Audacity Not Recording Mac



  1. Why Won't Audacity Record On My Mac
  2. Audacity Not Recording Computer Audio
  3. Audacity Recording Problems
  4. Audacity Recording Settings
June 29, 2020Amanda Brown

You may be familiar with Audacity if you frequently have the need to record online music, lectures, broadcast, and voice chat, and so on. Audacity is an open-source and multi-track audio editor and recorder. It is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux. Audacity carries many powerful functions to capture and edit audio. It provides a high-quality way to record audio through microphone/mixer and digitize recordings.

Recording on Mac not working? I'm trying to record soundtracks from a ps vita to my mac. However when I connected the male to male cord from the vita headphone jack to my mac, the sound isn't recording into audacity. I've checked the sound settings on my mac and the output shows headphone port. In the security and privacy setting, it lists. It is not possible to record an input without Audacity also recording the inputs that come before this. For example when recording the signal coming into input 6 of your interface, Audacity requires you to record inputs 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. If you have any further questions on this, please contact our Technical Support team.

However, many people, especially Mac users complained about the Audacity not recording issue on the internet. It seems like a common problem that you get a flat line and no sound when recording on Mac. Some Windows users also reported the similar error. Here in this post, we will tell you 3 effective solutions to fix the Audacity not recording audio issue.

I'm trying to record soundtracks from a ps vita to my mac. However when I connected the male to male cord from the vita headphone jack to my mac, the sound isn't recording into audacity. I've checked the sound settings on my mac and the output shows headphone port. A quick fix to the recent audacity issue striking mac users!!! I looked everywhere and couldn't find a fix. I'll be good guy Greg here and help others out, s. If you are running on the Mac computer, then the steps to fix the Audacity not recording sound issue would be a little different. Usually, the no recording audio problem on Mac may be caused by Apple Privacy settings.

  • Part 1. Enable Recording Device to Fix Audacity Not Recording
  • Part 2. Set Audio Host and Sample Rate to Fix Audacity Not Recording
  • Part 3. Get Audio Recorder Alternative to Fix Audacity Not Recording
  • Part 4. FAQs of Audacity Not Recording

Part 1. Enable Recording Device to Fix Audacity Not Recording

Audacity not recording issue mainly occurs when there are no available recording devices. If there is no available option listed in the Recording Device, Audacity will not record any audio for you. So when you face the Audacity not recording audio on Mac or Windows PC, you should first check and enable the recording devices.

Step 1 Make sure the Audacity is running and right click on the Speaker icon in the system tray. Here you can see a Recording devices option, click on it. Here you can also open the Sound option in Audacity to get to the Recording devices window.

Step 2 Click the Recording tab and then right click on the window. During this step, you need to check Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices.

Audacity not recording stereo

Step 3 By doing so, multiple devices will displayed in the window. You can choose and enable them for the Audacity audio recording. After that, you can restart the Audacity and then try recording audio on your computer.

Part 2. Set Audio Host and Sample Rate to Fix Audacity Not Recording

Audacity not recording issue may also occur when Audacity is configured to use a sample rate or audio host. So you should check these settings to solve the problem.

When you face the Audacity not recording situation, you need to check the audio host setting. The default audio host for Audacity is MME. MME is the acronym of Multimedia Extensions that guarantees any audio sources on the computer can be input and recorded. Here you need to make sure the audio host you are using is MME.

If Audacity is using a sample rate that can’t be supported by your computer sound card, it will record a audio file with no sound. In that case, you need to check the sample rate in Audacity. You can see a Project Rate (Hz) option in the bottom-left corner. There are two sample rates offered, 44100 Hz and 48000 Hz. They are the most commonly used sample rates that can be supported by most sound cards. You can switch these two sample rates to fix the Audacity not recording issue.

Part 3. Get Audio Recorder Alternative to Fix Audacity Not Recording

If the Audacity not recording problem is still there, you need to switch to a better audio recorder. Here we strongly recommend the powerful Screen Recorder for you to record any audio on your computer. It has the capability to capture both video and audio with its original image and sound quality.

  • Record any audio on Mac/Windows PC with high sound quality.
  • Capture computer audio from system audio card and microphone/speaker.
  • Powerful editing features to better edit captured audio and video file.
  • Capture computer screen/webcam, record audio and take screenshots.
  • Record online music, videos, 2D/3D gameplay, webcam, video/audio calls, and more.
  • Advanced Blue-light real-time HD video encoding and accelerate technology.

Step 1 Double click the download button above and follow the instructions to free install and run this Audacity alternative on your Mac or Windows PC.

Step 2 When you get to the home window, you can choose the Audio Recorder feature to record any sound on your computer.

Step 3 When you enter the main interface of the Audio Recorder, you can choose the audio recording source, system audio card, microphone or both according to your need.

Step 4 Now you can simply click on REC button to start the audio recording process. You are given the full control of the recording. When you want to finish the audio recording, you can click the Stop button.

Step 5 This audio recorder is equipped with a built-in media player for you to view the recorded audio file. During this step, you are also allowed to trim the recording and only save the necessary part. When you are satisfied with the result, you can click the Save button to save the captured audio.

The audio recording fill will be automatically saved in MP3 format. If you want to output it in other audio formats like AAC, M4A, FLAC, WMA, and more, you can go to Preferences window to change it. Besides the audio recording, this Audacity alternative also enables you to record online videos, capture video/audio calls, save online meeting contents and more. Just free download it and have a try.

Part 4. FAQs of Audacity Not Recording

Question 1. How to record voice from microphone with Audacity?

To record your own voice with Audacity, you need to ensure your microphone is plugged in and on. Then go to the Audacity Preferences and enable the microphone settings. After that, you can start the voice recording through your microphone.

Question 2. Is there any online tool to capture computer audio?

You should know that, there are a large number of screen and audio recording tools provided on the internet, and many of them are online recorders. You can try the highly-recommended free online audio recorder to help you capture any audio on your computer.

Question 3. Why is my recording delayed on Audacity?

Various reasons will cause the audio recording delayed on Audacity. Audacity will record your computer audio to a track as soon as the audio enters the computer. You can restart the Audacity or update software to solve the problem. If the problem is still there, you should check if you are using a recording delay feature.

It will be quite irritating if Audacity output a recording file with no sound. When you face the Audacity not recording issue, you can use the 3 solutions above to fix it. You can leave us a message in the comment if you still have any questions about the Audacity audio recording.

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“I used Audacity to copy tapes into digital audio files before; however, the Audacity recording is not working at all now, how can I fix this problem?” Audacity is an open-source audio solution with extensive functions including recording. It is a good way to convert music tapes into digital files or download online songs. According to our survey, some users reported that the recording function is not always working. Therefore, we share the troubleshooting to help users fix this problem quickly.

Part 1: Why Audacity Not Recording?

The common causes why Audacity is not recording include:

  • 1. Audacity cannot recognize your microphone.
  • 2. The recording settings are incorrect.
  • 3. Something is wrong on your sound card.
  • 4. Audacity is outdated or bug.

Why Won't Audacity Record On My Mac

Part 2: 5 Solutions to Fix Audacity Not Recording

Solution 1: Check Microphone

Audacity Not Recording Mac

Firstly, check your microphone and cable no matter you use internal or external device. Then update sound card driver. When Audacity is not recording on Windows 10, upgrade to version 1803 and enable the microphone in your Privacy settings: Open Settings in Start menu, go to Privacy, and turn on Microphone.

Solution 2: Show Disabled Devices

The issue that Audacity is not recording on Windows is usually due to the sound input is disabled.

Step 1: Right-click on the audio icon in the system tray and choose Recording Devices to open the popup dialog.

Step 2: Locate the blank area and right-click you mouse. Then check both Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices.

Step 3: Right-click on Stereo Mix and Enable it.

Solution 3: Set up Audacity Correctly

Audacity Not Recording Computer Audio

On Mac:

Step 1: Go to the Audacity menu and choose Preferences.

Step 2: Locate the Devices tab and select the desired microphone from the Devices option under Recording.

Step 3: Back to the main interface, and switch to MME in the Audio Host option at upper left side.

On Windows:

Step 1: Choose Preferences from Edit menu in Audacity when it is not recording.

Step 2: Set the microphone in Devices tab and click OK.

Step 3: Then choose MME from Audio Host in main interface.

Solution 4: Use Simpler Audio Recorder:AnyMP4 Screen Recorder

Audacity is not the only way to record audio on desktop. AnyMP4 Screen Recorder is the best alternative to record audio on Windows and Mac. Moreover, it presets options according to your hardware.

Audacity Recording Problems

Basic Features of the Best Alternative to Audacity

  • 1. Record any audio in a single click on PC and Mac.
  • 2. Enhance audio quality automatically while recording.
  • 3. Offer extensive bonus tools, like audio trimming.
Why is audacity not recording mac

Needless to say, it is the best option to record audio when Audacity is not working.

How to Fix Audacity Not Recording with the Best Alternative to Audacity

Step 1: Install the best audio recorder

When Audacity is not recording, install the best alternative audio recorder to your hard disk. Then launch it and pick Audio Recorder to open the main interface. Advanced users can click the Gear icon to open the Preferences dialog and set custom options. For beginner, the audio recorder will optimize them according to your system.

Step 2: Record audio

There are two audio input, System Sound and Microphone. Enable and disable each one based on your need. To record online music, for example, turn on System Sound while disable Microphone. If you intend to capture sound through microphone, toggle System Sound off and turn on Microphone. Hit the REC button to start recording audio.

Step 3: Save audio recording

When recording is done, click the Stop button to open it in Preview window. Pre-listen to the recording and remove unwanted parts with the Clip tool. Finally, click on the Save button to save the audio recording to your hard drive.

More audio recording software like Audacity are here.

Solution 5: How to Fix Audacity Not Recording Online

In addition to desktop audio recorder software, you can also try online alternative when Audacity is not recording. AnyMP4 Free Online Audio Recorder is the simplest alternative to Audacity.

Main Features of the Best Alternative to Audacity Online

  • 1. Record audio from your system or microphone.
  • 2. Produce the best audio quality as much as possible.
  • 3. Available to all major browsers, like Safari, Chrome, etc.

How to Record Audio without Audacity

Step 1: Open your browser, put https://www.anymp4.com/free-online-audio-recorder/ into address bar and hit Enter key.

Audacity not recording moving

Step 2: Hit the big button in the webpage and get the launcher.

Step 3: Then enable or turn off System sound and Microphone according to your situation. Click the REC button to begin recording audio.

Step 4: Wait for audio recording to complete and hit the Stop button. Then save and download the recording to your computer.

Part 3: FAQs of Audacity Not Recording

Why is my microphone not working on Audacity?

Audacity can co-work with most microphones on market. If your microphone is not working on Audacity, chances are that settings are not proper. You can correct it with our guide.

How long can Audacity record?

Generally speaking, Audacity does not have any limit on audio recording length. However, the output audio file will become very large and take up a lot of space. We suggest you to record no more than one hour.

Can you record multiple tracks on Audacity?

Audacity is able to record multiple tracks if you set it up correctly. To do it, open the Preferences dialog from Edit menu on PC or Audacity menu on Mac. Go to Recording and check Overdub: Play other tracks while recording new ones. Now, you can do it if your machine has an I/O box and is fast enough.

Conclusion

Audacity Recording Settings

This article has told you how to fix the problem that Audacity is not recording on Windows or Mac. As an open-source audio solution, Audacity is popular around the world. However, it is not a perfect audio recorder and the setup process is complicated. Therefore, we suggest you to try a simpler alternative, such as AnyMP4 Screen Recorder. It is not only easier than Audacity, but also able to produce better audio quality. If you have more questions, please write it down below.