People turn screen recordings into MP3 for all sorts of reasons: to listen to a recorded meeting or webinar on the go, to send a voice explanation without the video, to transcribe a tutorial, or simply to make a large video file small enough to share. This guide covers how to record with sound on each device, where the files are saved, the conversion steps, what to do when a recording is too large or silent, and which bitrate to choose.
Does your screen recording have audio?
This is the most common problem. If the recording is silent, there's nothing to convert.
| Device | How to include sound |
|---|---|
| iPhone | In Control Center, touch and hold Screen Recording, turn Microphone on, then start. Apple notes that some apps don't allow their audio to be recorded. |
| Mac (Shift-Command-5) | Click Options and choose a microphone. On recent macOS versions, Apple's instructions also list an Include System Audio option. |
| Windows 11 (Snipping Tool) | Recent versions show microphone and system audio buttons in the recording toolbar; turn on the ones you need before you start. |
Play the recording once before converting. If you hear nothing, record again with audio turned on.
Microphone or system audio: what's the difference?
- Microphone records your voice and anything else in the room.
- System audio records the sound your device plays: a video, a call, music or app sounds.
For a tutorial where you talk over what's on screen, the microphone is enough. For a webinar or a call you want to keep, you usually need system audio, and possibly the microphone as well if you speak. Before recording other people, such as in a meeting, make sure everyone knows and agrees, and follow your organization's rules and the law where you are.
How do you record your screen with sound?
On iPhone
- Open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the Screen Recording button.
- Tap Microphone to turn it on (it turns red), then tap Start Recording.
- To stop, tap the red status indicator at the top of the screen and confirm.
The recording is saved to Photos. The iPhone MP3 guide covers converting it on the phone itself.
On a Mac
- Press Shift-Command-5 to open the Screenshot toolbar.
- Choose Record Entire Screen or Record Selected Portion.
- Click Options, choose a microphone, and choose Include System Audio if your macOS version offers it.
- Click Record. To stop, click the Stop button in the menu bar or press Command-Control-Esc.
By default, the recording is saved to the desktop as a MOV file. See the Mac MP3 guide for other Mac conversion options.
On Windows 11
- Open Snipping Tool or press Windows logo key + Shift + R to start a screen recording.
- Select the area you want to record.
- Turn on the microphone and/or system audio buttons if your version shows them.
- Click Start, and Stop when you're done, then save the recording.
The Xbox Game Bar (Windows logo key + G) can also record an app window with its sound. Its recordings are saved in the Videos > Captures folder.
On Android
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings and tap Screen record. If you don't see it, edit the Quick Settings panel to add it.
- Before starting, turn on Record audio and choose the source the phone offers, such as device audio, the microphone or both. The names differ slightly between manufacturers.
- Tap Start, and stop the recording from the notification when you're done.
Android recordings are usually MP4 files saved in your gallery, often in a Screen recordings folder. The Android MP3 guide shows how to convert them in the phone's browser.
Where are screen recordings saved?
| Device | Default location | Usual format |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Photos app | Video (check the extension in Files after saving) |
| Mac | Desktop, named "Screen Recording" with the date and time | MOV |
| Windows 11 Snipping Tool | Videos > Screen Recordings | MP4 |
| Windows Xbox Game Bar | Videos > Captures | MP4 |
| Android | Gallery, often a Screen recordings folder | MP4 |
On iPhone, open the recording in Photos, tap Share > Save to Files so the browser's file picker can find it easily.
How do you convert a screen recording to MP3?
- Open Video to MP3. For a Mac recording you can also use MOV to MP3; for Windows, MP4 to MP3.
- Drop the recording on the page or tap to choose it (up to 150 MB).
- Choose 128 kbps for meetings, tutorials and voice, or 192 kbps if the recording has music.
- Click Convert to MP3, wait for the progress bar, then download.
The conversion happens in your browser. The page downloads its engine, but your recording isn't uploaded. That matters for screen recordings, which often show private messages, emails, documents or meetings.
Recordings from video-call and browser tools
Recordings made by web apps or browser extensions are often WEBM files, and some meeting tools save MP4 or M4A. Use WEBM to MP3 for WEBM, M4A to MP3 for audio-only M4A recordings, or the general MP3 converter if you're not sure.
What if the recording is larger than 150 MB?
Screen recordings at high resolution grow quickly. Some options:
- Record a smaller area or a single window instead of the full screen.
- Trim the recording before converting. Photos on iPhone, the recording thumbnail on Mac and Clipchamp on Windows can trim video.
- On a Mac, use QuickTime Player > File > Export As > Audio Only to save just the sound as M4A, then convert it with M4A to MP3.
- Use a desktop tool such as FFmpeg or VLC for very long recordings.
The MP3 will be much smaller than the video, because the picture is dropped. An hour of speech at 128 kbps is about 57.6 MB, whatever the resolution of the original video.
Which bitrate suits a screen recording?
| Content | Bitrate | 10 minutes of MP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Voice: calls, meetings, tutorials | 128 kbps | about 9.6 MB |
| Mixed voice and music | 192 kbps | about 14.4 MB |
| Mostly music | 256–320 kbps | about 19–24 MB |
Only the first audio track is kept. For most screen recordings that's the only track. The MP3 bitrate guide explains why a higher bitrate doesn't improve speech.
