How to record the sound coming from your computer

If the sound is in a browser tab, share that tab here with tab audio on, mute your mic and record; then download the sound as a WAV. For desktop apps on Windows, Audacity’s WASAPI loopback records everything your speakers play.

Jump to the step-by-step guide

Online Screen Recorder

Free, no sign-up, no watermark. Pick what to record to begin.

What do you want to record?

Pick one to start. You can add or switch sources any time.

Your browser will ask for permission. Recordings stay on this device, nothing is uploaded.

Pick what to record

Then tap the red button

Recording internal audio, not your microphone

Most recorders listen to a microphone. Recording the sound your computer plays, sometimes called internal or system audio, needs a recorder that can tap the output instead. Windows can do it with free software, a browser can do it for a single tab, and a Mac needs a little help on older versions.

Use these methods for your own material and for things you’re allowed to keep: a webinar you attend, a talk you gave, a voice note in a web app, sound for a bug report. Streaming services protect their audio and many forbid recording it, so expect silence there and respect their terms.

How to record a browser tab’s sound with recorder.video

Open the sound in a tab

Open the page that plays the audio in Chrome or Edge, and recorder.video in another tab.
Share the tab with its audio

In recorder.video, choose Screen. In the picker, select the tab, keep Also share tab audio on and click Share.
Mute your microphone

Click Mic, or press M, so the recording holds only the tab’s sound. Leave it on if you want to talk over it.
Record and stop

Press Start recording (or R), play the sound in the other tab, then come back and click Stop.
Download the audio

Open the arrow beside Download MP4 and choose Audio as WAV for an uncompressed file, or Audio only for a smaller M4A or WebM.

Record computer audio on Windows with Audacity

Audacity is a free audio editor that can record whatever Windows plays, from any app, using a feature called WASAPI loopback.

Install and open Audacity. Click Audio Setup in the toolbar and set Host to Windows WASAPI.
Under Recording Device, choose your speakers or headphones with (loopback) after the name.
Click the red Record button, play the sound, and click Stop.
Choose File > Export Audio and pick WAV or MP3.

Loopback records the device you pick, so if you switch from speakers to headphones mid-way, the recording goes quiet. Notifications and other apps are recorded too; silence them first.

Use Stereo Mix on Windows

Some sound cards offer a recording input called Stereo Mix that carries everything you hear. It isn’t on every PC. To check, open Control Panel > Sound, go to the Recording tab, right-click the empty space and tick Show Disabled Devices. If Stereo Mix appears, right-click it and choose Enable. Any recorder that lets you pick an input, including Audacity with the MME host and Voice Recorder apps, can then record from it.

Record the whole computer’s sound in a browser

On Windows and ChromeOS, Chrome and Edge can share the Entire screen with its sound. In recorder.video, choose Screen, pick Entire screen and tick Share system audio. Every app’s sound is captured, not just one tab. Browsers on a Mac can’t do this; there, a single tab is the limit.

Record computer audio on a Mac

A browser tab: use the steps above in Chrome or Edge.
macOS 27 or later: the Shift-Command-5 screen recorder can include system audio (Options > Include System Audio). It saves a video; keep the sound with an audio converter or by opening it in an editor.
Earlier macOS: install a virtual audio driver that routes the Mac’s output into an input, then record that input in QuickTime or Audacity.

The guide to recording audio on a Mac covers the microphone side too.

Copyright and copy protection

Being able to record a sound doesn’t mean you may keep or share it. Music, films and most online videos are copyrighted, and streaming services’ terms usually forbid recording. Many use copy protection, so a recording of their tab comes out silent or black. Record your own work, material that’s licensed for it, or calls and talks where everyone has agreed.

Fixing computer audio recordings

The recording is silent

In the browser, the tab audio box was unticked; recorder.video warns you when a share has no sound. In Audacity, check you chose the (loopback) device for the output you’re actually listening on.

My voice is in it too

Mute the mic in recorder.video before you start, or pick a loopback device rather than a microphone in Audacity.

The sound is distorted

Turn the source down a little. Loopback records the level the app sends, before your volume keys, so a very loud source can clip.

Recording questions

How do I record audio from my computer without a microphone?

Record the source directly: share a browser tab with its audio in recorder.video and mute the mic, or use Audacity’s WASAPI loopback on Windows. Neither uses the microphone.

How do I record computer audio with Audacity?

In Audio Setup, set Host to Windows WASAPI and choose your speakers or headphones marked (loopback) as the recording device, then press Record.

How do I record internal audio on a Mac?

For a browser tab, record it with recorder.video in Chrome or Edge. On macOS 27 or later, the screen recorder can include system audio. Older versions need a virtual audio driver.

Can I record audio from YouTube?

Technically a tab recorder captures what a tab plays, but YouTube’s terms don’t allow downloading content without permission and most music is copyrighted. Only record videos you own or have permission to use.

Can I record a streaming service?

Usually not: copy protection makes the recording silent or black, and the services’ terms forbid it.

What format do I get?

recorder.video gives an uncompressed WAV with Audio as WAV, or an M4A or WebM with Audio only. Audacity can export WAV or MP3.