Recording audio with your screen capture means capturing both what's on your screen and the sound at the same time

Most screen recording tools can capture audio, but you need to turn the feature on before you start recording. The audio comes from your computer's speakers, your microphone, or both — depending on what you're trying to record. If you're making a tutorial, you'll want your microphone. If you're recording a video call or a song playing, you'll want system audio. Many tools let you mix both together.

The steps differ slightly depending on which program you use, but the basic idea is the same: open your recording tool, check the audio settings before you hit record, then start. This guide covers the most common tools on Windows and Mac.

Key Takeaways

  • Most screen recorders have an audio settings menu where you choose between microphone, system audio, or both before you start recording.
  • Windows 10 and 11 come with a built-in tool called Xbox Game Bar that records both screen and microphone audio without installing anything.
  • Mac users can use QuickTime Player, which is already on your computer and records screen plus microphone in a few clicks.
  • If you want to record system audio on Mac (like music or video sound), you'll need a free third-party tool because QuickTime cannot do this alone.
  • Always do a short test recording first to check that audio is actually being captured before you record something important.

Using Xbox Game Bar on Windows

Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows 10 and 11, so you don't need to download anything. Open the program you want to record — whether that's a browser, a document, or a video — then press Windows key + G to open Game Bar. A menu will appear in the top-left corner of your screen.

Look for the microphone icon in the Game Bar menu. Click it to turn your microphone on or off. You'll see a small circle next to the icon that turns red when the microphone is active. If you want to record system audio (the sound coming from your speakers), look for the speaker icon and click that too. Once both are set the way you want, click the red record button or press Windows key + Alt + R to start recording.

When you're done, press Windows key + Alt + R again to stop. The video file saves automatically to your Videos folder in a subfolder called Captures. The audio will be mixed into the video file — you don't get separate audio and video tracks.

Using QuickTime Player on Mac

QuickTime Player comes pre-installed on every Mac. Open it from your Applications folder or search for it using Spotlight (press Command + Space, type "QuickTime", then press Enter). Once it opens, go to File in the menu bar and select New Screen Recording.

A small window will pop up with a red record button. Before you click it, look for the dropdown arrow next to the record button. Click that arrow to see your audio options. You'll see a list of available microphones — select the one you want to use, or select "None" if you don't want to record audio. Once you've chosen, click the red record button.

Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag to select the area of your screen you want to record, or click the full screen button to record everything. When you're ready, click the record button that appears, then perform the actions you want to capture. Press Command + Control + Esc to stop recording. QuickTime will open the video automatically so you can save it.

Recording system audio on Mac (music, videos, or app sounds)

QuickTime Player can only record your microphone, not the sound coming from your speakers. If you need to capture system audio — like music playing, a video's soundtrack, or sounds from an app — you'll need a helper tool. The free option most people use is Soundflower, but it's no longer actively updated. A better choice is BlackHole, which is free and still maintained.

Download BlackHole from its website, install it, then restart your Mac. Open System Preferences (or System Settings on newer Macs), go to Sound, and set the output device to "BlackHole 2ch". Then open QuickTime, go to File > New Screen Recording, click the dropdown next to the record button, and select "BlackHole 2ch" as your audio input. Now when you record, you'll capture the system audio.

One important note: when you set your output to BlackHole, you won't hear any sound through your speakers while recording. If you need to hear the audio while you record, you'll need to use a more advanced tool like OBS Studio (which is free) instead of QuickTime.

Using OBS Studio (Windows and Mac)

OBS Studio is a free, professional-grade recording tool that works on both Windows and Mac. It gives you more control over audio than the built-in tools, including the ability to record multiple audio sources separately and adjust levels while recording. Download it from obsproject.com and install it.

When you open OBS, you'll see a window with several sections. In the bottom-left area labeled "Sources", click the plus sign and select "Display Capture" to add your screen. In the bottom-right area labeled "Audio Mixer", you'll see sliders for different audio inputs. Make sure the ones you want are unmuted (the speaker icon should not have a line through it). Click the red "Start Recording" button to begin.

OBS saves recordings as MP4 files in a folder you choose during setup. The learning curve is steeper than Game Bar or QuickTime, but if you plan to record often or need professional-looking results, it's worth the time to learn.

Checking your audio levels before you record

Before you record something important, always do a 10-second test. Start a recording, speak into your microphone or play the audio you want to capture, then stop. Play it back and listen. If you can't hear yourself or the audio is too quiet, you need to adjust the levels.

In Game Bar, click the microphone icon to toggle it on and off, or use your Windows sound settings to raise the microphone volume. In QuickTime, you can't adjust levels before recording, but you can test and re-record. In OBS, right-click on the audio source in the Audio Mixer and select "Audio Properties" to see detailed controls.

If your microphone is too quiet, check that it's not muted in your system settings. On Windows, go to Settings > System > Sound and look for your microphone in the Input section. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Sound > Input. Make sure the input level slider is not all the way down.

Troubleshooting common audio problems

If you recorded but there's no audio in the file, the most common cause is that you didn't turn on the audio input before you started. Go back and check the settings in your recording tool. Make sure the microphone or system audio option was actually enabled, not just visible in the menu.

If the audio is there but it's very quiet, your microphone volume or system volume was too low. You can sometimes fix this in video editing software by raising the audio level after the fact, but it's better to re-record with the volume turned up. If you're recording system audio on Mac and you can't hear anything, remember that BlackHole mutes your speakers — that's normal and doesn't mean the recording failed.

If you're getting background noise like keyboard clicks or fan sounds, move your microphone away from the keyboard and make sure your computer isn't overheating. If the noise is in the system audio (like a hum from your speakers), try moving away from electrical equipment or using a different audio source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I record my microphone and system audio at the same time?

Yes. In Game Bar, turn on both the microphone and speaker icons before recording. In QuickTime on Mac, you'll need OBS Studio or a tool like BlackHole to mix both sources. OBS Studio can record multiple audio inputs simultaneously and is the easiest way to do this on either operating system.

What format does the recording save in?

Game Bar saves as MP4. QuickTime saves as MOV. OBS Studio saves as MP4 by default, but you can change this in settings. All three formats work in most video players and editing software.

Why is my microphone not showing up in the audio settings?

Your microphone may be disabled in your system settings, or the recording tool doesn't have permission to use it. On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and make sure the recording app is turned on. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Microphone and check the same thing.

Can I edit the audio after I record?

Yes. You can use free video editing software like DaVinci Resolve or Shotcut to adjust audio levels, remove background noise, or replace the audio entirely. However, it's faster to get the audio right during recording than to fix it afterward.

Does recording audio slow down my computer?

Recording audio uses very little processing power. Screen recording itself uses more resources, but adding audio to an existing screen recording has minimal impact. If your computer is struggling, it's usually because of the screen recording, not the audio.