Fix Audacity not Recording sound on PC

Are you unable to record your voice or sound in Audacity on your Windows PC? Audacity is a popular free and open-source audio recorder and creation software for different platforms. It allows you to record, create, mix, and save audio pieces. However, as reported by some users, they just can’t record sound in Audacity. If you are experiencing the same issue, this post will help you fix it.

Why is my audio not recording on Audacity?

If Audacity is not recording audio on your PC, the issue might be caused due to incorrect audio settings in Audacity, such as the host interface, incorrect recording device, etc. Besides that, if you have disabled microphone access for Audacity or all apps, you will not be able to record audio. The issue could also be caused if the app is outdated or corrupted.

How do I fix my Audacity recording?

To fix recording issues on Audacity, make sure that the correct recording settings are configured in the app. For that, you can use the Edit > Preferences option. Additionally, you also need to ensure that you have allowed microphone access to Audacity in your Windows Settings. We have shared some more solutions to this problem. You can check them out below.

Fix Audacity not recording sound on PC

If you are unable to record audio in Audacity on your Windows PC, here are the troubleshooting methods that you can use to fix the problem:

Change your Audacity settings.
Set Audio Host to MME.
Ensure that the correct recording device is chosen.
Make sure you have granted microphone access in Windows Settings.
Adjust your audio sample rate.
Update or Reinstall Audacity.
Try an Audacity alternative to record audio.

1] Change your Audacity settings

The first thing you can do is check your recording settings in Audacity and make sure they are correctly configured. Incorrect settings in the app can also trigger this problem. So, you can change your settings in Audacity using the below steps:

First, open Audacity and click on the Edit > Preferences option. Or, press the CTRL+P hotkey to quickly open preferences.

Now, move to the Recording tab and set up the options correctly. Enable the Record on a new track, Detect dropouts, and other options accordingly. Plus, adjust the sound level.

When done, press the OK button to save changes.

You can now retry recording sound and see if the problem is fixed.

2] Set Audio Host to MME

MME is the default host interface in Audacity used for communicating with different playback and recording devices. It is the most compatible host and works with all audio devices. Now, if the host interface in your Audacity settings has been changed, you might face audio recording issues. So, if the scenario is applicable, you can change the audio host to MME and check if it helps. Here’s how you can do that:

First, select the Edit > Preferences option or press Ctrl+P to quickly bring up the settings window.
Now, go to the Audio Settings tab.
Under the Interface option, set Host to MME and press the OK button to save changes.
Once done, try recording your voice again and see if the issue is resolved.

Read: Audacity Error opening recording device, Error 9999 Unanticipated host error.

3] Ensure that the correct recording device is chosen

If there are multiple headsets connected to your PC, you must ensure that you have selected the correct recording device in Audacity Preferences. To do that, click on Edit and choose Preferences. After that, from the Audio Settings tab, select the right recording device under the Recording option. When done, click on the OK button and see if the problem is resolved.

4] Make sure you have granted microphone access in Windows Settings

The problem might be caused if you have not allowed microphone access to Audacity in your Windows Settings. Hence, check your app permission settings and make sure that the microphone access permission is enabled. Here are the steps to do that:

First, open the Settings app using Win+I.
Now, go to the Privacy & security tab from the left-side panel.
Next, under the App permissions section, click on the Microphone option.
After that, ensure that the toggle associated with the Microphone access option is switched on.
Then, scroll down to the Let desktop apps access your microphone option, and make sure it is enabled.

Once you have set up the correct settings, open Audacity and you should now be able to record sound in it.

See: Stereo Mix not working or picking audio in Windows.

5] Adjust your audio sample rate

If the problem remains the same, you can try changing the audio sample rate and then start the audio recording. 44100 Hz is considered to be a good sample rate for recording audio. However, you can change it accordingly and see what works best for you.

To change the audio sample rate in Audacity, click on the small drop arrow button present at the top of the audio track. After that, go to the Rate option and then choose the desired sample rate. Next, start the audio recording and check if the problem is resolved.

Read: Fix Audacity Internal PortAudio error on Windows PC.

6] Update or Reinstall Audacity

If you are using an older version of Audacity, you might face some performance issues. Hence, update Audacity to the latest version and see if it works. To do that, open Audacity and click on the Help > Check for Updates option. After that, if there are updates available, download the latest version of Audacity and install it on your computer.

In case updating Audacity doesn’t help, it might be the case that the installation of Audacity is corrupted which is why it is not working correctly. So, if the scenario is applicable, you can reinstall Audacity and see if this helps.

For that, you first need to uninstall Audacity completely from your computer. Open the Settings app using Win+I and move to the Apps > Installed apps section. Next, click on the three-dot menu button present next to Audacity and select Uninstall. Once the program is removed, clear the leftover files associated with Audacity to completely uninstall it. You can then reboot your computer.

On the next startup, download the most recent version of Audacity and then install it on your PC to check if the issue is resolved.

7] Try an Audacity alternative to record audio

If none of the above solutions worked for you, you can try an alternative application for Audacity to record audio on Windows PC. There are multiple free audio recording software that let you record and save audio on your computer. Weeny Free Audio Recorder and Moo0 Audio Recorder are some good audio recorders to use.

Hope this helps!