How to Make Audacity Record Desktop Audio?

By Piyusha Last updated May 15, 2023

Do you want to use Audacity to record audio from your computer? We’ll tell you exactly what to do in this detailed guide. Audacity is a well-known and powerful sound file editing tool. People can record sounds and change them with it. But it doesn’t record PC sounds by itself.

But don’t be afraid! We will explain in detail how to set up Audacity to record PC audio so that you can easily make recordings that sound like they came from a professional studio.

Table of Contents

Things You Need Before You Start Recording

Before we start, let’s make sure you have everything you need:

Audacity

Make sure your computer has Audacity. Visit https://www.audacityteam.org/ if you haven’t already to get the latest version of Audacity for your operating system.

Virtual Audio Cable

You’ll also need Virtual Music Cable, which is third-party software that lets you send music from one program to another. There are many kinds of Virtual Audio Cable software offered online, so choose one that fits your needs.

Now that these things are taken care of, we can talk about how to get Audacity to record PC audio.

Step 1: Install Virtual Audio Cable

First, get the Virtual Audio Cable app and run it on your computer. Follow the instructions given by the program maker to finish the download. Once it is set up, you will have everything you need to send music from your PC to Audacity.

Step 2: Configure Virtual Audio Cable

After you install Virtual Audio Cable, you need to set it up so that the sound goes where it should. Here’s what you need to do:

Open the settings page for the Virtual Audio Cable. You should be able to find it in the list of programs on your machine.
Set the sample rate to the numbers you want to use in Audacity’s control panel. So that the sounds don’t get out of sync, it’s important to use the same sample rate.

Click “Playback” under “Cables” and choose the cable you want to use. This is how Audacity will get the sounds from your PC.
Then, click “Recording” and pick a different line. You will record the sound coming from the playback wire you picked.
Save the changes, and then shut the window.

Step 3: Install the Audacity

Now that Virtual Audio Cable is set up, let’s use Audacity to record sound from a PC:

Start up the program Audacity on your machine.
Click the dropdown menu next to the microphone icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen to choose the Virtual Audio Cable as the recording device.
Then click “Edit” and then “Preferences.”

Go to the settings window and click on the “Devices” tab.
Choose the Virtual Audio Cable as the audio device in the “Recording” section.
You can change the stations to get the sound you want.
Click “OK” for the changes to take effect.

Step 4: Test the Configuration

Before you start recording, you should test your setup to make sure everything is set up correctly:

Open an app or play a sound you want to record on your computer.
To start to record in Audacity, click the red “Record” button.
Make sure you can hear the sound while Audacity is recording on your desktop. This shows that the PC is sending the sound to Audacity.
Once you’re sure that Audacity is catching the sound, you can stop the recording by clicking the “Stop” button.

Step 5: Start Recording Audio From Your Desktop

Now that Audacity is set up correctly, you can start recording sounds from your PC. What you should do is:

Run Audacity on your computer.
You can change the sample rate, bit level, and other settings of your project to make it work for you.

Put the Audacity window somewhere on your screen that is easy to get to while you are recording.
Make sure your computer is on and playing the program or songs you want to record.
To start to record in Audacity, click the red “Record” button.
As soon as you start recording with Audacity, you’ll be able to see how the sound changes in real time. This means that the screen’s music is being saved.
Make sure the sound levels are where you want them and that you can’t hear any background noise or other problems while you’re recording.
When you’re done recording in Audacity, click the “Stop” button.

You can now save the desktop audio you made as a project file or export it in different formats, like WAV, MP3, or FLAC, based on what you want to do. Congratulations! You have used Audacity to record sounds on your PC.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Recording?

Think about the following tips to make sure your recordings are good and to improve your general experience:

1. Use a good microphone

Getting a good microphone can change the sound recording in a big way. Professionals and people who make their own songs often use USB microphones or XLR microphones with an audio link.

2. Check the sound levels

As you record, keep an eye on the audio levels so that the sound doesn’t get messed up or cut off. A good stream of music shouldn’t be too loud or too soft.

3. Minimize Background Noise

Close apps you don’t need or turn off messages before you start recording to cut down on noise. Think about going somewhere quiet or taking steps to block out noise to make the sound clearer.

4. Perform Sound Checks

Before you start recording, you should do a sound check to make sure that all of the sound sources are set up right and working as planned. This means checking the volume of the microphone, the sound playing, and any other sources or outputs of sound.

5. Edit and Enhance

After recording audio, you can use Audacity’s powerful editing tools to cut, clean up, and improve it. To get the sound quality you want, you can cut out parts you don’t want, use noise-reduction filters, change the volume, and add effects.

Conclusion

Learning how to use Audacity to record desktop audio is useful for many things, like making podcasts, voice-overs, lessons, and songs. By following the steps above in this guide, you can set up Audacity to record audio from your PC and make recordings that sound like they were made in a professional studio.

When you take audio from outside sources, make sure to follow copyright rules and get the right approvals. Also, you should often update your software and drivers to make sure they work well together and give you access to the latest features.

With practice and careful attention to detail, you can learn to use Audacity to record sounds from your computer. With this powerful audio recording tool, you can start to try new things, learn more, and let your thoughts run.