Audacity 2.4.2 will not record from streamed music

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

I have installed Audacity 2.4.2 but cannot record from streamed music (or a music file playing on my PC), using the red ‘record’ button. There does not seem to be a basic settings problem for recording a stream on my PC because I can record from these sources using Ocenaudio. I can then open the saved file in Audacity and use all the editing functions (which are impressive).

I run Windows 10 version 2004. Stereo Mix is enabled and the volume bar shows it is active. Microphone access to apps in Windows 10 settings is enabled. I have tried every combination to record the stream in Audacity – MME and WASAPI, Stereo Mix (Realtek) and Speakers Realtek (loopback), but depending on which I try I either get error code 9996 Invalid Device or 999 Unanticipated Host Error.

Is this a basic problem with Audacity 2.4.2 and Windows 10 2004 please? If not, what am I doing wrong please?

2

To use WASAPI loopback, the audio devices settings in “Windows Sound” should use a sample rate of 44100 in both the Recording AND Playback tabs.

3

Many thanks for answering - I set both to 44100 but it still will not record

4

What is it doing? Error message? Recording silence? Something else?

5

Thanks for replying. With WASAPI and Speakers RealtekHigh Definition Audio (loopback), and with WASAPI and Stereo Mix, I get Error code 9996 Invalid Device. With MME and Stereo Mix I get Error code 9999 Unexpected Host Error.

6

Those error messages indicate problems with the device (or device drivers).
What sort of computer are you using?

7

I appreciate perservering with this - thank you. It is an HP 8300 Elite Intel i5 3470 @ 3.20 Gz 240 GB SSD. Fairly old, but refurbished and the hard drive replaced with SSD hard drive. As I said, I can stream record with Ocenaudio, so the PC has the drives etc that enables it to record from streamed music, at least witrh Ocenaudio, although using 2 apps to stream record then edit is not ideal

8

I checked on the HP website to see if updated drivers were available: https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/laptops
Unfortunately for the HP 8300 there only seem to be drivers up to Windows 8.1 - no drivers for Windows 10.

The do provide an online “Audio Check” tool. I don’t know what it does, but it may be worth trying. https://support.hp.com/us-en/topic/diagnostics?category=computing&issue=sound-issues&jumpid=in_r11839_us/en/Audio_globalalert

9

Many thanks for all your work trying to sort this out - it is much appreciated. The tool you suggest does not help, but thanks for suggesting it. As Ocenaudio is able to record from the stream, so the drivers I have work for this running Windows 10, I will record with this and edit in Audacity. It does seem, perhaps, that Audacity has got rather complex for stream recording and assumes that all users have a fairly new PC - it would be good if it could work with the same drivers etc as Ocenaudio on PCs running Windows 10

10

I am having a similar issue trying to record my DAW (STUDIO ONE) output through Audiobox audio interface into my laptop. I was able to record You Tube, Spotify streaming via loopback but Audacity won’t record Studio One. I’ve tried every setting possible, I think. I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 and I’m thinking of going back to Windows 8.

11

I don’t know what drivers Ocenaudio uses, but if it uses ASIO drivers then that’s not possible for Audacity due to licensing restrictions. On Windows, Audacity uses Windows drivers.