Vidnoz AI creates engaging videos with realistic AI avatars. Free, fast and easy-to-use.
Audacity, a free open-source audio editor, offers quick and easy audio work for sound design, music recording, and audio sample conversion. Are you having trouble with the recording audio or the microphone using Audacity on Windows or Mac?
If you notice errors like Audacity not recording sound, mic, or desktop audio in Stereo Mix, or from YouTube, showing a red arrow in the timeline, continue to read to figure out why Audacity does not record and follow the troubleshooting steps below. If you are tired of these causes and fixes, consider switching to the Audacity alternative based on your needs.
Why Audacity Not Recording from My Computer?
Quite a few factors may trigger Audacity's not working issue. Here’s the list of main reasons why Audacity not recording desktop audio or Mic.
- Incorrect Input or Output Settings. Audacity may fail to record the audio from the input device or output to the playback device due to improper input or output configurations. The input and output settings in Audacity should match the system's audio configuration.
- Audio Driver Issues. Outdated audio drivers or compatibility issues can lead to Audacity not recording mic or desktop sound because of Audacity’s inability to recognize audio input or output audio properly.
- Audacity Has No File Permissions. File permissions are required for Audacity to access system resources, including the audio and microphone.
- Insufficient Disk Space. Audio recording needs enough disk space. Make sure you have enough storage capacity.
- Firewall/Antivirus Software Blocks Audacity. Firewall or antivirus software may prevent Audacity or any other free screen recorder from accessing audio devices. Check the firewall or antivirus software settings on your computer to ensure that Audacity is allowed to record audio without restrictions.
- Improper microphone levels. The mic may not pick up sounds correctly if you don’t set them properly.
6 Ways to Fix Audacity Not Recording Mic or Sound
No matter the cause, the surefire ways to fix Audacity not recording are shared here in the following guide. Go through these easy ways to quickly fix Audacity not recording sound from computers and microphones.
Method 1. Adjust Audacity Recording Settings
When Audacity not recording from computer issue occurs, the first thing you need to do is to check the Audacity recording settings. Make sure the “Play other tracks while recording (overdub)” and “Detect dropouts” options are enabled correctly.
Step 1. On Audacity, go to Edit > Preferences, then select “Recording” on the left panel to show options.
Step 2. Under the “Options” section, check whether the “Play other tracks while recording (overdub)” and “Detect dropouts” options are selected.
Step 3. Shut down the Audacity program and open it again to see if the Audacity not working issue is resolved.
Method 2. Change Audacity Audio Host to MME
When the Audio Host is not set to MME in the Device Toolbar, you may receive an “Error while opening sound device” message during recording. Here’s how to set Audacity Audio Host to MME on Windows and get the best compatibility with all audio devices.
Step 1. On the Audacity program, click the “Audio Setup” icon in the top tool dock to display more audio settings.
Step 2. Choose “Audio Settings” from the drop-down options.
Step 3. Make sure the “MME” is enabled next to the “Host” button. The “MME” option is set by default.
Method 3. Enable Windows Microphone Setting
To get rid of the “Audacity not recording my voice” error, use the following steps to enable permissions in Microphone settings. When you want to screen record with voice, you should enable the permissions either.
Step 1. On your Windows PC, select Start > Settings > Privacy > Microphone.
Step 2. Select “Change” near “Allow access to the microphone on this device”. Turn on “Microphone access for this device”.
Step 3. Under Microphone settings, make sure “Allow desktop apps to access your microphone” is turned on.
Step 4. Click “Choose which Microsoft apps can access your microphone” and select Audacity.
Method 4. Set Proper Audio Sample Rate
The recommended audio sample rate for recording is 44,100 Hz (44.1 kHz). This can be done under “Audio Settings” in Audacity.
Step 1. On Audacity, Edit > Preferences, select the “Audio Settings” menu to open the Audio Settings window.
Step 2. Under the Quality section, click the “Project Sample Rate” or the “Default Sample Rate” drop-down icon and select 44100 Hz from the sample rate options.
Method 5. Update Audio Drivers
Update audio drivers to the latest for bug fixes including Audacity not recording and Audacity not recording desktop audio/microphone. Steps to update audio drivers may vary on different operating systems.
▶ On Windows
Step 1. Go to “Device Manager”, and expand “Sound, video and game controllers”.
