6 Methods to Solve | Audacity Not Recording Sound or Mic

To fix the issues that Audacity does not record the sound effectively, follow this post to find 6 solutions to help with that. Methods include configuring Audacity settings, checking the Windows sound setting, and using the alternative sound recorder.

Audacity is an open-source audio recorder for Windows and other operating systems, which is functional in capturing sound from multiple sources. However, in recent days, some users have complained about Audacity not recording mic or sound. There are some possible reasons behind it. Maybe you haven't downloaded the recent version or something wrong with your computer. 

Here, you find 6 methods to solve the Audacity recording issue correctly. 

Audacity is a dedicated program to record and edit audio files. It can be used by some professional users for mixing sound files. Sometimes it may not capture the sound, and several possible reasons are listed below. 

• Don't enable the option for capturing audio resources
• Fail in editing audio host like MME from the main interface
• Cannot enable Windows system setting for microphone
• Not using a suitable sample rate for audio
• The operation for capturing is stuck for a while

6 Methods to Fix Audacity not Recording Sound

The part provides with you several methods to solve that Audacity doesn't record sound, including adjusting settings of Audacity, enabling Windows sound options, using the Audacity alternative, etc. 

Method 1. Adjust Audacity Settings

For the first method, check the Audacity's properties settings. Sometimes you may ignore essential options, and the recording could be affected. To enable the functional button, click the Edit button and choose Preferences. Then, find Recordings and enable the buttons as followed. After that, perform Audacity again to capture sound from sources like a microphone.

Method 2. Change Audio Host to MME

MME should be enabled when capturing the voice. By default, it is automatically adjusted to the right option. But sometimes the audio host is changed, you should alter it to MME. This setting button is on the left side of the main interface, which has three options, including MME, Windows DirectSound, and WASAPI.

Method 3. Enable Windows Microphone Setting

You can apply this method by setting sound from the Windows Control Panel. This is an essential factor no matter what audio recorders you are using. If the operating system doesn't enable the recording tool, the task cannot be successful. To explain this method in detail, below is a guide. 

Step 1. Firstly, you should open the Control Panel by pressing the Windows logo key and "I" buttons. Then, move to "System" and choose the Sound option.

Step 2. In the Recording window, find the microphone icon and enable it by right clicking. Meanwhile, turn the audio volume to the maximum level. It can provide you with the best effect to record microphone sound. 

Step 3. Click "OK" if you have finished the settings. Then, back to Audacity and apply the audio capturing feature again. Also, as mentioned above, remember to set the audio host of Audacity to MME. 

Method 4. Set Proper Audio Sample Rate

If Audacity not recording sound, choose the suitable sample rates. Higher sample rates could have more benefits for capturing sound. Most users regard that the best setting for sample rate in Audacity is around 44.1 kHz. Find this option on the bottom left of the main interface. Below is an image for this feature.

Method 5. Restart or Reinstall the Program

Another possible reason for Audacity's failure in recording sound could be the installation problem. You can fix it by restarting the software. If it's still not working, download this program again.

Also, make sure your computer has enough storage to install Audacity. 

Method 6. Try Best Alternative to Audacity for Recording Sound (Simple Interface) 

Believe that you have learned how to fix the issue "Audacity not recording", while you can also try the alternative sound recorder. With a friendly and simple interface, EaseUS RecExperts allows recording system and external audio separately, or at the same time. Meanwhile, it can adjust the output format, bitrate, etc.

Not only being a powerful streaming audio recorder, but it's also the screen capturing software to record the whole or partial screen with sound. You can easily use it to record meetings, YouTube videos, etc.

Now, try the best alternative to Audacity for free! Start recording sound and no registration is required.

Key features of this beneficial sound recorder:

• Safe and secure screen recorder
• Record audio from YouTube with ease
• Allow advanced settings for audio output
• Record game with audio on Windows/Mac
• Capture screen with system and microphone sound

FAQs About Audacity Not Recording Sound

Here is a list of issues that people frequently ask about. A series of solutions are also provided. 

1. How do you fix no sound on Audacity?

An important factor to capture sound successfully on Audacity is to make sure the audio host is in MME status. This button can be found in the main interface of the tool. It includes other options like WASAPI, but you have to alter it to MME. Other effective solutions are shown in the above part. 

2. Why is Audacity not picking up my microphone?

Find the Sound setting in the Control Panel. You can press the Windows logo key and "I". Then, choose the microphone option in the list of audio input devices, and right-click it. After that, click Settings to access the input and output settings of the audio.

Meanwhile, check if the microphone you selected is the same as Audacity's default microphone.