — editing, multiple audio tracks, or specific file formats — you'll want third-party software like Audacity (free), OBS Studio (free), or Adobe Audition (paid subscription).

The main barrier is usually not the software but the audio routing. Your computer's sound card normally sends audio only to your speakers or headphones. To record it, you have to tell the system to send a copy to your recording software at the same time. How you do this depends on your operating system and what software you're using.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows users can record system audio through Voice Recorder by changing the microphone input to "Stereo Mix" in sound settings, or use free software like Audacity or OBS Studio for more options.
  • Mac users can record audio from QuickTime Player by selecting "New Audio Recording" and changing the microphone to your system audio input, or use third-party tools like Audacity.
  • Free recording software like Audacity and OBS Studio work on both Windows and Mac and let you edit, trim, and export audio in common formats like MP3 and WAV.
  • The audio quality of your recording depends on the quality of the original sound source and your computer's audio settings, not the recording software itself.
  • Some streaming services and websites block audio recording for copyright reasons, so check the terms of service before recording.

Recording on Windows with built-in tools

Windows 10 and 11 come with Voice Recorder, a straightforward app that can capture system audio if your sound card supports it. Open Voice Recorder (search for it in the Start menu), then check whether "Stereo Mix" is available in your sound settings. Right-click the speaker icon in your system tray, select "Open Sound settings," then scroll down and click "Volume mixer." Look for "App volume and device preferences." If Stereo Mix appears as an input option, you can use it as your microphone source in Voice Recorder.

Not all sound cards have Stereo Mix enabled by default — some manufacturers disable it. If you don't see it, right-click the speaker icon again, go to "Sound settings," then "Advanced" and "Volume mixer." Look for "Stereo Mix" in the list of devices. If it's there but grayed out, right-click it and select "Enable." If it doesn't appear at all, your sound card may not support it, and you'll need to use third-party software instead.

Once Stereo Mix is enabled and set as your input, open Voice Recorder and press the record button. Play the audio you want to capture — a YouTube video, Spotify, a Zoom call — and Voice Recorder will capture it. When you're done, stop the recording. Voice Recorder saves files as M4A format in your Music folder by default. You can rename them or move them to another location afterward.

Recording on Windows with Audacity

Audacity is free, open-source recording software that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. read it from audacityteam.org. During installation, you can also install FFmpeg, a separate tool that lets Audacity export to MP3 and other formats — without it, you're limited to WAV and OGG.

Open Audacity and look at the toolbar near the top. You'll see a dropdown menu that says "Microphone" or lists an audio input device. Click it and select "Stereo Mix" if it's available, or look for an option labeled "What U Hear," "Stereo Out," or "Wave Out Mix" — different sound card manufacturers use different names for the same thing. If none of these appear, your sound card may not support system audio recording, and you'll need to use a virtual audio cable (a more advanced setup).

Once you've selected the right input, click the red record button. Play the audio you want to capture. Audacity will show a waveform building in real time. When you're done, click the pause button (or press spacebar). You can now edit the audio — trim the beginning or end, adjust volume, remove noise — using Audacity's built-in tools. To save, go to File > Export and choose your format (MP3, WAV, or OGG). Name the file and click Export.

Recording on Mac

macOS doesn't have a built-in Stereo Mix equivalent. QuickTime Player can record audio, but it needs a workaround to capture system audio instead of just microphone input. The simplest method is to use a free virtual audio cable like Soundflower or BlackHole, which creates a fake audio input that your Mac can route system audio through.

read Soundflower from github.com/mattingalls/Soundflower (look for the latest release). Install it and restart your Mac. Open System Preferences, go to Sound, and set the Output device to Soundflower. Now any audio playing on your Mac will be routed through Soundflower instead of your speakers. Open Audacity (which also works on Mac), set the recording device to Soundflower, and record as you would on Windows. When you're done, change your Sound output back to your speakers or headphones so you can hear audio again.

Alternatively, use OBS Studio (free, from obsproject.com), which has built-in support for capturing system audio on Mac without needing Soundflower. Open OBS, create a new scene, add an "Audio Input Capture" source, and select your system audio device from the dropdown. OBS will record both video and audio, but you can export audio-only files afterward using a tool like ffmpeg or by importing the video into Audacity and extracting the audio track.

