What you can record on a computer, and which tool to use

Your computer has built-in recording tools for both audio and video, and which one you use depends on what you want to capture. If you want to record your voice or music through a microphone, you'll use your system's audio recorder. If you want to record your screen, a video call, or a live event on your monitor, you'll use screen recording software. Most computers come with at least one of these already installed—you don't need to buy anything.

The simplest recordings are voice memos: just your microphone input saved as an audio file. Screen recordings capture everything happening on your display, including your mouse movements and any sounds playing through your speakers or microphone. Video recordings of yourself require a webcam and usually a dedicated app. Each type has its own tool, and the steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Key Takeaways

  • Windows includes the Voice Recorder app for audio and the Xbox Game Bar for screen recording; Mac has the Voice Memos app and built-in screen recording through the Screenshot tool.
  • Before you record anything, test your microphone or camera in your system settings to make sure the device is detected and working.
  • Screen recordings capture everything on your monitor including system sounds, so close notifications and silence background apps before you start.
  • Audio and video files take up storage space—a one-hour video recording can use 1 to 3 gigabytes depending on quality, so check your free disk space first.

Recording audio on Windows

Windows 10 and 11 come with the Voice Recorder app, which is the simplest way to record your voice or any audio input through your microphone. Open the Start menu, type "Voice Recorder," and click the app. You'll see a microphone icon and a red circle button—click the circle to start recording. Your microphone input will be saved as an audio file in the .m4a format, which plays in most media players.

Before you record, check that Windows recognizes your microphone. Right-click the speaker icon in your system tray (bottom right corner), select "Open Volume mixer," and look for your microphone in the list. If it shows a green bar moving when you speak, the microphone is working. If you don't see your microphone listed, it may not be plugged in or installed. Check the device manager: right-click the Start button, select "Device Manager," and look under "Audio inputs and outputs" to see if your microphone appears with a yellow warning triangle, which means it needs a driver update.

Voice Recorder saves files to your Documents folder by default. When you finish recording, click the stop button (a square icon), and the file appears in your list. You can rename it, trim the beginning or end, or delete it from within the app. If you need to record your entire screen instead of just audio, use the Xbox Game Bar: press Windows key + G, click "Start recording," and it will capture video and audio together.

Recording audio on Mac

Mac computers have the Voice Memos app built in. Open Launchpad, search for "Voice Memos," and click it. You'll see a large red circle button—click it to start recording. Your microphone input saves as an audio file that you can play back, trim, or share directly from the app. Voice Memos stores files in your iCloud Drive by default, so they sync across your Apple devices.

To check that your microphone is working, open System Settings, click "Sound," and look at the "Input" section. Select your microphone from the list, and speak—you should see the input level meter move. If your microphone doesn't appear, it may not be connected or recognized. Restart your Mac and check again, or try a different USB port if you're using an external microphone.

If you want to record your screen on Mac, use the built-in screenshot tool: press Shift + Command + 5, and a menu appears at the bottom of your screen. Click "Record Entire Screen" or "Record Selected Portion," then click "Record." Your screen recording saves to your Desktop as an .mov file. You can also record audio and video together using the QuickTime Player app: open it, click File, select "New Screen Recording," and click the record button.

Recording your screen on Windows

The Xbox Game Bar is the easiest way to record your screen on Windows 10 and 11. Press Windows key + G to open it. You'll see a small menu with recording controls. Click the red circle button (or press Windows key + Alt + R) to start recording. Everything on your screen—including your mouse, any sounds from your speakers, and your microphone if you have one plugged in—will be captured as a video file.

Before you record, close any notifications, silence your phone, and close apps you don't want visible. System sounds (like notification pings) will be recorded, so mute them if you don't want them in your video. The Xbox Game Bar saves recordings to your Videos folder in a subfolder called "Captures." When you stop recording, the file is ready to watch or share when ready—no waiting for processing.

If the Xbox Game Bar doesn't open, it may not be enabled. Open Settings, go to "Gaming," click "Xbox Game Bar," and toggle it on. If you need more control over recording quality or want to record just one window instead of your entire screen, use a third-party tool like OBS Studio (free, open-source) or Camtasia (paid). These give you options to choose resolution, frame rate, and which audio sources to include.

Recording video of yourself with a webcam

To record video of yourself, you need a webcam and a video recording app. On Windows, the Camera app (built in) can record video: open it, click the video camera icon at the top, and press the red circle button to start. On Mac, use QuickTime Player: open it, click File, select "New Movie Recording," and click the red circle button. Both save video files you can play back or edit later.

Before you record, test your webcam in your system settings. On Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Camera and look for your webcam in the list. On Mac, open System Settings > Camera and select your device. You should see a live preview. If your camera doesn't appear, it may not be plugged in, or the driver may need updating. Restart your computer and try again.

Webcam recordings create larger files than audio alone. A 10-minute video at standard quality uses roughly 100 to 300 megabytes of storage. Check your free disk space before you record a long session: right-click your C: drive on Windows or click the Apple menu and select "About This Mac" on Mac to see how much space is available. If you're running low, delete old files or move them to an external drive first.

