This article shows how to record an audio track played on Spotify using the Audacity program. Audacity is free audio capture and manipulation software available for Windows and Mac computers.
Steps
Step 1. Launch Audacity
Double-click the Audacity icon to launch the program. It features a yellow globe inside which a waveform is visible and a pair of blue headphones. If you haven't installed Audacity on your computer yet, follow these instructions:
- Windows: access the web page "https://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows" and select the link Audacity X. X. X Installer located at the top of the page, where the "Xs" represent the version number of the program. At the end of the download of the installation file, execute it with a double click of the mouse and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
- Mac: access the web page "https://www.audacityteam.org/download/mac" and select the link Audacity X. X. X.dmg file located at the top of the page, where the "Xs" represent the version number of the program. At the end of the download of the DMG installation file, execute it with a double click of the mouse and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Step 2. Select the audio system to use
Access the drop-down menu to the left of the microphone icon and choose one of the following options:
- Windows: "Windows WASAPI".
- On Mac: "Core Audio".
Step 3. Select the device for audio capture
Access the drop-down menu on the right of the microphone icon and select the device linked to the sound card installed in the computer. Choose the audio device you normally use to record sounds when using your computer. To find out which audio device to use, follow these instructions:
-
Windows: click the icon
Windows10volume located in the lower right corner of the desktop visible on the taskbar.
-
Mac: click the icon
Macvolume located at the top right of the menu bar.
Step 4. Select stereo recording
Access the drop-down menu on the left of the speaker icon and choose the option 2 (Stereo) recording channels. It is the second item listed in the menu that appeared.
Step 5. Set the device to use to play the audio tracks
Access the drop-down menu to the right of the speaker icon and select the audio device you normally use to play computer-generated sounds or listen to music. This is usually the option that has the same name as the audio capture tool you selected in the previous step. This way you will be able to hear the audio source you are recording.
Step 6. Press the "Register" button
It has a circular shape and is characterized by a small red dot in the center. It is located in the upper left of the Audacity window. This will start capturing any audio source connected to your computer.
Step 7. Start playback within the Spotify app
Activate the Spotify window and press the "Play" button or select the song to play. As the sound plays from the computer within the Audacity window you should see the left and right channel waveforms of the track you are recording appear.
Step 8. At the end of the registration press the "Stop" button
It features a small black square and is located in the upper left of the Audacity window.
Step 9. Save the audio recording to file
After finishing the recording of the Spotify song you can export it as a file by following these instructions:
- Access the menu File;
- Choose the option Export;
- Select the item Export as MP3;
- Name the new file;
- Select the folder in which to store it;
- Push the button Save.
