# Recording sound from a Windows source **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355 "2012-03-10T01:05:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/1 "2012-03-10T01:05:21Z")
MOUSEOVER: Need answer fairly fast. What I basically want to do is record sounds which originate in Windows (not external ones), which is useful for online sources which I cannot otherwise download. My sound card may not have this capability (which is odd because the card from a comp I bought 7 years ago did), since when I go into the control panel and look at the sound properties, there are 3 recording sources: “microphone” (external mic which I don’t have), “line in” (which appears to be for external physical sources such as a DVD player) and “front mic” (if I use a micced headphone). Am I basically SOL or is there some secret setting somewhere which will let me do this? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/2 "2012-03-10T01:55:17Z")
Depending on your exact computer, you might be able to find a way to turn on “Stereo Mix” or What U Hear" or similar. Google around. Otherwise, maybe use a third-party program like [Total Recorder](http://www.totalrecorder.com/) (never tried it myself, but I believe it does what you want) ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/3 "2012-03-10T09:24:44Z")
PC mixers, and Windows mixer drivers, have gotten much more complicated in recent years (since Vista, mostly). Not sure if it’s incompetence or conspiracy, but having no [easy] way to record streaming audio is a form of copy protection. If you have access to two computers, just link one computer’s output to the other’s input. It’s kinda dumb, but (once you get the levels adjusted) it works every time. ---
**Author:** ![benbo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@benbo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benbo1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/4 "2012-03-10T10:37:25Z")
download Audacity. in the ‘edit-preferences’, find the tab for ‘audio i/o’. set the preferences to something logical (mine has playback device as ‘sound mapper output’ and recording device as ‘sigma tel audio’ [i guess that’s the sound card the computer came with] - the other choice is ‘microsoft sound mapper input’, which may work too). take the cord with 2 3.5mm male connecters - mine was going between the computer and the speakers, with the output icon with the headphones plugged into the computer. either take the other end off the speakers, or if ur using a separate cord, plug into the hole with the microphone icon next to it. Either way, u should have a cord with both male ends plugged into ur computer, 1 in the microphone icon hole and one in the headphone icon hole. Your computer is now set to relay its output to its input. When ur stream is broadcasting & ur ready to record, goto audacity & hit the record button. When ready to stop, hit the stop button. This works, the only catch being I don’t know a way to simultaneously listen and record (I guess if ur computer has a 2nd output with the headphones, or u can record on 1 computer while listening on another). Yes, it’s a pain-in-the-balls, doubtless to protect their precious fucking DRM rights. There may be another easier way, but this worx and it’s totally free. U can either play back the recording in Audacity default format, or convert to .wav. Try testing a few times with a radio site stream or something. Good luck. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/5 "2012-03-11T02:53:35Z")
I use a pretty simple application called Free Sound Recorder. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/6 "2012-03-11T06:22:17Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I use a pretty simple application called Free Sound Recorder. What does it do and how much does it cost? (Joke!) ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/7 "2012-03-11T08:05:57Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I use a pretty simple application called Free Sound Recorder. > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > What does it do and how much does it cost? > > (Joke!) It records free sounds, of course! ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/8 "2012-03-11T09:20:39Z")
> **[Replay Media Catcher | Applian Technologies](https://applian.com/replay-media-catcher/)** > > Discover the ultimate video downloader. Converts to over 130 device and video file formats. Capture video and audio from almost any website browser. Records any sound you hear on your PC. Format converter for video and audio. Very easy, even for an unskilled user like me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recording-sound-from-a-windows-source/615355/9 "2012-03-11T16:16:44Z")
Thanks will check out.