Choosing audio and video quality settings

Most built-in recording tools don't let you adjust quality—they record at a default setting. Voice Recorder on Windows and Voice Memos on Mac both record at a quality suitable for voice and music without eating up too much storage. Screen recordings on Windows (Xbox Game Bar) record at your monitor's resolution, which is usually 1920 × 1080 pixels or higher. If you want to change quality, frame rate, or audio settings, you'll need a third-party app.

OBS Studio is free and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It lets you choose resolution (720p, 1080p, 4K), frame rate (24, 30, 60 frames per second), and which audio sources to include. Higher resolution and frame rate create larger files and use more CPU power while recording, which can slow your computer down. For most purposes, 1080p at 30 frames per second is a good balance between quality and file size.

If you're recording audio only, the default quality is usually fine. Voice Recorder saves at 128 kilobits per second, which is clear enough for speech and acceptable for music. If you're recording music professionally or need studio-quality audio, you'll want a dedicated audio app like Audacity (free) or Adobe Audition (paid), which let you choose bit rate and sample rate.

Where your recordings are saved and how to find them

Each app saves recordings to a default folder. On Windows, Voice Recorder saves to Documents, Xbox Game Bar saves to Videos > Captures, and the Camera app saves to Videos. On Mac, Voice Memos saves to iCloud Drive (or your Mac if you turned off iCloud), QuickTime saves to your Downloads folder, and the Camera app saves to Videos. You can move files to a different folder after recording, or change the default save location in the app's settings if the option is available.

To find a recording you just made, open File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac and navigate to the folder listed above. Files are usually named with the date and time you recorded them. If you can't find a file, search for it: on Windows, press Windows key + S and type the filename; on Mac, press Command + Space and type the filename. If the file is very recent, it may still be processing—wait a minute and search again.

Recording files take up storage space. A one-hour audio recording uses 20 to 50 megabytes. A one-hour screen or video recording uses 1 to 3 gigabytes depending on resolution and frame rate. If you're recording regularly, move old files to an external hard drive or cloud storage (like OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud) to free up space on your computer. Deleting files from your computer doesn't always free up space when ready—empty your Recycle Bin on Windows or Trash on Mac to reclaim the space.

Troubleshooting common recording problems

If your microphone isn't being recorded, check that it's selected as the input device in your system settings. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon in the system tray and select "Open Volume mixer." Look for your app in the list and make sure the volume slider isn't muted. On Mac, open System Settings > Sound > Input and select your microphone. Speak into it and watch the input level meter—if it doesn't move, the microphone isn't working or isn't connected.

If your screen recording is choppy or stuttering, close other apps that are using CPU power (like web browsers with many tabs, video players, or file downloads). Screen recording is CPU-intensive, and if your computer is busy doing other things, the recording will skip frames. Restart your computer before recording a long session to clear out background processes. If you're recording at a very high resolution (like 4K), lower it to 1080p to reduce the load on your CPU.

If a recording file won't play, the file may be corrupted or your media player doesn't support the format. Try opening it in a different app: on Windows, try Windows Media Player or VLC (free); on Mac, try QuickTime Player or VLC. If it still won't play, the recording may have been interrupted when you stopped it. Try recording again and make sure you click the stop button cleanly—don't force-close the app while recording is in progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record a video call or Zoom meeting on my computer?

Yes. Most video call apps have a built-in record button—look for it in the meeting controls. Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet all let you record locally (to your computer) or to the cloud. Check your app's settings to see where recordings are saved. Some apps require permission from the meeting host before you can record.

What format should I use if I want to edit my recording later?

Most editing software accepts .mp4 (video) and .wav or .m4a (audio). The built-in tools on Windows and Mac save in these formats by default, so you can open them directly in editing apps like Windows Photos, iMovie, or Adobe Premiere. If you're unsure, export your file as .mp4 (video) or .wav (audio) before editing.

How much disk space do I need to record a long video?

A one-hour video at 1080p uses roughly 1 to 2 gigabytes. Before you record, check your free disk space: right-click your C: drive on Windows or click the Apple menu on Mac and select "About This Mac." If you have less than 5 gigabytes free, delete old files or move them to an external drive first.

Can I record audio from my speakers without a microphone?

On Windows, you can use a tool like Audacity (free) with stereo mix enabled, but stereo mix isn't available on all computers. On Mac, use QuickTime Player and select your Mac's internal microphone—it will pick up system audio. For cleaner results, use a third-party app like SoundFlower (Mac) or VB-Audio Virtual Cable (Windows).

Why is my recording file so large?

Video files are large by nature—resolution, frame rate, and length all affect file size. A 1080p video at 30 frames per second uses roughly 1 gigabyte per hour. If you want smaller files, lower the resolution to 720p or reduce the frame rate to 24 fps. Audio files are much smaller—a one-hour audio recording uses only 20 to 50 megabytes.