Screen Recording Has No Sound? 8 Fixes That Work.

March 16, 2026•By JITU KUMAR

You just spent 45 minutes recording a detailed tutorial. You open the file — and there's zero audio. No voiceover, no system sounds, nothing. It's one of the most frustrating problems every YouTuber and content creator faces sooner or later.

The good news: screen recording with no sound is almost always caused by one of a handful of fixable settings. This guide covers every known cause and walks you through each fix — in plain English, no tech jargon required.

Let's get your audio working. 🎙️

📋 Table of Contents

Quick Diagnosis — What Kind of Problem Do You Have?

Before diving into fixes, identify which type of screen recording audio problem you're dealing with — the solution is different for each:

🔇 No audio at all

The video is completely silent — no microphone voice, no system sounds. → Start at Fix 1.

🎙️ No microphone, but system sounds work

You can hear app sounds but your voiceover is missing. → Go to Fix 2 & Fix 3.

🔊 Mic works, but no system/game audio

Your voice is captured but the software or game sounds are silent. → See Fix 2 & Fix 4.

⚠️ Audio is there but very quiet or distorted

Sound exists but is unusable. → Check Fix 5 & Fix 6.

The 8 Fixes

Fix One

Check Your Audio Source Settings in the Recorder

The most common reason your screen recording has no sound is simply that the audio source wasn't enabled before you hit record. Most screen recording software has separate toggles for microphone and system audio — and both default to OFF in many tools.

Open your screen recorder and look for audio/sound settings — usually a microphone icon or speaker icon in the toolbar.

Make sure Microphone is toggled ON if you want to capture your voice.

Make sure System Audio / Speaker is toggled ON if you want to capture game sounds, music, or app audio.

Do a 10-second test recording and play it back before starting your full session.

💡 Content Creator Tip

Always do a quick 15-second test recording before every session. It saves you from re-recording a 30-minute tutorial because of a silent audio toggle.

Fix Two

Enable Microphone AND System Sound Simultaneously

Easy

Many beginners don't realize that microphone recording and system audio recording are two separate settings. You need both enabled at the same time to record screen with audio properly — capturing both your voice and the sounds from your computer.

This is a common issue with the Xbox Game Bar, which sometimes fails to capture system audio if your default output device changes. It's also why many YouTubers switch to a dedicated screen recorder with audio like EasyScreenRecorder, which lets you mix both sources independently with volume sliders.

In EasyScreenRecorder, click the audio settings panel and enable both Microphone Input and System Sound Output.

Adjust the volume level for each independently so your voice doesn't drown out system audio (or vice versa).

Record a test clip while playing music in the background and speaking aloud — you should hear both in playback.

Fix Three

Allow Microphone Access in Windows Privacy Settings

Easy

Windows 11 has strict privacy controls. If your screen recording software doesn't have microphone permission, it simply cannot capture any mic audio — and it usually won't warn you about it either. This is a very common hidden cause of silent screen recordings.

Press Windows + I to open Settings → Navigate to Privacy & Security → Microphone.

Make sure "Microphone access" is turned ON at the top.

Scroll down and find your screen recorder app in the list. Toggle it ON if it's off.

Also check "Let desktop apps access your microphone" is enabled at the bottom of the list.

Restart your screen recording tool and test again.

⚠️ Important

After a major Windows Update, privacy permissions can reset. If your screen recording stopped capturing audio after a Windows update — this is almost certainly the cause.

Fix Four

Set the Correct Default Playback & Recording Device

Medium

If you use headphones, a USB audio interface, or Bluetooth speakers, Windows may be routing audio to the wrong device — causing your screen recorder to listen on the wrong input. This is especially common for YouTubers who use USB microphones or audio interfaces.

Right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar → Select "Sound settings".

Under Output, make sure your correct speakers or headphones are set as default.

Under Input, make sure your correct microphone (USB mic, headset, etc.) is set as default.

Scroll down and click "More sound settings" → Go to the Recording tab → Right-click your mic → Set as Default Device AND Default Communication Device.

In your screen recorder settings, manually select the same device to ensure it matches Windows' default.

Fix Five

Update or Reinstall Your Audio Drivers

Medium

Outdated or corrupted audio drivers are a sneaky cause of screen recording no audio issues. Your system may appear to be working fine (you can hear audio through headphones) but the driver's recording pipeline is broken — meaning screen capture software can't tap into it.

Press Windows + X → Click Device Manager.

Expand "Sound, video and game controllers".

Right-click your audio device → Select "Update driver" → Choose "Search automatically for drivers".

If updating doesn't help, right-click → "Uninstall device" → Restart your PC. Windows will reinstall the driver fresh on boot.

For Realtek audio users, visit the Realtek website directly or use Windows Update to get the latest certified drivers.

Fix Six

Disable Audio Enhancements That Block Recording

Medium

Windows 11 includes audio enhancement features — noise suppression, spatial audio, equalizer effects — that can conflict with how screen recording applications capture audio. The result: your mic sounds fine in voice calls but records as silence or static in your screen capture video.

