The 12 best free streaming audio recorders – Windows & Mac
Whatever reason you're going to record streamed audio for, we've got you covered. Explore the top 12 streaming audio recorders and start capturing audio streams with ease.
Emma Levine Updated on Apr 7, 2023 9:55 AM
It's just a piece of cake to capture audio streams via an appropriate streamed audio recorder.
Streaming audio has become increasingly popular in recent years, with more and more people turning to services like Spotify or Apple Music for their daily dose of music, podcasts, and other audio. However, while these platforms offer diverse audio content, they often lack one crucial feature: the ability to save and record the streaming audio for offline playback.
That's where streaming audio recorders come in. These powerful tools allow you to capture audio streams from any source, whether it's a live radio broadcast or streaming music. With an audio streaming recorder, you can easily record any streamed audio for listening whenever you want, even without an internet connection.
When it comes to streaming audio recording software, you have a lot of choices—so many that it can be difficult to pick the right one for your particular needs. Here we've found the 12 top streaming audio recorders for Windows and Mac, based on factors like ease of use, recording quality, and extra features.
Among them, the AppGeeker Screen Recorder may stand out for its incredible streaming audio recording and editing functions. You can have a try if interested.
Here're the 12 best streaming audio recorders:
1. Audacity
Audacity is an expert streaming audio recorder free download that goes popular over years among musicians, podcasters, and other audio enthusiasts. It can record any streaming audio source no matter it comes from music streaming services like Spotify or radio broadcast platforms like BBC. And it also helps capture external sounds and record computer audio on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Plus, it supports a wide range of audio formats, including MP3, WAV, AIFF, etc., and comes with a variety of editing tools and effects to help you achieve recording the perfect sound. Besides, you can cut, copy, and paste audio clips, adjust volume levels, remove background noise, and even create your own sound effects.
Price: Free
OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
What we like:
- High-quality streaming audio recording
- Various audio output formats
- Professional editing tools
- Compatible with different systems
What we dislike:
- Slightly troublesome set-up before recording streaming audio
- Not friendly for a beginner
2. Free Sound Recorder
Free Sound Recorder is a practical and convenient audio streaming recorder that helps capture streaming audio broadcasts and meetings, or record audio from YouTube video. Additionally, it offers some simple editing features such as trimming, cutting sections, or adding effects, which you can make use of to perfect your streaming audio recordings.
What's more, it can be scheduled to record streaming sound at a specific time and stop after a desired duration. Better still, the configurations are easy, which makes it little effort for you to capture streaming audio as needed.
Price: Free
OS: Windows and Mac
What we like:
- Has AGC to adjust the recording volume and VAS to recognize voice more clearly
- Schedule audio streams recording for a long time
- Completely free
What we dislike:
- Limited audio recording quality selections
3. AppGeeker Screen Recorder
Want to record streaming audio easily in high quality? The AppGeeker Screen Recorder can work perfectly for you. It can record various streamed audio no matter it's live stream music, online meetings, or radio broadcast. Simply with just a few clicks, you can record sounds from computer and microphone simultaneously or separately at will.
Other than recording streaming audio, it also helps screen record all the activities on the computer. You can even edit the video or audio recordings with the advanced tools.
Price: Free version, $39/year - Standard version, $62.45 - lifetime Pro version
OS: Windows and Mac
What we like:
- Record different online streaming audio easily on Spotify, iTunes, or Skype calls, etc.
- Easily capture computer sound and your voiceover from microphone
- Audio formats available: M4A, MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OPUS
- Multiple audio quality options: Lossless, Highest, High, Middle, etc.
- Schedule for recording audio stream
- Record screen with audio like recording Zoom meeting, gameplay, Netflix movie
- Enhanced editing features
What we dislike:
- Unable to edit in more than one audio track
- Free version limits recording time to 3 minutes only
4. Chrome Audio Capture
Chrome Audio Capture is a Chrome extension that allows users to easily record any streaming audio playing on the current tab of their browser. It supports multiple tabs and exports captured audio in the format of WAV or MP3. The streaming audio recorder free is user-friendly, and ideal for anyone who needs to quickly record and save streaming audio from their browser.
Price: Free
OS: Any operating system with Google Chrome installed
What we like:
- No need to install any software
- Make streaming audio recordings with ease to improve productivity
- Custom hotkeys
What we dislike:
- Restricted recording time for 20 minutes
- Fails to record system sounds
- No editing tools
5. SoundTap Streaming Audio Recorder
SoundTap Streaming Audio Recorder is designed to record streaming audio on a PC or Mac. With this streaming audio recording program, you're able to capture streaming music, podcasts, audiobooks, and other sounds on the computer.
In addition, you have diverse audio types and quality options to select. And you can also share the recorded streaming audio by directly sending it to YouTube or Facebook.
Price: Free
OS: Windows and Mac
What we like:
- Supports lossless audio quality
- Works with all the popular media players
- Lightweight on system
- Helps record streaming audio like VoIP calls
What we dislike:
- Old-school layout
- Unable to edit streamed audio recordings
6. Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder
Apowersoft Online Audio Recorder is another zero-cost software for recording streaming audio. You can make recordings of digital streaming audio, system audio, microphone voice, and audio files. Besides, the program is web-based, which means it can be accessed directly from a web browser without requiring any installation. It's completely free and requires no registration or sign-up.
But sadly, there's no editing tool in the software. If you want to edit your recordings, you'll have to resort to another third-part program.