Step 2. Right-click on your audio card, select “Update driver” and “Search automatically for drivers”.
Step 3. You should see all the Update driver options. Click “Update Driver Software…” and wait for the update to complete, then restart your Windows PC.
▶ On macOS
Step 1. Click the Apple menu and select "About This Mac."
Step 2. Click "Software Update" and check for available updates.
Step 3. Click the "Update" button next to the available update and install the latest version of macOS. This can automatically update the sound driver. Perform a restart to make the update valid.
Method 6. Restart or Reinstall Audacity
Sometimes, performing a simple restart can surprisingly fix all the issues. To restart Audacity:
Step 1. On your Mac, click Audacity on the top menu bar.
Step 2. Select “Quit Audacity” and Audacity should shut down quickly on your computer.
Step 3. Open Audacity and start recording to see if the Audacity recording problem continues.
On Windows, select File > Close or click the window “X” to close Audacity. Or use the shortcut Ctrl + Q.
If Audacity not working from the computer issue still exists, try to uninstall the software, re-download the latest version from its official website, and then install and open it for testing recording. The last way is to use a free screen recorder for Windows 10/Windows 11 that can replace Audacity.
Try the Best Free Alternative to Audacity without Sound Issues
Audacity still fails to record sound or mic from the desktop? It’s time to turn to other Audacity alternatives that are better than the open-source program in terms of performance and ease of use, like iTop Screen Recorder.
iTop Screen Recorder is a top-rated free screen recorder for Windows PC with a number of stunning recording and editing features. It can record high-quality desktop audio, record part of screen or full screen with sound and a webcam easily with a click. With an audio & video editor built-in, the program lets you use the AI voice changer, add effects, text, watermarks, cut, trim, merge, compress, denoise, and more to polish your recordings.
iTop Screen Recorder vs Audacity
| Tools | Overall Ratings | Interface | Performance | Recording Feature | Editing Tools | Noise Reduction |
| iTop Screen Recorder | 4.8/5 | Nifty | Stable | Extensive | Extensive | Advanced |
| Audacity | 4.3/5 | Outdated | Occasional Crash | Limited | Limited | Basic |
Key Features of iTop Screen Recorder:
- Free and no registration required screen recorder with a simple interface. iTop Screen Recorder is 100% free and easy to use, requiring no registration and a deep learning curve. The user interface is well-designed for users of all levels.
- Easily record screen, webcam, audio, and games with a teleprompter. You can record desktop screens, gameplay footage, webcam, only audio through a simple click, or read script while recording with a teleprompter, needless of any third-party help.
- Audio recording with free AI voice changer. The software includes a robust AI voice changer functionality, enabling you to record audio with various amusing effects for free.
- Record 4K/1080p, 120fps videos without lags & dropped frames. Thanks to iTop Screen Recorder, you won’t be troubled by Audacity not working anymore. You are free to record videos in 4K/1080P, 120fps smoothly without lags or dropped frames.
- Create stunning videos with the built-in free video editor. The Audacity alternative helps you quickly cut, trim, split, and merge recorded videos, add effects/text/stickers, and remove background noise, to name a few.
Get started to learn how to record only audio using iTop Screen Recorder without Audacity not recording errors.
Step 1. Free download iTop Screen Recorder on your PC, install, and run it quickly.
Step 2. Adjust audio recording settings. Click the settings icon at the top left menu bar, select "Format" > "Audio", and set audio format, bitrate, frequency, and channels. Click “Save” to apply the settings.
Step 3. Click "Record" > "Only Audio" on the main interface, and turn on the microphone or speaker. Click the REC button to start recording.
The recorded audio file should be saved under “Files” > “Audio” automatically. Right-click on the recording and edit the audio recording further.
The Bottom Line
That’s it. You should fix Audacity not recording sound or mic successfully and get the software running properly. It doesn’t matter if you don’t. Consider using the Audacity alternative, a reliable 1080p screen recorder – iTop Screen Recorder instead of searching for other quick tips and get better performance in audio & video recording and editing.
iTop Screen Recorder - Record Audio Without Background Noise
- Record system audio or external microphone flawlessly
- Record streaming audio without quality loss
- Remove background noise of audio recording
- Save audio recordings as MP3, AAC, FLAC and WMA
