> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tiro.ooo/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# System Audio (Desktop)

> Record the audio playing on your computer (the other side of a video call, a video's sound) together with your own voice. No bot joins the meeting, and it only runs while you turn it on.

<Note>System audio recording works only in the desktop app (Windows and Mac). It isn't available in a web browser.</Note>

## How it works

Instead of sending a bot into the meeting, Tiro records the audio playing on your own computer directly. That includes the other side of a Zoom or Google Meet call, and any video or audio you're playing.

* Your microphone (your voice) and the system audio (your computer's sound) are recorded on separate paths. Turn both on to capture both, or turn on just one.
* Nothing shows up for the other participants. Recording happens only on your computer, and only while you have it turned on.

## How to turn on system audio

<Steps>
  <Step title="Turn on system audio in the recording controls">
    In the controls on the recording screen, turn on the **\[System Audio]** input and set the **\[System Sound]** input higher than 0%. The input percentage controls how loud your computer's sound comes through; at 0%, system audio isn't recorded.
  </Step>

  <Step title="(Mac) Allow screen recording permission">
    The first time you use it on a Mac, you need screen recording permission. When the "Screen recording is blocked" notice appears, allow Tiro under **\[System Settings]** → **\[Privacy & Security]**, then try again. Windows needs no separate permission.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start recording as usual">
    From here, it's the same as [live recording](/en/guide/recording/live). The other side's speech is captured in the transcript too.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## "Couldn't record system sound" appears

This is when your own voice (the microphone) is captured but the other side's voice or a video's sound isn't. If the microphone is fine, it's usually not a permission issue but the state of your computer's output (speaker or earphone) device. Windows needs no separate permission for system sound recording.

### Check on Windows

1. In **\[Settings]** → **\[System]** → **\[Sound]**, confirm that the default output device is set to a properly connected device. Switching to another device and back often fixes it.
2. In that output device's **\[Properties]** → **\[Advanced]** tab, uncheck "Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device."
3. If any other app can grab the audio (virtual audio, voice changers, recording or broadcasting apps), close it.
4. If it still doesn't work, pause and resume the recording, or fully quit the app and reopen it.

### Check on Mac

1. In **\[System Settings]** → **\[Privacy & Security]**, confirm that Tiro's screen recording (screen and system audio recording) permission is allowed.
2. Confirm that the **\[System Audio]** setting in the recording controls is on and the **\[System Sound]** input is higher than 0%.

### "System sound capture stopped" appears during recording

If the output device changes mid-recording, such as when you unplug your earphones, system sound capture can drop. Microphone recording keeps going even then. Pause and resume the recording to pick up the new device.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can't I record system audio on the web?

Right. Because of browser security limits, it's supported only in the desktop app (Windows and Mac). To capture the other side's voice on the web, install the desktop app. See the [app guide](/en/guide/start/download).

### I can't install the desktop app. Is there any way to record the other side's voice on the web?

There's a workaround with virtual audio cable (VAC) software, though it isn't officially supported by Tiro. It's an advanced option for environments where a security policy blocks the desktop app and you can only use Tiro on the web.

Here's how it works. Tiro's web recording takes a single microphone input device. So you install virtual audio cable software like BlackHole (Mac) or VB-CABLE (Windows), route your computer's playback sound (system audio) into a virtual input device, and then choose that virtual device as the input in Tiro web. The other side's voice in a video call, or the sound from a video, then gets recorded like a microphone.

To capture your own voice too, create an aggregate device in your OS (for example, Mac's "Audio MIDI Setup") that combines your real microphone with the virtual audio cable, and select that aggregate device. If you choose only the virtual cable, you record just the computer's playback sound and leave out your voice.

<Note>Virtual audio cables aren't tools that Tiro builds or supports. Follow each tool's official docs (BlackHole, VB-CABLE, and so on) for install, setup, and troubleshooting, and behavior can vary by OS and version. When you can, the [desktop app](/en/guide/start/download) is the most reliable option.</Note>

### Can the other people in the meeting see that I'm recording?

No. Tiro doesn't join the meeting as a bot; it records the audio playing on your computer, so nothing appears on the other side's screen. If you're somewhere that requires notice of recording, tell them yourself.

### I want to record only system audio and leave out my voice.

You can control the microphone and system audio separately. Turn off the microphone and turn on just the **\[System Audio]** input to capture only your computer's sound.

***

**Related pages**: [Live recording](/en/guide/recording/live) · [When live recording fails](/en/guide/troubleshooting/recording)

If you need help, share your app version, OS, and output device (speaker, earphone, or whether virtual audio is involved), and we can sort it out faster.