You've probably been there. You spend twenty minutes recording a perfect software demo or a high-score gaming run, only to play it back and realize it’s silent. Or worse, it sounds like you’re recording from inside a tin can at the bottom of the ocean. Honestly, learning how to record screen with audio shouldn't be this frustrating in 2026, but software permissions and hardware loops make it a nightmare for the uninitiated.
Most people think "system sound" and "microphone audio" are the same thing. They aren't. Your computer treats the sound coming out of Spotify or a YouTube clip very differently than the sound of your voice hitting a USB mic. If you don't toggle the right switches, you end up with one and not the other. It's a common mess.
The fundamental "loopback" problem
Before we get into the "how-to" of it all, we have to talk about why your computer tries to stop you from doing this. It’s mostly about copyright. Back in the day, recording system audio was easy, but then companies realized people were just recording streaming music and movies. Now, Windows and macOS have "sandboxed" audio.
Basically, the audio going to your speakers is on one track, and your microphone is on another. To get a clean screen recording with both, you need a "loopback" or a virtual mixer.
If you are on a Mac, this is particularly annoying. Apple doesn't allow third-party apps to "hear" system audio by default. You used to have to use a tool called Soundflower, which was buggy as hell. Now, we use things like BlackHole or the built-in Screen Capture Kit API that most modern apps finally support. Windows users have it slightly easier with "Stereo Mix," but even that is often disabled in the BIOS or sound settings by manufacturers who want to avoid support calls.
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How to record screen with audio on Windows 10 and 11
Windows actually has a decent tool built right in, but nobody uses it because it’s marketed for "gamers." It’s the Xbox Game Bar. Hit Win + G. That’s it.
The Game Bar is surprisingly robust. When the overlay pops up, you’ll see a "Capture" widget. There’s a little microphone icon. If it has a slash through it, your voice isn't being recorded. Click it. But wait—there’s a catch. If you go into the settings (the little gear icon), you have to look under "Capturing." You’ll see options for "Game," "All," or "None." If you select "Game," and you're trying to record a tutorial in Chrome, it might not pick up any sound at all. Set it to "All" to be safe.
Using Snipping Tool (The New Way)
Microsoft recently updated the Snipping Tool to include screen recording. It’s... okay. It’s fast. But it's glitchy. To use it:
- Press
Win + Shift + S. - Switch to the video camera icon.
- Select your area.
- Look at the top bar for the microphone and system audio toggles.
The problem here is the bitrate. If you’re trying to record something high-quality, Snipping Tool tends to compress the audio into oblivion. It’s fine for a quick "hey, look at this bug" video to a coworker. It is not fine for a YouTube tutorial.
The Mac struggle: QuickTime isn't enough anymore
If you open QuickTime Player on a Mac, go to File > New Screen Recording, you’ll see a little arrow next to the record button. You’ll see "Microphone." You will not see "System Audio."
This is where people get tripped up. They record their screen, talk into the mic, and then realize the video they were reacting to is completely silent. To fix this without buying expensive software like ScreenFlow (which is great, but pricey), you need a virtual audio driver.
BlackHole is the current gold standard for free, open-source audio routing on macOS. Once installed, you create a "Multi-Output Device" in your Audio MIDI Setup. This allows the sound to go to your headphones and to the recording software simultaneously. Without a multi-output device, you can record the system audio, but you won't be able to hear it yourself while you're recording. It’s a weird, silent workflow that leads to a lot of mistakes.
Why OBS Studio is the only real professional choice
Look, if you're serious about this, just download OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). It’s free. It’s open-source. It’s what every pro uses.
The learning curve is a bit steep, but it solves the audio problem permanently. In OBS, you have "Sources." You add a "Display Capture" source for your screen. Then, you look at the "Audio Mixer" dock at the bottom. You should see "Desktop Audio" and "Mic/Aux."
If the green bars are moving when you play a video or talk, you're golden. If "Desktop Audio" isn't moving, you go to Settings > Audio and manually select your output device.
Pro Tip: Always use "Filters" in OBS. Right-click your Mic/Aux, hit Filters, and add a "Noise Suppression" filter (using the RNNoise method). This kills the hum of your laptop fan or the AC in the background. It makes a $50 mic sound like a $200 mic.