Go to Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings.

Right-click your microphone in the Recording tab → Properties.

Click the Enhancements tab (or Advanced tab on some systems) → Check "Disable all enhancements".

Under the Advanced tab, uncheck "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device".

Click OK and test your audio recording again.

Fix Seven — Most Impactful

Switch to a Recorder Built to Handle Both Audio Sources

Easy

Sometimes the real problem isn't your settings — it's your tool. The Xbox Game Bar has a known limitation: it only records audio from the active foreground app, not all system sounds. Snipping Tool's video mode doesn't record audio at all. If you've tried all the fixes above and still get screen recording with no sound, your recorder simply might not support proper audio capture.

EasyScreenRecorder was built specifically to solve this. It captures:

✓

Microphone input — your voiceover, commentary, or narration

✓

System audio / desktop sound — game sounds, YouTube playback, app sounds, anything playing through your speakers

✓

Both simultaneously — mixed and balanced, with independent volume controls for each source

🎬 For YouTubers

Most professional YouTubers and streamers use a dedicated screen recorder with audio mixing rather than Windows' built-in tools. The difference in audio quality and reliability is immediately noticeable in the final video. Download EasyScreenRecorder free and set it up once — you'll never deal with silent recordings again.

Fix Eight — Easy Win

Check Your Video Player, Not Your Recording File

Easy

Before going through every fix above — double-check this one first. Sometimes the screen recording actually has audio, but the video player you're using to preview it has the volume muted, uses an incompatible codec, or has the wrong audio track selected.

Open the recording in VLC Media Player (free, handles all formats) and check the audio track is selected under Audio → Audio Track.

Try playing the file in a different player — Windows Media Player, VLC, and the Photos app all handle audio differently.

Right-click the file → Properties → check the file size. If the file is very small (under 1 MB for a 5-minute recording), audio was never captured.

If audio plays in VLC but not your editing software, the codec may need updating — re-export the file using a screen recording converter set to MP4/H.264 + AAC audio.

Which Screen Recorder Handles Audio Best?

Here's a honest comparison of common screen recording tools and their audio capabilities — so you can pick the right one for your YouTube or content creation workflow:

Tool	Microphone	System Audio	Both Simultaneously	Audio Mixing	Best For
EasyScreenRecorder	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Volume per source	YouTubers, tutorials, gameplay
Xbox Game Bar	✅ Yes	⚠️ Active app only	⚠️ Limited	❌ No	Quick game clips
Snipping Tool	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	Silent region capture only
OBS Studio	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Advanced mixer

🏆 Verdict for Content Creators

OBS is powerful but overwhelming for beginners. Xbox Game Bar is too limited. EasyScreenRecorder hits the sweet spot — full audio control, zero learning curve, and completely free with no watermarks. It's the best screen recorder with audio for YouTube for most creators.

FAQ: Screen Recording No Sound

Why does my screen recording have no sound on Windows 11?

The most common causes are: audio source not enabled in the recorder, Windows microphone privacy settings blocking access, the wrong default audio device selected, or a tool that doesn't support audio capture (like Snipping Tool). Follow Fix 1 through Fix 3 first — they solve 80% of cases.

How do I record my screen with microphone and system audio at the same time?

You need a screen recorder that supports dual audio capture. EasyScreenRecorder lets you enable both your microphone and system audio simultaneously, with separate volume controls for each. The Xbox Game Bar supports this too, but only for the active window — not all system audio.

Why does my screen recording have no sound after a Windows update?

Windows updates frequently reset privacy permissions. After any major Windows update, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and re-enable microphone access for your screen recording app. Also check your default audio device hasn't changed.

My microphone works in voice calls but not in screen recording — why?

This is almost always a software permissions issue. Your video call app has mic access but your screen recorder doesn't. Go to Windows Privacy Settings and specifically enable microphone access for your recording software. Also check if audio enhancements are enabled (Fix 6).

Does Snipping Tool on Windows 11 record audio?

No. The Snipping Tool's video recording feature in Windows 11 captures video only — no microphone audio, no system sounds. For any recording that needs audio, you'll need a dedicated screen and audio recorder like EasyScreenRecorder.

What is the best free screen recorder with audio for YouTube videos?

EasyScreenRecorder is the top choice for YouTubers — it's completely free, records both microphone and system audio with individual volume control, exports in YouTube-ready MP4 format, and adds no watermarks to your videos. Download it free here.

Wrapping Up

A screen recording with no audio is frustrating, but it's almost always fixable. Start with the easy wins — check audio source settings, check Windows privacy permissions, and verify your default audio device. If those don't work, update your drivers and disable audio enhancements.

And if you're still battling the same issue video after video, the smartest move is to switch to a screen recorder built for content creators — one that handles both mic and system audio out of the box, reliably, every single time.

EasyScreenRecorder is that tool. It's free, it's simple, and your next recording will have perfect audio. 🎙️