Online voice recorder

How to record your voice online

1. Choose a microphone if you have more than one (the list fills in after you allow access the first time).
2. Press the red button and allow microphone access. The timer starts and the meter moves as you speak.
3. Press Pause to take a break without starting a new file, then Resume.
4. Press Stop (or the square button). The recording appears below with a player.
5. Press Download to save it. You can make as many takes as you like; each one is listed separately.

Keyboard: the record button and every control work with Tab, Enter and Space.

Which file format you get, and why

Browsers record with their own built-in encoder (the MediaRecorder API), and this recorder uses whatever yours supports instead of converting on a server. The box above shows the exact format before you record.

• Chrome, Edge, Opera and other Chromium browsers: WebM audio with the Opus codec (.webm).
• Firefox: Ogg or WebM with Opus, depending on version (.ogg or .webm).
• Safari on Mac, iPhone and iPad: MP4 audio with AAC (.m4a); the newest versions may offer WebM instead, and the box above tells you which.

Opus and AAC are both efficient codecs designed for speech and music, so files stay small. WebM and Ogg play in browsers, VLC and most editors; M4A plays almost everywhere. If you need MP3 or WAV, import the file into Audacity and export it in the format you want.

Tips for a cleaner voice recording

• Get close, then stay put. A hand's width or two from the mic gives a fuller sound and less room echo than speaking from across a desk.
• Pick a soft room. Curtains, carpet, a sofa or a wardrobe full of clothes absorb echo better than a bare kitchen.
• Watch the meter. Aim for steady movement through the middle while speaking; if it slams into the red, back off or lower the input level.
• Silence notifications and close noisy apps; a laptop fan near a built-in mic is very audible.
• Record a short test first and listen with headphones. Our microphone test shows clipping and mute problems in detail.

Recording on a phone or tablet

The recorder works in current mobile browsers too: Safari on iPhone and iPad, and Chrome or Samsung Internet on Android. A few things behave differently on phones:

• Keep the screen on and the tab in front. Mobile systems may pause or stop a web page's microphone when you lock the phone or switch apps. For long recordings, a phone's built-in voice memo app is more reliable.
• Downloads land in different places. On iPhone, Safari asks where to save and files usually go to the Files app (Downloads folder). On Android they go to the Downloads folder.
• Hold the phone's bottom edge toward you. The main microphone on most phones is next to the charging port.

When a browser recorder is not enough

A web page is ideal for quick voice notes, voice-over drafts, pronunciation practice or sending someone a clip. It is less suited to recording for an hour or more, recording audio that plays on your computer, or recordings you need to keep safe if the browser crashes, because nothing is saved to disk until you press Download. For those, a desktop recorder that writes to a file as it goes is the safer choice; our OBS Studio review covers one free option.

Privacy and consent

Recording happens on your device. Audio is held in your browser's memory as a file you can play and download; this site never receives it. Reloading or closing the tab deletes any recording you have not downloaded, and the browser asks you to confirm before leaving if you have recordings.

If you record other people, tell them and get their consent first. Some places require everyone's permission; see our overview of recording consent laws by state.

From recording to text

Once you have a recording, you may want it as text. Our guide to transcribing an audio recording compares the options, and voice recorders with transcription covers apps that do both. For meetings, Hark is a desktop app that records your microphone and the other people on the call (microphone only on a Mac), then transcribes everything on your computer. It can also import the WebM, Ogg or M4A files this recorder saves.