Recording on mobile: iOS vs Android
Recording your screen on an iPhone is actually remarkably simple, yet most people miss the audio part. You swipe down for Control Center, long-press the Screen Record icon (the circle), and a hidden menu pops up. At the bottom, there’s a microphone toggle. Turn it on.
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If you just tap the record icon, it defaults to system audio only. No voice. Long-press is the secret.
Android is a bit of a Wild West. Since Android 11, there is a native screen recorder in the "Quick Settings" tiles. When you tap it, a pop-up asks if you want to record "Device audio," "Microphone," or "Device audio and microphone." Pick the third one. Just be aware that some apps—like Netflix or banking apps—will block audio and video recording entirely for security reasons. You'll just get a black screen and silence. There is no workaround for this that doesn't involve "rooting" your phone, which honestly, isn't worth the risk of bricking your device.
Common pitfalls that ruin your audio
We've talked about how to get the audio, but we haven't talked about how to make it good.
- The Echo Effect: If you are recording system audio and your microphone at the same time, do NOT use external speakers. Your mic will pick up the sound from your speakers with a slight delay, creating a horrific echoing feedback loop. Always use headphones.
- Sample Rate Mismatch: This is a technical gremlin. If your Windows settings are set to 44.1kHz but your recording software is set to 48kHz, you might get "crackling" or audio that slowly drifts out of sync with the video. Check your Sound Control Panel and make sure everything matches.
- The "Exclusive Mode" Glitch: Some apps (like Zoom or certain games) take exclusive control of your audio hardware. This prevents the screen recorder from "hooking" into the audio stream. You have to go into the advanced properties of your playback device and uncheck "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device."
Browser-based recorders: A trap?
You’ll see a lot of ads for "Loom" or "Screencastify." They are convenient. They live in your browser. For a 30-second clip of a spreadsheet, they're fine.
But be careful. Browser-based recorders are heavily dependent on your RAM. If you have 40 Chrome tabs open and you try to record a high-definition screen with audio, the browser will deprioritize the audio encoding. You'll end up with "jittery" sound where words get cut off. If you're doing anything longer than five minutes, use a standalone app like OBS or even the built-in tools of your OS.
The hardware factor
Sometimes the software isn't the problem. It's the wire. If you're using a headset with a single 3.5mm jack on a PC that has separate headphone and mic ports, you need a splitter. Without it, you'll get the screen and the system audio, but your voice will be a faint whisper or non-existent.
Also, USB microphones are generally better for screen recording because they bypass the cheap, noisy "onboard" sound card of your motherboard. Something like a Blue Yeti or a Shure MV7 handles the "analog to digital" conversion inside the mic itself, which results in much less background hiss.
Final checklist for a perfect recording
Don't just hit record and hope for the best. Follow these steps:
- Do a 10-second test. Record yourself saying "test" and play some music. Stop. Play it back. This saves hours of heartbreak.
- Check your levels. In your mixer, your voice should be in the "yellow" zone. If it's hitting the red, it's clipping (distorting). If it's in the green, it's too quiet and your audience will have to crank their volume, which also cranks the background hiss.
- Kill the notifications. There is nothing worse than a loud "Ding!" from Slack or an email notification right in the middle of a deep explanation. On Windows, use "Focus Assist." On Mac, use "Do Not Disturb."
- Check your storage. High-quality screen recording with uncompressed audio can eat up a gigabyte of space every few minutes. Ensure you aren't saving to a nearly full drive, or the recording will just stop halfway through without warning.
Actionable Next Steps
To get started right now, don't go out and buy anything. If you’re on Windows, press Win + G and try to record a YouTube video with your mic on. See if it works. If it doesn't, that's your cue to check your "Privacy Settings" under the Microphone tab in Windows Settings—frequently, the OS blocks the Game Bar from accessing the mic.
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If you’re on a Mac, download BlackHole 2ch. It’s free. Search for a "Multi-Output Device" tutorial on YouTube. It takes five minutes to set up and solves the "silent video" problem forever.
Once you have the basics down, look into OBS Studio. It’s the professional floor. Everyone starts there, and most people stay there because it’s simply the most powerful way to handle multiple audio tracks. You can even set it up to record your mic and your system audio on separate tracks, so you can adjust the volume of each later during editing. That is the ultimate pro move.