Common troubleshooting steps

Rescan audio devices

If Audacity shows you an error message when trying to record or playback audio start using Transport > Rescan Audio Devices to update the list of devices.

Error message when trying to playback audio

Refresh the list of devices

After rescanning audio devices try selecting a different host using the Audio Setup button and make sure the desired device is selected as your Recording or Playback Device

Try changing the Host

Recheck that the correct device is selected

If the error is still present try changing the Project Rate to a different value. This can be done via Audio Setup -> Audio Settings -> Project Sample Rate. Common values are 44100 and 48000.

Recording and Playback Levels

Verify that the Recording Meter Toolbar and the Playback Meter Toolbar sliders are set to an appropriate level. Place the mouse cursor over the meter and Audacity will display the corresponding level

Privacy permissions

Some operating systems may block access to the microphone for untrusted apps. You need to allow microphone access for Audacity in order to record.

Windows

1. Open Settings

2. Go to Privacy or Privacy & Security

3. Go to Microphone

4. Toggle on Microphone Access, Allow apps to access your microphone, and, if available, Let desktop apps access your microphone

MacOS

Linux

Enable the microphone

If your microphone is not listed under the Audio Setup > Recording Device dropdown, select Transport > Rescan Audio Devices to refresh the list of recording devices. If it still doesn't appear after rescanning it could be disabled in your operating system audio settings. You need to enable it in order to record.

Windows

1. Open the Sound control panel and select the Recording tab

2. Make sure that Show Disabled Devices is selected

3. Look for your microphone and Enable it

Enabling Microphone using Windows Sound control panel

After enabling your microphone use the Audacity Transport - Rescan Audio Devices option to update the list of available devices.

MacOS

Linux

Update sound device drivers and firmware

It is recommended to update drivers for audio devices you are using. The way to do that depends on the specific device but in general it is recommended to visit the manufacturer support website.

Some audio devices install a complementary application that provides options to check for firmware and driver updates.

Using Windows Device Manager

Windows users can try to manually update drivers using Device Manager, before looking for drivers on the Internet. This is easiest, but may not necessarily find the latest or most appropriate drivers.

• Windows 10 / Windows 11: Right click the Start button and select Device Manager

• Windows 8 / Windows 7 / Windows Vista: Click Start > Control Panel then using the "Category" view, click "Hardware and Sound", find "Devices and Printers" near the top of the screen then click on "Device Manager" (the last item in the list underneath). "Icons" views have a direct link to Device Manager, as does "Classic View" on Windows Vista only.

Then expand Sound, video and game controllers by clicking on the + sign, right-click over the sound device and click Update driver.

Using Device Manager to manually update drivers for an audio device

After the update (even if more recent drivers were not found), you should right-click over the device again, click Properties and then on the Driver tab to check the "Driver Provider". You don't want drivers from Microsoft - in most cases these are only generic drivers, not specifically matched to your hardware. This often leads to problems such as not being able to select the correct input, or recordings not being made correctly. These must be replaced with drivers made by the manufacturer of your hardware, so they are correctly matched to that hardware.

If you have now got updated non-Microsoft drivers, try them and see if your recording problem is solved.

Check physical connections

Use the Recording Meter Toolbar to check the audio level that Audacity is receiving from the selected Recording Device. Click on the microphone icon to Start/Stop monitoring the audio level.

Recording Meter Toolbar displaying the audio level for a microphone

If there is no level present on the meter check if the microphone is muted in your operating system audio settings:

Check your operating system audio settings to check if the microphone is muted

You can also check if your device provides some physical control to mute or set the audio level.

USB Sound Card with Microphone Mute and Level controls

USB Interface with Microphone and Instrument gain controls

If the controls on your device are properly set you should check the connections between the computer and the recording device.

WASAPI and USB devices

Due to a Windows limitation, you cannot use WASAPI on a USB device while listening back on an onboard audio card. Use MME or DirectSound instead, or use the USB device for both the input and output (if possible).