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Capture & audio

Shared and system audio

Understand why browser-tab sound differs from all system sound.

Updated 2 min read

Before an important recording, test picture, sound and the saved file. Keep the page open until saving finishes.

Shared audio means the audio track actually supplied by the browser’s display capture API. It is not an unrestricted system-audio driver. Support depends on browser, operating system, capture source and the options selected in the picker.

How to use it

  1. Enable Shared audio before starting.
  2. Choose a tab, window or screen that offers audio sharing; enable the browser’s share-audio control.
  3. Check that the Shared audio status says On. Play a known sound and inspect a short saved recording.

Limits and safety

Not every window or whole-screen source provides audio. A missing shared track produces a warning, not invented silence presented as captured sound. Audio only with no microphone and no shared track fails safely. If the browser does not offer the source you need, use an appropriate native recorder.

References

Check the result, not just the controls

A practical test

A useful diagnosis is to play a known sound in the exact tab or application you want to capture. Check whether that source offers an audio checkbox in the browser picker. If it does not, changing an output extension will not add system audio. Microphone capture and shared audio are separate sources; hearing the speakers through a microphone is not equivalent to a clean shared track.