How To Record Audio From Computer With Audacity - Step By Step, by 4ZEAZONS on YouTube. 1 min 40 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 40 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Download Audacity from the official website and install it, then open the program. Close other apps that make noise so the recording stays clean.
In the Audio Setup toolbar, set Host to Windows WASAPI. This is the mode that lets Audacity capture sound playing on your computer instead of a microphone.
Set the Recording Device to your speakers or headphones loopback entry, such as Speakers (Realtek) loopback. Set Recording Channels to 2 for stereo music or 1 for mono voice.
Click the recording meter and drag the slider until the loudest parts peak near -6 dB. Sound that touches 0 dB will clip and distort.
Press the red Record button, then start the video, stream, game or app you want to capture. Let it play through once without touching the volume.
Press the Stop button when the audio ends. Press Space to play the track back and check that the waveform is visible and the sound is clear.
Select any silent lead-in or tail with the mouse and press Delete to remove it. Use Ctrl+Z if you cut too much.
Go to File, then Export Audio. Choose MP3 for sharing or WAV for editing later, pick a folder, name the file and click Save.
Add title and artist tags in the export dialog if you picked MP3, then click OK. Your file is now saved and ready to use.
Tips and common mistakes
Set the Windows volume mixer for the app to 100 percent before recording, because a low source volume gives a quiet file you cannot fix later.
Use WASAPI loopback rather than Stereo Mix, which many modern sound cards no longer offer.
Mute your speakers and wear headphones while recording if a microphone is also armed, or the mic will pick up the playback.
Record a few seconds first and listen back before capturing a long session.
Questions
Why is my recording completely silent?
The host or recording device is usually wrong. Set Host to Windows WASAPI and pick the loopback entry for your active speakers or headphones, not a microphone.
Can I record computer audio on a Mac with Audacity?
Not directly, because macOS has no built-in loopback device. Install a free virtual audio driver such as BlackHole, set it as the output, then choose it as the input in Audacity.
Can I record only one app instead of everything?
WASAPI loopback captures all system sound. On Windows 11 you can route a single app to a separate output device in Settings, Sound, Volume mixer, then record that device.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
