VLC Fix Guide

VLC Recordings Have No Audio — Fixes & Settings

Video Playback Issues Last updated: Applies to: Windows 10/11 · macOS · Linux · VLC 3.0.x

Recording a screen or a stream in VLC and getting a silent file is almost always a settings issue, not a bug. VLC’s conversion dialog has a separate audio checkbox that many users miss, and on Windows the audio capture device has to be named explicitly. This guide covers the exact settings that produce audio in VLC recordings, for both screen capture and network-stream recording.

Why does this happen?

  • Audio checkbox not ticked — the Convert/Save dialog records video only unless you explicitly add an audio track.
  • Wrong audio capture device — VLC defaults to the first audio device; on Windows with multiple devices (microphone, headset, speakers) it may pick a silent one.
  • Sample rate mismatch — some sources output 44.1 kHz while VLC expects 48 kHz, producing a silent or garbled track.
  • Stream has no audio track selected — when recording a network stream, the "Audio track" dropdown in the conversion profile may be set to None.
  • Profile issue — a custom conversion profile without an audio codec silently drops audio.

How to fix it

Fix 1Enable audio in the Convert/Save dialog

The fix for 90% of silent recordings

  1. Open Media > Convert/Save (Ctrl+R).

    The conversion dialog opens.

  2. Under the File tab, tick "Show more options" and confirm an audio track appears in the "Audio track" list (do not set it to None).

    Audio is included.

  3. Click Convert/Save, pick a profile that includes audio (e.g. "Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)" or "Video – H.264 + AAC (MP4)"), and start.

    The recording now captures audio.

NoteThe profile name tells you what it contains: "H.264 + MP3" includes audio; "Video – H.264" alone may not. Always pick a profile with an audio codec.

Fix 2Set the correct audio capture device

Fixes silent recordings on multi-device Windows setups

  1. In the Convert/Save dialog, tick "Show more options" and look at the audio device selector.

    The device list is visible.

  2. Choose the device that actually outputs system sound (e.g. "Speakers (Realtek)" or "Stereo Mix") — not the microphone.

    The right device is selected.

  3. For capturing computer audio (not mic), select "Stereo Mix"/"What U Hear" if present; enable it in Sound > Recording devices if hidden.

    System audio is captured.

NoteOn macOS/Linux, system audio capture needs a virtual loopback device (BlackHole on macOS, PulseAudio monitor on Linux) — the guide below covers it.

Fix 3macOS: capture system audio with BlackHole

Enables desktop audio recording on a Mac

  1. Install BlackHole (free, open-source virtual audio driver) from its official GitHub releases.

    A "BlackHole 2ch" device appears in Audio MIDI Setup.

  2. Create a Multi-Output Device including your speakers and BlackHole (Audio MIDI Setup > + > Create Multi-Output Device).

    A combined device is created.

  3. Set the Multi-Output as the system output, then choose "BlackHole 2ch" as VLC’s audio capture device in the Convert dialog.

    VLC records system audio.

NoteThis is the standard macOS approach; the same idea works on Linux with PulseAudio monitors (pavucontrol > Recording tab).

Fix 4Record the network stream with audio explicitly

Fixes silent stream recordings

  1. Open Media > Open Network Stream, enter the URL and click Play.

    The stream plays.

  2. While playing, use Media > Convert/Save, tick "Show more options", and verify the audio track is not "None".

    Audio is confirmed.

  3. Pick a profile with an audio codec and save.

    The stream recording includes audio.

NoteFor IPTV streams, some channels are audio-only on certain tracks — test with a short recording first.

Fix 5Switch the audio output module to DirectSound (Windows) — the most compatible capture source

Fixes no sound, crackling and HDMI audio issues

  1. Go to Tools > Preferences > Audio.

    Audio settings open.

  2. Set "Output" to DirectSound (Windows) — the most compatible capture source.

    The audio module changes.

  3. Click Save, restart VLC and play the file.

    Audio is re-initialized with the new module.

NoteEach output module talks to the OS audio stack differently. Switching modules is the fastest way to isolate a broken audio pipeline.

Advanced fixes

Fix 1Normalize the recording afterward

Fixes quiet or clipping audio in finished recordings

  1. Check the loudness with ffmpeg -i recording.mp4 -af volumedetect -f null -.

    Mean and max volume are reported.

  2. Normalize with ffmpeg -i recording.mp4 -af loudnorm=I=-16:TP=-1.5:LRA=11 out.mp4.

    A normalized file is created.

  3. Use the normalized file for upload or sharing.

    The final file is delivered.

NoteLoudness normalization to -16 LUFS (YouTube style) keeps recordings consistent across captures.

How to avoid it in the future

  • Always do a 10-second test recording before a long capture.
  • Name your profiles clearly (e.g. "Screen + System Audio (MP4)") so the codec contents are obvious.
  • Keep the audio device selection stable — change devices rarely, and re-test after changes.
  • Update VLC for recording/encoding fixes (current stable: 3.0.23).

Frequently asked questions

Can VLC record the screen and webcam at the same time?
VLC records one source per session. For screen + webcam, use two VLC instances (one per source) or a purpose-built recorder (OBS).
Why is my recording only capturing the microphone?
The audio device is set to the mic. Switch to the speakers or "Stereo Mix" (Windows) / a loopback device (macOS/Linux) to capture system audio.
Recordings are silent but playback is fine — same file?
Playback uses the file’s tracks directly; the recording pipeline re-encodes. A silent recording means the capture input had no audio — re-record with the audio device fixed.
What is the best VLC recording profile?
For most cases "Video – H.264 + AAC (MP4)" gives good quality with audio. For very large captures, use "Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)" for smaller files.

Summary

Enable audio in the Convert/Save dialog — The fix for 90% of silent recordings. If it does not help, work through the remaining fixes in order: each targets a different layer of the problem. Most users resolve this issue by fix 3 at the latest. Keep VLC updated (current stable: 3.0.23) and revisit this guide when a new VLC version ships.

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Edited by the VLC Fix Guide Tech Team — 10+ years of media software troubleshooting