What to choose
- Meetings, lectures, tutorials, calls: 128 kbps.
- Presentations with background music, or game footage: 192 kbps.
- Recordings that are mostly music: 256 kbps. Higher settings rarely help, because the audio in a screen recording is already compressed.
What can you do with the MP3?
An MP3 of a screen recording is small, plays almost anywhere and is easy to work with:
- Listen on the go. Turn a recorded webinar, lecture or meeting into audio you can play on a phone, in the car or while walking.
- Transcribe it. Many transcription tools accept MP3, and an audio file uploads faster than the full video.
- Share a voice explanation. If the picture doesn't matter, an MP3 is far easier to send by email or chat than a large video.
- Archive meetings. Keep the audio of a long recording when you don't need the video, and save storage space.
- Edit it. Open the MP3 in an audio editor to cut out silences or the parts you don't need.
Check for private information first
Screen recordings often capture more than you meant to, and the sound can too: notification chimes, a colleague talking in the background, or the name of a client read aloud. Listen to the MP3 before you share it, and trim anything that shouldn't go out.
What are common problems and fixes?
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The MP3 is silent | The recording has no audio | Turn on the microphone or system audio and record again |
| Only your voice, not the video's sound | System audio was off | Turn on system audio in the recorder |
| Only the video's sound, not your voice | Microphone was off or the wrong one was chosen | Select the right microphone before recording |
| An app's sound is missing on iPhone | The app blocks audio recording | Nothing to fix; some apps don't allow it |
| The file is too large | Long or full-screen high-resolution recording | Trim it, record a smaller area, or export audio only |
| Echo or doubled sound | Speakers picked up by the microphone | Use headphones while recording |
How long does the conversion take?
It depends on the length of the recording and the speed of your device, not on your internet connection, because the conversion runs in the browser. Short clips finish quickly; an hour-long meeting takes noticeably longer, especially on a phone. Keep the page open and in front until the progress bar finishes, and avoid starting other heavy tasks at the same time.
Should you record audio only instead?
If you only ever need the sound, recording the screen is a roundabout way to get it. An audio recorder makes a much smaller file from the start:
- iPhone: the Voice Memos app records from the microphone and exports M4A files.
- Mac: QuickTime Player > File > New Audio Recording records from a microphone; Voice Memos is available on the Mac too.
- Windows: the Sound Recorder app records from the microphone.
- Android: most phones include a recorder app, although its file format varies by manufacturer.
These apps usually record only the microphone, not the sound your device plays. That's the main reason people use screen recording for calls, webinars and videos: it can capture system audio. If you need the device's sound, a screen recording with system audio turned on, converted to MP3, is often the simplest built-in route.
Whichever way you record, you can convert the result with the MP3 converter, which accepts M4A, WEBM, MP4, MOV and other common formats. MP3 is the safest target if you're not sure where the file will be played.
How can you get better audio in future recordings?
- Use headphones so the microphone doesn't pick up the speakers.
- Use a headset or external microphone instead of the built-in one, especially on laptops.
- Record a short test first and play it back before a long session.
- Silence notifications so alert sounds don't end up in the recording.
- Keep the room quiet: fans, keyboards and echoey rooms all come through.
Converting the recording on a computer or a phone
The conversion steps are the same everywhere, but a few details differ:
- Computer: drag the recording straight from the desktop or the Videos folder onto the converter page. This is the easiest route for long recordings, because computers have more memory than phones.
- iPhone: save the recording to Files first, then pick it with Browse in Safari. Keep Safari in front until the conversion finishes.
- Android: pick the recording from your gallery or file manager in Chrome, and keep the screen on while it converts.
On every device, the MP3 lands in the Downloads folder unless your browser is set to ask where to save.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get audio only from a screen recording?
Convert the recording with a video-to-MP3 converter. The video track is dropped and you download only the audio as an MP3 file.
Why is my screen recording MP3 silent?
The recording itself probably has no sound. Turn on the microphone or system audio in your screen recorder before recording, then convert the new file.
Can I convert an iPhone screen recording to MP3 without an app?
Yes. Save the recording to Files, open Convertola's Video to MP3 page in Safari, choose the file and download the MP3.
Is a screen recording uploaded when I convert it?
Not on Convertola. The MP3 converter processes the file in your browser, so the recording stays on your device.
What bitrate should I use for a recorded meeting?
128 kbps. It's clear for speech and keeps the file small, at about 0.96 MB per minute.
Why can't I hear the app's sound in my iPhone screen recording?
Some apps don't allow their audio to be recorded. Apple notes this in its screen recording instructions. There's no setting that changes it.
Can I convert a WEBM recording to MP3?
Yes. Recordings from browser tools are often WEBM files. Use the WEBM to MP3 page or the general MP3 converter.
Does converting a screen recording to MP3 change its length?
No. The MP3 has the same duration as the recording. Only the picture is removed, which is why the MP3 is so much smaller. Trim the recording first if you only need part of it.
Sources
- Apple Support: Record the screen on your iPhone
- Apple Support: How to record the screen on Mac
- Microsoft Support: Use Snipping Tool to capture screenshots
- Apple Support: Export movies to other file formats using QuickTime Player on Mac
- MDN Web Docs: Media container formats
Ready? Open Video to MP3 and drop your screen recording.
