Recording desktop audio
Audacity can record computer audio (including sound from YouTube, Spotify and more).
Windows
macOS
Linux
- 1.Use the Audio Setup toolbar to select Windows WASAPI as the Host and then select the output you want to use (the device you're using to listen) as the input. It will be marked with a (loopback) after it's name.
Select the loopback device to record desktop audio
When using the (default) MME device, you may find a virtual microphone called Stereo Mix, What you hear or similar in it. This also will record your desktop audio.
Selecting Stereo Mix as an alternative to record desktop audio
Caution: Soundflower is not compatible with Apple Silicon-based machines
When using PulseAudio (default for Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and others):
- 1.Install PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol). This should be in your repository already.
- 2.Use the Audio Setup toolbar to select ALSA as the audio host and select pulse as the recording device.If your system uses Pulse by default, the pulse device may be called default.
- 3.Enable the recording meter by selecting Start Monitoring.Click the Microphone icon to start monitoring the recording level
- 4.Open PulseAudio Volume Control and choose the Recording tab.
- 5.In the Capture from dropdown, select the "Monitor" option of the playback device used by the application you want to record fromPulseAudio Volume Control - Select Capture from: Monitor of device
- 6.Launch the application that you wish to record and begin playback.
- 7.In the "Recording" tab of PulseAudio Volume Control, drag the volume sliders so that the recording level in Audacity's Recording Meter is to left of 0 dB (-6 dB is a good level to aim for).
Recording the desktop audio will record all desktop audio, including notification-pings, games, and Audacity itself (for example, other tracks in the timeline if you're using overdub) . So unless you specifically want these noises, make sure to turn them off.
DON'T use software playthrough when recording desktop audio. Make sure it's off in the menu: Transport > Transport Options > Software playthrough (on/off) - The checkmark next to it must be turned off. You can turn off overdub here as well.
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Hit the record button to record your desktop audio.