Internal audio is the sound that comes from your device itself, like app sounds, video playback, game audio, and system alerts. It is also called system audio or computer audio, and it is the opposite of external audio, which is what your microphone picks up.
The term comes up most often in screen recording. When people ask how to record internal audio, they want the recording to capture the sound playing on the device, not the noise in the room around them.
Getting it right matters for tutorials, product demos, gameplay videos, and meeting recordings, where the sound inside the screen is half the content.
What is internal audio?
Internal audio is any sound your computer or phone produces on its own. When you play a video, join a meeting, get a notification, or hear game sounds, that is internal audio. It travels inside the device, from an app straight to your speakers or headphones, and never passes through a microphone. You will hear it called by a few names: system audio, computer audio, internal sound, or device audio. They all mean the same thing.
Why is recording internal audio important?
Capturing sound directly from the system instead of through a mic changes the quality and completeness of a recording. It lets you:
- Get clean sound with zero room noise, since the audio is captured digitally with no fans, echoes, or keyboard clicks.
- Make complete tutorials and demos, where viewers hear every click, alert, and in-app sound exactly as it happens.
- Record full meetings and webinars, capturing what every participant says and not just your side of the call.
- Keep gameplay sounding right, with music and effects recorded at full quality.
- Skip extra gear, because no microphone or audio interface is needed to capture it.
Most tutorials and demos actually need both: internal audio so viewers hear the app, and your mic so they hear your explanation.
What is the difference between internal audio and external audio?
The difference is where the sound comes from.
- Internal audio comes from inside the device: apps, browser tabs, games, music, meeting participants, and system sounds.
- External audio comes from outside the device and is picked up by a microphone: your voice, other people in the room, and background noise.
A quick test: if you muted your microphone and the sound would still be in the recording, it is internal audio.
Does every device record internal audio the same way?
No, and this is where most people get stuck.
- Windows lets most screen recorders capture system sound directly. You usually just switch on system audio before recording. Here is a full guide on how to record internal audio on Windows.
- macOS blocks internal audio recording by default. The built-in recorder captures your screen and mic, but not the system sound, so you need a screen recorder built to capture it. This guide on how to screen record on Mac walks you through it.
- Browsers can share tab audio. When you record or share a single browser tab, its sound can be captured directly.
- Phones vary. Most phones can include internal audio in screen recordings, but some apps block it.
This is also the answer to the most common question of all: if your screen recording came out silent, system audio was switched off or your device blocks it by default.
How to record internal audio in Vmaker AI
- Open the recorder: launch Vmaker's screen recorder and choose what to capture: your full screen, a window, or a browser tab.
- Switch on system audio: turn on system audio before you start. Switch on your microphone too if you want to talk over the recording.
- Record: capture your screen while the internal audio is recorded directly from the system, with no room noise.
- Review and trim: cut out dead space at the start or end, or remove sections you do not need.
- Export or share: download the recording or share it with a link, or send it to the editor for more work.
Record once, repurpose everywhere using AI
A recording with clean internal audio is worth more than one video, because clear sound is exactly what AI tools work best with. AI transcription turns the audio into accurate text, and the AI subtitle generator adds animated captions straight from the recorded sound, ready for feeds where most people watch on mute. If you recorded a long meeting, webinar, or class, the long to short video generator finds the best moments and turns them into short, shareable clips, so you never scrub through the whole recording.
Common use cases for internal audio
| Software tutorials and demos | Meetings and webinars | Gameplay videos |
|---|---|---|
| Viewers need to hear the app itself: clicks, alerts, and in-app sounds. Recording internal audio captures all of it exactly as it happens, with your mic layered on top for narration. | Capturing system audio records every participant's voice, not just yours, so nothing from the discussion is lost. Make sure you have permission to record the call. | Game music and sound effects are recorded at full quality straight from the system, without speaker playback or room noise getting in the way. |
| Bug reports and support | Live streams and classes | Reaction and commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Error sounds and alerts are part of the evidence. Internal audio captures them alongside the screen, so support teams see and hear exactly what went wrong. | Recording a stream or online class with system audio saves the full session, so it can be watched again or turned into short clips later. | Your mic and the source audio are recorded together, so your commentary and the original sound stay in sync in one recording. |