Recording with OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free software designed for streaming and recording. It's more powerful than Voice Recorder or Audacity but has a steeper learning curve. read it from obsproject.com for Windows or Mac. The advantage of OBS is that it handles system audio routing automatically on both operating systems and lets you record multiple audio sources at once — your microphone, system audio, and a second microphone, all in separate tracks that you can adjust independently.

Open OBS and create a new scene. In the Sources panel at the bottom, click the plus icon and add an "Audio Input Capture" source (for your microphone) and an "Audio Output Capture" source (for system audio). Name them clearly so you know which is which. Adjust the volume sliders so both sources are at a reasonable level — you can see the meters on the right side of the window. Click "Start Recording" (the red button in the Controls panel), play your audio, and OBS will capture everything. When you're done, click "Stop Recording." OBS saves files as MP4 by default in a folder you can set in Settings > Output.

OBS is particularly useful if you're recording a video call or screen activity along with audio, because it can capture both at once. It's also useful if you need to record multiple speakers separately — set up one audio input for each person, and you can adjust their volumes independently during editing.

Choosing a file format and quality settings

Audio files come in different formats, each with trade-offs between file size and sound quality. MP3 is the most common — it's small, plays on any device, and sounds good for most purposes (music, podcasts, voice). WAV is uncompressed, so it's much larger but preserves every detail of the original sound; use it if you plan to edit heavily or need archival quality. OGG and FLAC are compressed but lossless, meaning they're smaller than WAV but don't lose quality; they're less widely supported than MP3.

Most recording software lets you set the sample rate and bit depth. For voice and podcasts, 44.1 kHz (sample rate) and 16-bit (bit depth) is standard and sounds clear. For music, 44.1 kHz and 16-bit is also fine for most listeners, though professional recordings use 48 kHz or higher. Don't worry about these settings unless you have a specific reason — the default is almost always correct.

The quality of your recording also depends on the original audio. If you're recording a compressed stream from YouTube or Spotify, your recording will be no better than that stream, no matter what settings you use. If you're recording a high-quality source like a local audio file or a professional podcast feed, you'll get better results.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you can't find Stereo Mix or a system audio option, your sound card may not support it. Check your sound card manufacturer's website for updated drivers — sometimes enabling Stereo Mix requires a driver update. If drivers don't help, you'll need a virtual audio cable. On Windows, try VB-Audio Virtual Cable (free) or VoiceMeeter (free). On Mac, use Soundflower or BlackHole as described above.

If your recording is very quiet, check the input level in your recording software. Most software shows a meter or waveform as you record — aim for the waveform to reach about halfway up the screen, not all the way to the top (which causes distortion) and not barely visible (which is too quiet). You can also adjust the volume in your system audio settings before recording, or boost it during editing afterward.

If you hear your own audio playing back while you're recording, you've created a feedback loop. This usually happens when Stereo Mix is enabled and you're also hearing audio through your speakers. Mute your speakers or use headphones while recording, or disable Stereo Mix when you're not recording.

If the recording software won't start or crashes, try restarting your computer. If that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall the software. Make sure you're using the latest version — check the official website, not a third-party read site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record audio from streaming services like Spotify or Netflix?

Technically yes, using the methods above. However, most streaming services' terms of service prohibit recording their content for copyright reasons. Recording for personal use is a gray area legally depending on your location. Check the service's terms before recording.

Will recording audio reduce the quality of what I'm listening to?

No. Recording creates a copy of the audio without affecting what plays through your speakers. You'll hear the same quality you normally would.

What's the difference between recording system audio and recording a microphone?

System audio is sound that plays through your computer — music, videos, game audio. A microphone records sound from the physical world around you. You can record both at the same time using OBS or Audacity by adding both as separate sources.

Do I need special equipment to record computer audio?

No. You only need the software and your computer's existing sound card. A microphone is optional and only needed if you want to record your own voice or sounds in the room.

What should I do if my recording has background noise?

Audacity has a noise reduction tool: select a small section of the recording that contains only the background noise, go to Effect > Noise Reduction, and let Audacity learn the noise profile. Then select all and explore the effect. OBS and other software have similar tools, though they work differently.