Price: Free
OS: web-based
What we like:
- Versatile audio sources
- Online streaming audio recording
- Audio recording formats: MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA, and so on
- Safe storage to computer local file
What we dislike:
- Cannot help edit the recordings
7. Acethinker Free Audio Recorder Online
Looking for an easy-to-use utility to record streaming audio? Take a look at Acethinker Free Audio Recorder Online! It's a web-based online streaming audio recorder that helps record any audio on the Internet. More impressively, it has a built-in audio library where you can manage your recordings by modifying the parameters like artist name, recording time, album, and cover.
Price: Free
OS: web-based
What we like:
- No time limit for recording audio streams
- Easy recording management with a built-in library
- Streamlined layout
What we dislike:
- MP3 output format only
- Need to download the launcher
8. OBS Studio
It's likely that you've heard of OBS if you had recorded your screen before. It's an open-source and well-known screen recorder as well as a program for streaming audio recording. It's so professional and efficient that many YouTubers and other content creators would use it to record screen for making tutorials or showing off gameplay highlight moments.
It helps record different audio, whether it's internal or external. With OBS, you can record your needed streaming audio from some online platforms like VEVO. However, your recorded streaming audio can only be exported in video formats like MP4 or MOV.
Plus, if you're a newcomer, it's not suggested to use OBS, since it has a complex interface that can be daunting to beginners.
Price: Free
OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
What we like:
- Professional screen audio recorder
- Captures 6 sound tracks at most
- Records streaming audio from any online source
What we dislike:
- Difficult to master
- Unable to edit in the software
- Cannot export audio only
9. Movavi Screen Recorder
Available for Mac and Windows, Movavi Screen Recorder enables you to capture any streaming audio window easily. It also has an intuitive interface and allows for customization of recording settings, such as frame rate, audio sources, and hotkeys. And it includes a video editor that enables users to enhance and edit their recorded footage.
To record streaming audio with Movavi Screen recorder, you'll have to record the screen, too. It does not have a feature by which you can record audio only.
Price: 7-day free trial, pay $42.95 for 1-year, 1-computer license
OS: Windows and macOS
What we like:
- Helps record streaming audio for a long time
- All-in-one recording and editing software
- Record webcam and different sounds
What we dislike:
10. Aktiv MP3 Recorder
Specifically designed for recording audio, Aktiv MP3 Recorder can easily record all kinds of streaming audio on your Windows PC as needed. You can set up a certain time for hand-free recording automatically and you are free to adjust the sound capturing volume in the software. However, it does not include an audio editor so you'll need another tool to edit your recordings.
Price: Free
OS: Windows
What we like:
- Audio output formats: WAV, AIFF, MP3, VOX, AU, or OGG
- Automatic recording
- Volume adjustment
What we dislike:
- Supports Windows system only
11. Streamosaur
Want to record audio streams easily? No need for audio editing tool after recording? Streamosaur could be a good choice for you! It is a lightweight and easy-to-use Windows streaming audio recorder that you can use to capture streaming audio from any online platform. You can export your recorded live stream audio in the most common formats, WAV or MP3. But you cannot adjust the recording audio quality since it's default in this streaming music recorder.
Overall, Streamosaur is a convenient tool for anyone is looking for free, reliable, and user-friendly streaming audio recorder software to record streaming audio from online sources.
Price: Free
OS: Windows
What we like:
- Record streaming audio in simple steps
- Portable: easy to move to a removable storage device
- Relatively lightweight
What we dislike:
- No set-up for audio quality
- No option for audio editing
- Supports WAV and MP3 file only
12. Ardour
As a free and open-source DAW, Ardour provides a range of tools and features that are ideal for capturing and editing high-quality streaming audio.
With support for multi-track recording, real-time audio processing, and a vast selection of plugins and extensions, Ardour provides a powerful and customizable recording environment that can adapt to your unique recording needs. From cutting audio clips to adding audio effects, Ardour makes it easy to achieve a polished and professional sound recording.
In short, if you're looking for a versatile and reliable streaming audio recorder and editor, Ardour is definitely worth considering. Its versatile tools make it a valuable resource for anyone else who wants to create high-quality recordings from streaming audio sources.
Price: Free
OS: Linux, MacOS and Windows
What we like:
- Multi-track recording audio from live stream
- Powerful editing functions
- Offers about 30 audio formats
- Expert digital audio workstation
What we dislike:
- Confusing for novices to use
- Unavailable for VST plug-ins
FAQs about best audio streaming recorder
1. Is it legal to capture live streaming audio with a stream audio recorder?
The legality of recording audio streams varies by jurisdiction and depends on some factors, such as the type of content being recorded, and how it's being used.
It's always best to check out the laws in your jurisdiction and any relevant terms of service before using a streaming audio recorder to capture live stream audio.
2. How do I record streaming audio from live stream services?
You can use a proper computer streaming audio recorder to record online audio streams, like the AppGeeker Screen Recorder. Here's how to:
- Launch the program and choose "Audio Recorder" mode from the main interface.
- Select "System Sound" to record streaming audio from your computer.
- (Optional) Enable "Microphone" if you want to record external sound.
- Click the "REC" button to start recording.
- Click the stop button to end the recording when finished.
3. What is the difference between a free and paid streaming audio recorder?
Free streaming audio recorders usually offer basic recording and editing capabilities, while paid ones may provide more advanced features and functionality. Additionally, paid recorders may offer better technical support and more frequent software updates.
