Can you screen record and hear audio?

Screen recording is the process of capturing video and audio of your computer screen activity. It allows you to record on-screen demonstrations, tutorials, presentations, and more, along with narration from a microphone or system audio.

Some key features of screen recording are:

Capturing everything that happens on your screen, mouse movements, clicks, keystrokes, etc.

Recording microphone or system audio along with the screen video
Editing the video, adding effects, transitions, titles, etc.
Sharing the finished video via online platforms or social media

In this comprehensive guide, we will cover different tools and techniques for screen recording on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android devices. Topics include:

Choosing screen recording software options
Recording screen video and audio

Editing screen recordings
Sharing and publishing screen capture videos

Whether you want to create software tutorials, record gameplay, or make an engaging video presentation, this guide will teach you how to effectively record your screen with high-quality audio.

Screen Recording Software Options

There are many screen recording software options to choose from. Some of the top choices include:

OBS Studio – OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. It offers advanced audio mixing capabilities, chroma keying, transitions, and more. OBS is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

ScreenFlow – ScreenFlow is screen recording and video editing software designed for macOS. It captures high quality video and audio, allows editing with transitions and annotations, and exports to various formats. ScreenFlow has robust recording options and an intuitive interface (Zapier).

Camtasia – Camtasia by TechSmith is a premium screen recorder and video editor for Windows and macOS. It records system audio, webcam video, and custom narration. Videos can be edited with animations, visual effects, captions, and more. Camtasia is known for its advanced editing capabilities (U.S. News).

Screencastify – Screencastify is a screen recorder Chrome extension for capturing video from a web browser tab. It offers options like video trimming, cursor effects, zooming, and annotations. Screencastify has a free version with limited features and paid upgrades for advanced controls.

Recording Screen Video

Capturing video of on-screen activity is a key part of creating a screen recording. There are several settings to configure in your screen recording software to control the quality and size of your screen recordings.

Frame rate refers to how many frames or images are captured each second in the video. Most screen recording software will allow you to select a frame rate between 15-60 frames per second. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the motion will appear in your video. For screen recordings where high frame rates are not essential, 30fps is recommended. For recording high action content like video games, a 60fps frame rate is preferred.

Resolution determines how many pixels comprise each frame of video, which dictates the overall video quality and file size. Common resolutions for screen recordings include 480p, 720p, 1080p. The higher the resolution, the sharper and more detailed the image will be. However, higher resolution videos take up more storage space.

The aspect ratio is also important, as most computer monitors and content are configured for 16:9 widescreen. Recording in 16:9 will ensure the dimensions match most viewing scenarios.

To configure these settings in your screen recorder, look for a video or display tab in the application settings. This will allow you to dial in the optimal frame rate, resolution and aspect ratio for your screen capture needs.

Recording System Audio

System audio refers to sounds generated by your computer, like music, video playback audio, notification sounds, alert noises, etc. Capturing system audio along with your screen recording can be useful for tutorials, presentations, demos, and more.

On Windows 10, there are a couple options for recording system audio:
– Use a free program like OBS Studio which allows capturing multiple audio sources including system audio.
– Enable Stereo mix in the Sound settings, which copies all system audio into a virtual input you can select in other recording software.

On Mac, you can record system audio using:

– QuickTime Player’s screen recording feature, which auto captures all system audio.
– Third party software like Movavi Screen Recorder that includes system audio capturing.

The key on both Windows and Mac is ensuring your recording software has access to your system audio output, either via a virtual stereo mix input or direct capturing. This allows combining screen video with related system sounds for a complete recording.

Recording Microphone Narration

Before recording microphone narration, you’ll first need to set up and test your microphone. Choose a microphone designed for voice recording like a USB condenser mic or dynamic podcasting mic. Position the mic 6-12 inches away from your mouth and make sure it’s secured on a stand or boom arm to minimize vibrations. Do a test recording and check the volume levels, adjusting the gain so your voice sounds clear without peaking or distorting the audio. Also check for any background noises that need to be eliminated.

Here are some tips for getting quality narration audio when recording with a microphone:

Record in a quiet room without echo or reverb. Cover sound-absorbing furniture with blankets to dampen reflections.
Use a pop filter between your mouth and the mic to reduce plosives and sibilance.

Speak smoothly and evenly into the mic, maintaining consistent distance and volume.
Stay hydrated with water and avoid mouth noises like lip smacking.
Record a few seconds of ‘room tone’ audio to edit in gaps later.

