How to Screen Record on Windows with Audio (Free & Paid Options)

Want to know how to screen record on Windows? Want your record audio while capturing your entire screen too?

Maybe you need to screen record a meeting or a lecture. Or maybe you want to add audio to Google Slides or a PowerPoint presentation using screen recording features. Or maybe you just want to record your screen for fun.

Whatever the reason, the good news is it’s super easy to screen record on Windows 10 and other versions.

The best part? You can record your screen on Windows 10 (and other versions) for free. No need to pay for any software in most cases.

Ready to learn how it’s done? Let’s get to it…

The Best Ways to Record Your Screen on Windows

You don’t need to have any technical skills to do this simple task. Here are some tips for how to screen record on Windows with audio and video included:

1. Use Loom for Easy Free Screen Recording on Windows

In my opinion, Loom is the best way to record your screen on Windows with sound.

Loom is a free screen recorder makes it super easy to capture your screen and quickly create videos that you can share with students, colleagues, clients, employees, or whoever else you want to share them with.

This free screen recording tool is a browser extension, and there’s also a Windows desktop app. Mac options are available as well, but since this article is focused on how to screen record on Windows, we’ll leave that aside for now.

Recording your screen with sound in Windows is literally done with the click of a button. It couldn’t possibly be easier.

Key Features:

Unlimited computer screen recording and webcam recording up to 1 hour in length
Add voice overs and speaker bubbles to your screen recordings
Easy video editing
Customize thumbnails for your screen recorded videos
Integrates with Gmail, Outlook, and tons of other business apps
Share links to your videos by email, social, or however you want
Your video link will never expire
Embed animated video previews into emails
Get notifications to know when people are watching your videos, who’s watching it, and for how long
Ad-free screen recording
Completely free screen recorder tool to try

Click here to get Loom for free.

2. Try the Built-In Game Bar App on Windows

Game Bar is an app built into Windows 10. While the point of this Windows screen recording app is to capture footage of games you’re playing on your PC or streaming from your Xbox, it can easily record activity from other apps on your computer.

Here’s how to set it up and use it: Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar, and then simply Enable Xbox Game Bar. Or you can also use the Windows search feature to locate this app on your computer.

Using the Game Bar app, you can record in most applications and windows, but not in all of them. You won’t be able to capture the Windows desktop or File Explorer, as well as multiple program windows, using the Game Bar app. If you want to teach someone how to complete a task that involves numerous programs, you’ll need to do multiple separate videos. If you want to teach them how to do something using the Start menu in Windows 10 or 11, you’ll be unable to do that too.

Additionally, because this is a free built-in app for screen recording on Windows, it is limited with features like editing and sharing your videos.

Some users have also warned that the Game Bar app also uses a lot of your computer’s resources, so it may not be ideal for recording high-quality videos or playing games and recording at the same time.

Key Features:

Record games on your PC or streamed from your Xbox console
Record your screen on Windows in most applications
Available on both Windows 10 and 11 by default
Free to use

Click here to learn more.

3. Consider Camtasia for More Technical Projects

If you need longer screen recording on Windows or more complex recordings that require advanced editing, Camtasia is an option worth considering.

Not only does Camtasia offer basic screen recording with sound on Windows, but it has a full suite of video editing tools and acts as a video presentation software, whiteboard animation app, and more.

Screen recording in Windows with Camtasia is fairly straightforward. You just choose your recording options and what region you wish to record, then record your screen on Windows with sound (if you want), edit your video, and then save and share it.

Of course, with all of the features Camtasia offers, it does come with a cost. You can try it free for 30 days, but after that, it costs $299.99 per user. You can learn more about the costs in our Camtasia pricing guide.

Key Features: