Windows includes a free recording app, Sound Recorder, that records your voice from any microphone, including the one built into most laptops. Recording the sound your computer itself plays, such as a video, a call or music, needs a different method. This guide covers both, based on Microsoft’s own instructions, and how to end up with an MP3 you can share.
The short answer
- Select Start, search for Sound Recorder and open it.
- Select Start recording, or press Ctrl+R.
- Select Stop recording, or press Esc. The recording appears in the app’s list.
Recording your voice with Sound Recorder
- Open Sound Recorder from the Start menu. If it isn’t installed, get Windows Sound Recorder free from the Microsoft Store.
- The first time, follow the on-screen prompt to let the app use your microphone.
- Select Start recording (or press Ctrl+R) and speak.
- To pause, select Pause or press Space; select Resume recording to continue the same recording.
- Select Stop recording (or press Esc) to save it.
According to Microsoft, each recording can last up to three hours, and you can keep working in other apps while it records. Recordings are stored in the app: right-click one to rename, share or delete it. Microsoft notes that uninstalling Sound Recorder deletes its recordings, so share or save copies of anything important.
If the microphone doesn’t work
- Permission: go to Start › Settings › Privacy & security › Microphone and turn on access for Sound Recorder.
- Volume: go to Start › Settings › System › Sound, select your microphone under Input, and adjust Input volume.
- Check it quickly with our microphone test, which shows a live level meter and lets you hear a short test recording.
Recording in a browser as MP3
If you want an MP3 straight away, use our online voice recorder in Edge or Chrome. It records from your microphone and saves an MP3 or WAV file directly to your Downloads folder, with nothing uploaded.
Recording the sound your computer plays
Sound Recorder records a microphone. To capture the computer’s own sound, such as a webinar, a video or audio from an app, use one of these:
- A browser tab or the whole system, with your voice: our screen recorder in Chrome or Edge can record a tab’s sound, or the whole computer’s sound when you tick the option to share system audio, plus your microphone. It saves a video; extract the sound with the MP3 converter.
- Xbox Game Bar: press Windows + G, then use the record button in the Capture widget to record the app in front, including its sound. Recordings are saved as videos.
- Stereo Mix: some sound drivers provide a “Stereo Mix” input that captures everything the PC plays. In Settings › System › Sound › More sound settings, open the Recording tab, right-click and choose Show Disabled Devices; if Stereo Mix appears, enable it and choose it as the input. Not every computer has it.
Saving as MP3
Depending on your version, Sound Recorder saves recordings as M4A or offers a choice of formats in its settings. M4A plays on most devices; when you need MP3, convert with the MP3 converter or M4A to MP3. Both run in your browser without uploading the recording.
Can Windows Media Player record audio?
No. Windows Media Player and the newer Media Player app play audio and can rip CDs, but they don’t record from a microphone. Use Sound Recorder, a browser recorder or a dedicated app such as Audacity.
Tips for clearer recordings
- Use a headset or USB microphone rather than the laptop’s built-in one, which picks up keyboard and fan noise.
- Stay about a hand’s width to an arm’s length from the microphone.
- Close noisy apps and turn off notifications while recording.
Summary
Sound Recorder is the quickest way to record your voice on Windows: Ctrl+R to start, Space to pause, Esc to stop. For the sound your computer plays, use a screen recorder with system audio or Xbox Game Bar, and convert recordings to MP3 when you need a file that plays everywhere.