Is there a way to screen record with sound?

Screen recording is the process of capturing video and audio of your computer screen. It allows you to record anything visible on your screen, from software demonstrations to gameplay videos. Recording your screen with audio enables you to narrate and explain what is happening in the video. There are many reasons why someone may want to capture their screen activities with sound:

– Create tutorial videos – Adding narration to tutorial and demonstration videos helps explain the steps more clearly. You can walk users through how to use a software program or complete a process.

– Record webinars and meetings – Capturing presentations, video conferences, or live streams lets you rewatch them later. This is useful for taking notes or sharing the content with others who couldn’t attend.

– Game streaming – Recording yourself playing games while providing live commentary has become popular for streaming platforms. The audio adds your personality to the gameplay.

– Product reviews – Showing a product in action while voicing your opinions over the footage provides helpful visual reviews.

– Bug reporting – Capturing bugs and software issues while narrating the problem makes it easier for developers to identify and fix.

– Video lessons – Creating DIY tutorials, how-tos, training videos and more are made even clearer by adding explanatory audio.

Enable Audio in Popular Screen Recorders

Most screen recording software has the ability to capture audio, but you may need to enable and configure this setting. Here’s how to record system audio and microphone audio with some common screen recorders:

QuickTime Player (Mac): Open QuickTime Player and go to File > New Screen Recording. Click the arrow next to the record button and make sure “Microphone” is checked to capture microphone audio. System audio can’t be captured directly in QuickTime, but apps like Soundflower can route it to the microphone input.

Windows Game Bar: Open Game Bar by pressing Windows key + G during a game. Click the settings icon and go to Captures. Enable both “Record game audio” and “Record microphone” under Audio settings.

OBS Studio: In Settings > Audio, select your microphone from the Mic/Auxiliary drop-down and enable desktop audio if you want to capture system sounds. Adjust the volume levels for both under Mixer.

Voice Recorder App (Windows 10/11): Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and make sure “Voice Recorder App” is enabled to record microphone audio. System audio can’t be directly captured.

Microphone Settings

When recording audio for screen captures, selecting the right microphone and audio input is crucial for capturing clean, high-quality sound. The type of microphone you choose will depend on your recording environment, budget, and audio needs. Some tips for choosing the right microphone include:

– For narration and voiceovers, a unidirectional condenser microphone often works best, as it will isolate your voice and minimize background noise. Popular choices like the Blue Yeti or Audio-Technica AT2020 offer excellent quality for the price.

– If recording interviews or multiple speakers, a multidirectional microphone can better pick up sound from all directions. The Shure MV5 has handy directional controls.

– For natural ambient sound during gameplay or video capture, a lavalier mic clipped to clothing can capture crisp audio without being obtrusive. The Sony ECMCS3 delivers solid performance.

– headset microphones like the Logitech H390 provide immersive sound for gaming recordings or calls. Their noise-cancelling boom design also helps single out your voice.

– For professional recording studios, large-diaphragm condenser mics like the Neumann TLM 103 or AKG C414 excel in translating intricate audio details.

– If recording in noisy environments, a dynamic microphone such as the Shure SM58 does an excellent job rejecting ambient noise or feedback at loud volumes.

– Make sure to set the correct input device in your recording software’s audio settings. This ensures sound is routed properly from your microphone or interface during capture.

– Testing audio level and positioning will help avoid issues like clipping or sounds blowing out. Get close enough to your mic for solid volume, but not so close that plosives cause distortion.

With the right microphone choice and input settings, you can record audio during screen captures that sounds clear and professional. Listen to microphone samples before you buy to determine the best pick for your particular recording needs.

Audio Quality Settings

The quality of the audio captured during screen recording is crucial for providing viewers with a professional experience. There are several adjustments within most screen recording software that can optimize audio quality.

First, ensure the correct input device is selected for audio recording, which is typically a microphone. The microphone settings allow you to select the specific microphone you want to use if you have multiple audio inputs.

Then, look for audio quality settings within the screen recorder. Some recorders like RecMaster have options to adjust sample rate, bitrate, and channels for the audio (Source). Higher sample rates like 48KHz will capture higher audio frequencies, while higher bitrates like 256kbps will reduce compression and improve overall quality.

Advanced settings like noise suppression and noise gates can help eliminate background noise or static picked up by the microphone. These tools detect when you are not speaking and mute the mic to avoid distracting ambient sounds.

Testing different combinations of the audio settings while recording test footage is the best way to dial in quality. Listen back to recordings with headphones to detect any remaining artifacts or muffled tones. Finely tuned audio settings will make your voice sound crisp and natural in the final recording.

