There are several reasons why you might be willing to record your screen in Windows 10. It could be for a YouTube tutorial, a gaming session recording, something related to work, and so on.
Fortunately, Windows allows you to make screen recordings easily, and that too with your audio on it. This article gives you two such methods to record your screen in Windows 10 for free.
So, no need to scratch your heads or rummage through the internet to search for apps that can screen record with audio. While there are several third-party screen recording apps available, not all of them will allow you to record with audio on.
Don’t worry, we’ll discuss which app can help you record your screen on Windows 10 along with a step-by-step procedure of how to set it up and use it. Read on to find out!
How to Start Recording Your Screen
There are two major ways to record your screen on Windows 10 with audio:
- Via the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar
- Via a third-party app like OBS Broadcaster
The former one, i.e. the Windows 10 Game Bar comes in-built with your Operating System and is the quickest way to record your screen. However, if you need a more controlled recording experience like being able to change the audio quality or record a specific window, OBS is preferred.
How to Record your Screen in Windows 10 using the Xbox Game Bar?
Your Windows 10 Game Bar can do a lot more than just gaming and today, we will be discussing how it helps you to make screen recordings.
Step 1. Press Windows key + G to launch the Xbox Game bar. Else, you can launch it from the Start menu by scrolling down and clicking on the “Xbox Game Bar” option.
Note: If somehow, the Game Bar does not show up, go to Settings, click on “Gaming” and then on “Xbox Game Bar”. You need to check if the Game Bar is switched on or not.
Moreover, you can also take a look at your system’s keyboard shortcut to open the Game Bar here and change it to something else if you want to.
Step 2. Hover over the Game Bar and you’ll find the Capture icon right next to the Audio icon. Click on the “Capture” button.
Step 3. Now, another small window will come up. This is the Screen Capture widget and it contains four buttons from left to right. Let’s quickly go through them:
Screenshot: Grabs a screenshot of the currently active window
Record last 30 seconds: Makes a recording of the previous 30 seconds
Start recording: Begins screen recording of your current active window.
Turn on the mic while recording: You can enable this option to allow Windows 10 to capture audio from your computer’s microphone while you are screen recording.
Also, there will be some text shown underneath these capture buttons. This text tells you what your current window is, i.e. what it will screen record.
Step 4: So, if you want to record your screen, decide whether to turn the mic “ON” or not. In case, you wish to record audio as well, then, click on it and then, click on the “Start Recording” button.
Your screen will start being recorded and a small toolbar will be shown in one corner of your screen. It will have buttons to stop the recording and also toggle the microphone “On” or “Off”. Also, it shows the running time of the screen recording.
Step 5: Once your recording is done, click on the “Stop” button from the toolbar and your recording will end.
Step 6: To open your screen recording, click on “Show all captures” located below the title of your active window.
Step 7: Your latest screen recording will be shown at the top of the recording list. Now, you can click on the “Folder” icon to check out all these recordings and screenshots in the File Explorer tab. Otherwise, you can find your screen recordings at – C:\Users\NAME\Videos\Capture, where the recordings get stored by default.
Tip: You can also start or stop recording your screen via a keyboard shortcut: Windows key+Alt+R. Go to Settings, followed by Gaming, and then Xbox Game Bar to set it to a self-made shortcut.
And that’s it! Those were all the steps you need to follow to record your screen in Windows 10 via Game Bar
How to Screen Record on Windows 10 using OBS Studio?
Windows Game Bar is undoubtedly one of the best ways to record your screen quickly. However, if you want to gain more control while recording and even more features, we’d recommend you to download OBS Broadcaster.
It is one of the most popular video game streaming software but is often used to record screens and save the recordings in your drive. Besides, you can also use it on Mac OS and Linux. You must have seen a lot of YouTubers use OBS Studio for live streaming.
Step 1. Download and install the OBS broadcaster software from its official website on your Windows 10 computer.
Step 2. Open the application and click on “Settings” from the far right. Adjust the video and audio bitrate to whatever you want it to be. Keep in mind that the bitrate should be well suited to your system’s processing power.
For a weaker computer, pick a lower bitrate and for a stronger system, opt for a higher bitrate. You can follow this tutorial to learn more about bitrates.
Step 3. After you’ve changed the settings, click on “Apply”. Remember, the changes won’t take action on their own if you click “OK.”
Step 4. Then, switch your video format to .mp4 to make sure your screen recording can be viewed on all devices and then, click on “Apply.”
The OBS broadcaster screen is black like the screenshot given below:
All the features might seem very complex to master, but we’ll walk you through them step by step. You need to do the following three things before starting your screen recording:
- Choosing audio/microphone: Think of this as a one-time job that needs to be done and dusted.
- Click on the “Audio” tab from the Settings menu. Then, choose the audio device you wish to use from the “Desktop audio device” dropdown menu.
- Click on your mic from the “Mic/Auxiliary Device” dropdown menu.
- Finally, click on “Apply” and then on “OK.”
- Choose what to record: Now, you need to add a source to the OBS recorder so that it knows what is to be recorded.
- Go to the “Sources” box located in the OBS dashboard at the bottom of your screen.
- Click on the “+” arrow and then, click on “Display Capture”. Once done, click “OK.”
- But, if you don’t want to record everything on display, then click “+” and then on “Window Capture.” A drop-down list will appear, select the open program that you want to download. This will record the contents of a specific program window only.
- Adjust Audio: Before beginning with the screen record, you need to adjust the audio levels of your computer’s and mic’s audio. For this, you have several tools in the “Mixer” tab of the dashboard. Adjust the volume levels and audio accordingly with the help of a volume slider, mute button, and a settings button.
Step 5. Now that you have adjusted the settings and the audio as per requirements, click on the “Start Recording” button from the right corner of your OBS dashboard. Here, you’ll also find the option of “Start Streaming” and “Stop Recording” to stop the screen recording whenever you’re done with your video.
Step 6. To check where your recordings get saved, click on “Settings” and then on “Output” followed by “Recording”. Here you’ll be able to see the storage location for your videos in the “Recording Path” field and can also change the same by clicking on the “Browse” option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I record my computer screen?
There are many ways to record your computer screen. The basic and quick way to do so is via the Windows 10 Xbox Game Bar application. But, if you need more control and features, then third-party apps like OBS Broadcaster are suggested. Go through the above article to get a detailed overview of the same.
Does Windows 10 have a screen recorder?
Yes, it does. Windows 10 comes with an in-built screen recorder, and that can be accessed via the Xbox Game Bar application.
How do I record my screen on Windows 10 with sound?
Open the Xbox Game Bar via the “Start” menu. Then, click on the “Capture” option which opens up the “Capture” widget. Click on the “Turn on the mic while recording” icon towards the right of the widget and then, click on the “Start Recording” icon to start recording your screen with audio.