Listen with headphones to monitor the recording and make adjustments.

Following these tips will help you capture clean, professional-sounding narration when recording with a microphone. Check the levels, position the mic properly, and control the recording environment for best results.

Recording Webcam Video

One popular feature for screen recordings is to include webcam video of yourself in a corner of the screen. This allows viewers to see your reactions and facial expressions as you demonstrate something on your computer screen.

Here are some tips for setting up and configuring your webcam to include it in a screen recording:

Position your webcam above or below your monitor so it captures you straight on. Avoid sideways angles.
Frame yourself from mid-chest up. Having just your disembodied head floating in the corner looks a bit odd.

Adjust lighting so you are not too dark or blown out. Add extra lighting if needed.
Do a test recording and watch it back. Make adjustments so you look natural and well-framed in the webcam view.

Most screen recording software like EaseUS RecExperts makes it simple to select and configure your webcam as a picture-in-picture along with the full screen capture.

Some things to check in your screen recording software’s webcam settings:

Select the correct webcam from the dropdown if you have multiple webcams.
Choose the preferred corner for your webcam video overlay.

Adjust the webcam overlay size to suit your preference.
Confirm the webcam capture is working before starting your full screen recording.

With a properly positioned webcam and configured software, you can easily record your screen and webcam simultaneously for tutorials, demos, reactions, and more.

Audio Editing and Mixing

One of the most important aspects of creating a professional-looking screen recording with audio is properly editing and mixing the audio. There are several key steps to take in order to get clean, balanced audio in your recording:

First, you’ll want to edit out any mistakes, ums, ahs, long pauses, etc. Removing these distractions helps the overall flow and quality of your audio. You can edit the audio directly in screen recording software like Descript or import it into a dedicated audio editing program like Audacity for more advanced editing.

Next, consider adding some background music to your recording. This can help set the mood or tone. Just be sure the music volume is lower than your voice audio. Aim for the music to be just barely noticeable underneath your narration.

It’s also important to balance the volumes across your recording. Use the audio editor’s levels controls to amplify quiet sections and lower any loud spikes. Having consistent volume makes for a polished, professional sound.

Finally, use audio effects like compression and EQ sparingly to give your voice clarity while minimizing background noise. The goal is for clean, balanced audio that sounds natural.

Following these best practices for editing and mixing will take your screen recorded audio to the next level.

Video Editing

Video editing allows you to refine and polish your screen recordings by trimming unwanted sections, adding transitions between clips, overlaying text, zooming in on important areas, and more. Some key video editing tasks include:

– Trimming – Precisely cut out unwanted sections of your video clips to keep the viewer’s attention and remove mistakes or dead space.

– Transitions – Add transitions like cross-dissolves and wipes between video clips to smoothly switch between scenes.

– Text overlays – Introduce sections, add captions, or highlight important information by overlaying text on your video.

– Zooming – Emphasize parts of the screen by zooming in. This focuses the viewer on key areas.

– Color correction – Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation and more to improve video quality.

Once editing is complete, export your video in a shareable format like MP4. Software like Final Cut Pro allows high-quality exports for uploading to video platforms.

Sharing and Publishing

There are several options for sharing your completed screen recordings with others:

Uploading to video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo: Upload your video to a popular video sharing platform like YouTube or Vimeo to have it reach a wide audience. Ensure your video file is in the correct format and size limit for each platform.

Embedding on websites and blogs: Create a blog or website and embed your video there. Alternatively, publish your video on another site using their embed code. This allows viewers to watch the video in full without leaving your site. To embed a video from YouTube or Vimeo, click “Share” then “Embed” and copy the embed code into your web page’s HTML.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we have covered the basics of screen recording on a computer. We looked at popular screen recording software options like OBS Studio, Camtasia, and Quicktime Player. We discussed how to record your screen, system audio, microphone narration, and webcam video. We also touched on editing techniques for both the audio and video components of a screen recording.

Screen recordings are an extremely versatile multimedia format with many uses across business, entertainment, education and more. By following the steps outlined here, you should now have the fundamental knowledge needed to create high quality screen recordings.

If you want to take your skills further, I recommend checking out the following additional resources:

Comprehensive Guide to QuickTime Player

With a bit more practice, you’ll be making professional screen recordings in no time!