--- title: "Record Computer Audio on Windows or Mac | recorder.video" description: "Record what your computer plays on Windows or Mac: a browser tab with no install, Audacity’s WASAPI loopback or Stereo Mix. Free methods, with a WAV download." url: https://recorder.video/record-computer-audio --- 1. [recorder.video](https://recorder.video/) 2. How to record the sound coming from your computer # 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](#steps) ## 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 1. ### Open the sound in a tab Open the page that plays the audio in Chrome or Edge, and recorder.video in another tab. 2. ### 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. 3. ### 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. 4. ### Record and stop Press Start recording (or R), play the sound in the other tab, then come back and click Stop. 5. ### 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. 1. Install and open Audacity. Click **Audio Setup** in the toolbar and set **Host** to **Windows WASAPI**. 2. Under **Recording Device**, choose your speakers or headphones with **(loopback)** after the name. 3. Click the red Record button, play the sound, and click Stop. 4. 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](https://recorder.video/how-to-record-audio-on-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. ## More audio recording guides * [ Online screen recorder Record your screen, webcam and microphone together in the browser. ](https://recorder.video/) * [ How to record a browser tab One tab with its sound, switching tabs, and browser limits. ](https://recorder.video/record-browser-tab) * [ How to record audio on a Mac Voice Memos, QuickTime, the Mac’s own sound, and WAV downloads. ](https://recorder.video/how-to-record-audio-on-mac) * [ How to screen record with audio Tab audio, system audio and your mic, by browser and system. ](https://recorder.video/screen-record-with-audio) * [ Online voice recorder Record audio from your microphone and download M4A or WebM. ](https://recorder.video/voice-recorder)