5 Easy Ways to Record Computer Audio [2023]

Whether you're a musician, podcaster, or just want to capture a video call, recording your computer's audio can be a great way to get high-quality recordings. In this article, we will discuss how to record computer audio using different tools, including a desktop screen recorder, built-in apps, and audio-editing software.

In the first step, you will need to download and install Movavi Screen Recorder on your computer.

In the second step, you will need to launch the program and select the recording mode in the program's sidebar. You can record system audio, microphone audio, or both by clicking the appropriate icons.

Next, you will need to select the recording area. You can choose to record the entire screen or just a specific area.

To record your computer sound, hit the REC button. When you're done, click the Stop button to finish.

You can cut and trim recorded audio. When you're done, export it to a variety of formats by clicking the Export button and then Save.

That's how easy it is to record computer audio with Movavi Screen Recorder!

Start by downloading Audacity from the link below. Once it's downloaded, double-click on the file to install it.

Download Audacity

Once Audacity is installed, open it by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop or by searching for it in the Start menu.

Before you can start recording, you need to set Audacity to use the correct audio input and output devices. To do this, go to File > Preferences (on a Mac, Audacity > Preferences).

To record computer audio, click on the Record button in Audacity and start talking. When you're done recording, press the Stop button to finish.

Once you've finished recording, you can edit your recordings by clicking on them in the Audacity timeline. This allows you to cut out any unwanted parts, add effects, and more.

When you're done editing your recordings, you can export them in a variety of formats by going to File > Export (on a Mac, Audacity > Export). This allows you to share your recordings with others or use them in other projects.

That's it! You now know how to record sound from a computer using Audacity.

Download Audacity

Best for: Recording system and game audio, making software or app tutorials, recording online classes

OS: Windows Vista, Windows XP

Price: Free

The Stereo Mix feature in Windows lets you record all the audio playing on your computer, including system sounds, game audio, and music. Stereo Mix is one of the best ways to record PC audio from your computer, but it does have its limitations. For one thing, you can’t capture audio from your webcam at the same time – so if you need to do that or want more features, you should use dedicated screen recording software instead.

Key features:

• Records audio from all sound sources currently playing on your PC

• Records in MPC, WAV, or AVI formats

• Choose to record the entire screen, a selected area, or just a specific window

Pros:

• Easy to use – just select the recording mode and hit Record!

• Records high-quality audio without any background noise

• Automatically detects the sound sources active on your PC

Cons:

• Not available on previous versions of OS, like Windows 7

Here’s how to record audio on a PC:

You can also open the Sound window by pressing the Windows key + X and selecting Control Panel.

In the Recording tab, select Stereo Mix as your recording device. If you don’t see Stereo Mix in the list of recording devices, it might not be enabled on your computer. To enable it:

• Right-click the blank space in the Recording tab and select Show Disabled Devices.

• Right-click Stereo Mix and choose Enable.

Click the Recording tab and select your preferred recording format. MPC (Mono PCM), WAV (Uncompressed Waveform Audio File Format), and AVI (Audio-Video Interleaved) are all good options.

If you’re struggling with choosing the app for audio recording, consider looking at the table below. Whether you want to record high-quality audio or just simple fragments, you sure can find something that meets your needs.

Best for: Recording quick, simple audio clips

OS: Windows

Price: Free

Voice Recorder is a free audio recorder that comes with Windows. It is easy to use but lacks advanced features. However, it gets the job done if you need a simple voice recording program for your desktop computer.

Key features:

• Record sound from microphone and/or speakers

• Save recordings in WAV or MP3 format

• Option to record computer audio-only, microphone only, or speakers only

Pros:

• Very easy to use

• Free

Cons:

• Lacks advanced features

Here’s how to record audio on a computer using Windows Voice Recorder:

To record desktop audio, start with opening the Windows Voice Recorder application. You can find it on the Start menu or type Voice Recorder in search to open it for you automatically.

Once Voice Recorder is opened, go to settings by clicking the gear icon at the bottom-left corner of your screen.

Next, click Choose which microphones and speakers to use. Voice Recorder will list all available audio devices. If you want to record sound from your microphone only, select it there. If you want to record computer audio only, select both of them as input devices. If you want to record sound from your speakers only, deselect all devices except your speakers.

Now that we’ve enabled microphones or speakers, we need to select which one of them will be used for recording. Click on the drop-down arrow next to the red record button. You’ll see a list of all recording devices. Select either your microphone or speakers, depending on which one you want to use for recording desktop audio.

Click the red Record button to start recording computer audio. You’ll see the timer start counting up, and the recording will stop automatically when it runs out of time.

After you’ve finished recording, click on the Save as button to save your audio file. Enter a filename and select a save location. Select either WAV or MP3 format, and click Save.

To playback the recording you just made, go to the playback window and select your audio file. You can also adjust the volume here.

If you no longer need a certain recording, you can delete it by selecting it in the playback window and clicking the Delete button.

To stop recording, click on the red Stop button. You can also pause the recording by clicking on the yellow Pause button.

That's it! You've learned how to record system audio using Windows Voice Recorder.

Best for: Windows and Mac users who want an easy-to-use program that can record audio coming from programs

OS: Windows, Mac, Linux

Price: Free

TechRadar rating: 4.4 out of 5

VLC is a free media player that can be used to record audio on a PC. It has a wide range of features, including the ability to record audio from websites, apps, and other programs.

Key features:

• Record audio from websites, apps, and other programs

• Can record in multiple formats

• Easy to use

• Free

Pros:

• Wide range of features

• Records audio from websites, apps, and other programs

• Free

Cons:

• Doesn’t have a lot of exporting options

To record sound from a PC with VLC, follow these 4 steps:

Download the installation file and install the program on your computer.

Download VLC

Start with opening up the VLC media player.

From the main menu, go to View and select Advanced Controls from the drop-down menu. Next, go to the Media tab and select Open Capture Device.

Open the Audio device name menu, select Stereo Mix as your audio input.

Click Play and then the red button to record. Click the red button again to stop recording.

To open your record, go to Media > Open File. Files recorded via VLC will have the vlc-record prefix added to their names.