Recording System Audio

In addition to capturing audio from an external microphone, many screen recorders also allow you to record audio playing on your computer system. This is known as recording system audio, system sound, or computer audio. It enables you to capture audio from your speakers, headphones, applications, web browsers, and more.

To record system audio with popular screen recorders like Movavi and Camtasia, you need to enable this feature in the settings. The option may be labeled “Record System Sound” or “Capture System Audio.” Once enabled, the screen recorder will capture both your microphone input as well as any audio playing on your computer and mix them into one audio track in your video.

Recording computer audio allows you to capture audio clips, music, or narration from video clips, presentations, games, and other media. This creates a richer multimedia experience. However, you need to be mindful of copyrights and should only capture system audio if you have the rights or permission to use the content.

Audio Levels and Noise

Proper audio levels are crucial for a high-quality screen recording. Set your microphone volume high enough to pick up your voice clearly without distorting or clipping the audio. Most screen recording software has level meters to help you adjust the volume. Speak at your normal volume and aim for around -12 dB on the meter. Going above 0 dB will likely cause distortion.

To reduce background noise like fan hum or keyboard clicks, use noise suppression features if available in your software. You can also try noise removal filters in editing to clean up the audio. Some tips include:

• Use a headset microphone which isolates just your voice
• Position the mic close to your mouth and away from noise sources
• Record in a quiet room with soft surfaces that absorb sound
• Use noise gate filters to automatically mute audio when not speaking (cite: https://recorder.easeus.com/screen-recording-tips/reduce-background-noise-while-recording.html)

Listen back and check if your voice is clear and audible above any background noise. Make adjustments until you achieve a good signal-to-noise ratio.

Editing the Audio

Once you have recorded your screen video with audio, you may want to edit the audio track to clean up any background noise, adjust audio levels, remove unwanted sounds, etc. Most video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro allow you to edit the audio separately from the video track.

You can use tools like noise reduction, compression, and equalization to improve the overall quality of the audio. Some common audio editing tasks include:

• Reducing background noise
• Boosting quiet sections
• Lowering loud peaks
• Adding fade ins/outs
• Removing pops and clicks

Advanced audio editing software like AVS Audio Editor gives you more precise control over the waveform. You can isolate specific sections and tweak the audio until you achieve the desired sound. With some practice, you can greatly improve the production quality of your screen recorded videos just by cleaning up the audio track.

Adding Voiceovers

One option for adding audio to a screen recording is to record a voiceover after capturing the on-screen activity. This allows you to narrate over the visuals and provide explanation without having to record live audio at the same time. There are a few ways to record and add voiceovers:

On an iPhone or iPad, you can open the screen recording in the Photos app, then tap Edit and select the audio icon to record a new voiceover directly into the video (Source). The Photos app has basic editing tools to trim the start and end points of the voiceover.

For more robust editing, you can use video editing software like iMovie on Mac or Adobe Premiere Rush on Windows. Import the screen recording, then record your voiceover on a separate track. That way you can control the audio levels and apply effects. Position the voiceover narration where needed in the timeline. Export the finished video containing the original screen recording and your new voiceover narration (Source).

With proper editing tools, you can record multiple voiceover takes to fix mistakes and select the best narration. This method gives you flexibility to craft explanatory voiceovers after screen recording. It helps ensure clear audio delivery tailored precisely to the visual content.

Sharing and Exporting

After completing your screen recording with audio, you’ll likely want to export the final video file to share online or save on your computer. Most screen recorders allow exporting directly to popular video formats like MP4 and MOV while preserving both the high-quality video and audio.

For example, tools like Screencastify let you download the screen recording as an MP4 video file. This exports the full video and audio into a single file that can easily be shared online or stored locally.

Other screen recorders may also allow extracting just the audio from a recording and exporting it as a separate MP3 file. This can be useful if you only need the audio track for a podcast or other purpose. Refer to your specific screen recorder’s documentation for details on available export options.

The key is choosing a screen recording tool that encodes the audio at a high bitrate during recording, and maintains quality when exporting the final video. This ensures your viewers enjoy crisp, clear audio to match the HD video capture.

Conclusion

In summary, recording audio along with your screen capture allows you to create more engaging and informative videos. The most popular screen recording tools like OBS Studio, Camtasia, and Screenflow enable you to capture both system audio and microphone input.

To get the best audio quality, adjust your microphone settings to reduce background noise. Position the mic close to your mouth and avoid overdriving the input levels. For system audio, check that application and device volumes are set at optimal levels to avoid clipping or echoes. Use audio editing tools to clean up any remaining artifacts and balance audio sources.

With quality microphone and system audio, your screen recordings will be polished, professional productions. Audiences will be able to clearly hear your narration along with any application sounds. Following the tips in this guide will help you create great videos worth sharing.