Sometimes users will need to record the audio of their PC for different reasons. Audacity is one of the best audio applications for recording and editing. However, recording PC audio is different from recording voice through a microphone. There are different methods that can help to record PC audio with Audacity.

How to Record Your PC Audio with Audacity - 1

Record PC audio with Audacity

Recording Audio with Audacity

Users may need to record a Skype call , music from another mp3, or recording a process that is running on the PC. Several different features can be used for recording PC audio with Audacity. You can choose the method that is available on your PC.

Recording PC Audio Using Stereo Mix

Stereo Mix allows users to record the output of their speakers and it is also known as ‘What you hear’. This feature is only supported by specific hardware. However, nowadays it’s not as common as it was before. Depending on your hardware, if you have Stereo Mix, then follow the below steps:

  1. Right-click on the Volume icon in the system tray and choose Recording Devices option. Opening Recording devices
  2. In the Recording Device window, right-click on the empty space and choose Show Disabled Devices option. Showing disabled devices
  3. Find the Stereo Mix device, right-click on it and select Enable option. Enabling Stereo Mix device
  4. Select Stereo Mix and click on the Properties button. Navigate to the Listen tab and uncheck the ‘ Listen to this device ‘ option. Click Ok to close the Properties window. Unchecking the listen to this device option
  5. Open your Audacity application. You will find the menu bar for audio input and output at the top.
  6. Click on the Recording (Mic) option and select the Stereo Mix option. Selecting Stereo Mix as the recording device
  7. Now click on the Record button and Audacity will be recording every sound on the PC.

Recording PC Audio Using WASAPI

If you don’t have Stereo Mix available on your PC, then you can use the WASAPI. The Windows Audio Session API is used for talking through audio devices. It allows Audacity to control the flow of audio between the application and audio playback devices. WASAPI is the best alternative for Stereo Mix in Audacity. Follow the below steps to record PC audio through WASAPI:

  1. Open Audacity application by double-clicking the shortcut or searching Audacity in the Windows search feature.
  2. Click on the first option in the audio input/output menu bar and choose the Windows WASAPI as shown below: Choosing the Windows WASAPI option
  3. Select your audio output device to whatever you are using. Select the microphone device that should be the same as the output device, but the name will have a loopback in the last. Selecting output and microphone options
  4. Once you are done with the settings, click on the Record button and it will start recording your PC audio.

Yes, Audacity can capture the streaming audio in the same way as it record the PC audio.

Yes, you can record audio by using the WASAPI feature that is available in Audacity.

Yes, by using the Stereo mix or WASAPI, you can easily record audio coming from the computer.

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The error “ WinRAR Error: Next Volume Is Required ” usually appears when you’re extracting a multi-part RAR archive and WinRAR can’t find (or can’t correctly identify) the next file in the sequence . This often happens when a volume is missing , stored in a different folder , or renamed in a way that breaks the archive’s expected order .

How to Record Your PC Audio with Audacity - 2

In this guide, we’ll go over the most reliable fixes confirmed by affected users, along with what each method is doing behind the scenes so you can choose the right one for your situation.

Important: To extract multi-volume archives, you should always start extraction from the first file in the set. This is usually file.part1.rar , or (in older sets) the main .rar file that comes before .r01 , .r02 , and so on.

1. Download and Place the Missing RAR File

WinRAR needs all parts of a multi-volume archive to complete extraction. This error usually appears when one of the volumes in a set like .part2.rar , .r01 , .r02 , .001 , and similar naming formats is missing . Downloading the missing volume and placing it in the same folder as the other parts allows WinRAR to continue extracting normally .

  1. Look at the error message or review the list of archive parts in the folder.
  2. Identify which volume is missing (for example, part2.rar , .r02 , .001 , etc.).
  3. Go back to the website or source where you downloaded the archive.
  4. Locate and download the exact missing file using the same naming format as the others.
  5. Make sure the new file name matches the pattern of the rest. Example: If you have file.part1.rar and file.part3.rar , the missing one must be file.part2.rar .
  6. Move the downloaded missing volume into the same folder as the other archive parts.
  7. Confirm that all parts are in a single folder before extracting.
  8. Right-click the first file in the series (usually part1 or the main .rar file) and select Extract Here or Extract to Folder .
  9. WinRAR should now detect all volumes and continue extraction normally .

2. Manually Browse & Select the Next Volume

Use this method only if the next volume already exists , but WinRAR is failing to detect it automatically. This can happen due to incorrect naming , the file being in a different location , or a temporary file access issue. Manually browsing helps WinRAR locate the correct volume and resume extraction without interruption .

  1. Right-click the first file in the series (usually .rar or part1.rar ) and select Extract Here or Extract to Folder .
  2. When WinRAR cannot find the next volume, it will show the “ Next Volume Is Required ” message.
  3. A small window will appear, allowing you to manually select the next volume .
  4. Use the file explorer window to locate the folder where the other archive parts are saved.
  5. Select the next part based on the naming order (example: select file.part2.rar after file.part1.rar ).
  6. Make sure the selected file matches the naming format of the archive (no extra characters like (1) and no mismatched numbering).
  7. WinRAR will resume extraction using the selected volume .
  8. If additional volumes are missing or stored separately, WinRAR may prompt you again. Repeat the same process until extraction completes.

3. Rename the RAR files in Order

WinRAR relies on a proper naming sequence (such as file.part1.rar , file.part2.rar , file.part3.rar ) to extract multi-volume archives. If a file is named incorrectly, contains extra characters, or is out of order, WinRAR may fail to locate the next volume and show this error. Renaming the files correctly helps WinRAR follow the sequence and extract the archive without interruptions .

Note: Renaming only changes the file name , not the file contents. The goal is to restore the correct sequence so WinRAR can detect the next volume.

  1. Go to the folder where all the RAR files are saved.
  2. Make sure all parts of the archive are present and stored in the same folder .
  3. Check how the parts are currently named . Common patterns include:
file.part1.rar, file.part2.rar, file.part3.rar
file.rar, file.r01, file.r02, file.r03
  1. Look for files that don’t match the expected numbering pattern (for example, file.part01.rar , file.part1(1).rar , or unrelated names).
  2. Rename each file so it follows the same order without extra characters or mismatched numbering. Example:
Incorrect: file.part1.rar, file.part3.rar, file.part2(1).rar
Correct: file.part1.rar, file.part2.rar, file.part3.rar
  1. Make sure the text before the number is exactly the same for all files.
  2. Only the last part number should change.
  3. Right-click the first file in the series (usually part1.rar or the main .rar file) and select Extract Here .
  4. WinRAR should now recognize the sequence and continue extraction normally .

If you still get the same prompt: the archive set is likely incomplete (a part was never downloaded or was removed), or one of the volumes is corrupt and must be re-downloaded from the original source.