How to record audio on a computer

The short answer

In the recorder below, choose your microphone and allow access when the browser asks. Speak a few words and watch the input level: it should move well past the middle when you talk, without hitting the top. Choose a format, press Start recording, use Pause when you need a break and Stop when you are done. Play it back in the page and press Download.

Every take stays in the list until you leave the page, so you can record several versions and keep the best one.

Microphone placement

Distance changes the sound more than any setting. Too far away and the room echo and background noise get louder relative to your voice. Too close and every breath, pop and lip noise is recorded, and the voice becomes boomy because of the proximity effect of many microphones.

• Headset microphone: about two fingers from the corner of your mouth, not directly in front, so your breath does not hit it.
• USB desk microphone: 15 to 30 cm (6 to 12 inches) away, slightly to the side of your mouth. Check which side is the front; many USB microphones record from the side, not the top.
• Laptop built in microphone: sit straight in front of the laptop at a normal distance, and do not type while recording. The microphone is next to the keyboard and picks up every key.
• Phone headset with inline microphone: clip it to your collar about a hand width below your chin.
• Popping on P and B sounds: turn the microphone slightly off axis or use a pop filter.

Room and background noise

Hard walls, a bare floor and glass make a voice sound hollow. Soft things absorb reflections: a sofa, curtains, a bookshelf, a rug, even a duvet hung behind the screen. A small room full of clothes is one of the best free recording booths there is.

Turn off fans and air conditioning, close the window and put the phone on silent. The Noise reduction option in the recorder filters steady noise such as fans and keyboard clicks, and also balances the level. Leave it on for speech. Turn it off for music or instruments, because it treats sustained notes as noise and can make them sound strange.

Levels that sound good

A recording that is too quiet can be raised later, but it brings noise up with it. A recording that is too loud clips: the peaks are cut off, the voice distorts and nothing can repair it. Aim for the level meter to move clearly while you speak and never reach the top, even when you laugh or speak with emphasis.

If the meter barely moves, raise the microphone level in the system: on Windows in Settings > System > Sound > Input > Volume, on a Mac in System Settings > Sound > Input. If it hits the top, lower that level or move back a little.

Which format to choose

Browsers record in a compressed format: WebM with the Opus codec in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, M4A (AAC) in Safari and in some other browsers. Both sound very good for speech at the 128 kbps the recorder uses. WAV is uncompressed and much larger, but it opens in every editor, phone and old player.

Browsers cannot record MP3 directly. If someone asks for MP3, record as M4A or WAV and convert it with an audio converter afterward; it takes a few seconds.

Other ways to record on Windows, Mac and Chromebook

• Windows 11: the Sound Recorder app records from any microphone and saves M4A by default, with other formats in its settings. On Windows 10 it is called Voice Recorder.
• Mac: Voice Memos records with one click and syncs with iPhone. QuickTime Player > File > New Audio Recording saves an M4A file.
• Chromebook: there is no separate voice recorder on many models, so a browser recorder like the one on this page is the simplest option.
• Audacity (Windows, Mac, Linux, free): for longer projects with editing, multiple tracks and effects.

Quick checklist before you record

• Is the right microphone selected: on laptops the built in microphone and the headset microphone are easy to mix up. Pick it by name from the list.
• A Bluetooth headset microphone drops to phone call quality. Use a wired or USB microphone when you can.
• Make a 10 second test recording and listen with headphones. Fix hum, echo or clipping before a long take.
• For long recordings, turn off sleep mode and plug the laptop in.
• Mute notification sounds: one message chime in the middle ruins the whole take.

Editing and sharing

For simple trims, cut the silence at the start and end. Audacity opens WAV files directly; for WebM and M4A it needs its optional FFmpeg library, which is why WAV is the safest choice for editing. To send a recording, a 5 minute voice memo in WebM or M4A is about 5 MB, small enough for email and chat apps. A WAV of the same length is about 30 MB in mono, which some email services reject; Gmail, for example, allows attachments up to 25 MB.