Why do I have to enable tab audio in the dialog?

Because browsers default that option to off, and a share confirmed without it produces a stream with no audio track. The tool detects that case specifically and tells you it happened, which is more useful than a generic failure message. The fix is simply to repeat the share with the checkbox ticked.

Why does the capture ask to share video?

Because the option to share tab audio only appears when video is also requested. The video track is stopped immediately after the share is confirmed, so nothing visual is recorded and the file contains audio only, but the request itself has to include video for the audio option to exist.

Can I use the browser while it records?

Yes. The sharing relationship is with the tab you selected rather than with the one in front, so you can switch tabs and keep working. What you cannot do is close the recorded tab, because that ends the take along with the audio.

The recording is silent. What went wrong?

Either the audio option was not ticked in the share dialog, in which case the tool reports that no audio was shared, or the source is protected content that the platform will not allow to be captured. A silent file with a normal duration points at the second case, and a refused share points at the first.

Does it capture my microphone too?

No. Tab capture takes the audio that the tab is producing, which is playback rather than your input. If you need both, record the tab first and then record your microphone separately, since the two are different sources and this tool takes one at a time.

Browser Tab Recorder

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Browser Tab Recorder captures the sound of one browser tab and writes it to a WAV. It records that tab specifically, not the whole machine, and it keeps recording even if you switch to another tab.

What is Browser Tab Recorder?

Press the record control, choose the tab that is playing in the browser's share dialog and make sure the option to share tab audio is ticked. The take starts as soon as you confirm, and the panel returns a player and a download when you stop.

What you see and what actually happens:

A single record control that opens the browser's own share dialog rather than a custom picker.
A hint stating exactly what to choose and which checkbox to enable, because tab audio is off by default in that dialog.
A live timer and a pulsing indicator while the take runs.
A preview player plus a download, with a label giving duration, channels, sample rate and the WAV conversion.
An error message written for the common failure, where the dialog was confirmed without the audio box ticked.

The technical detail worth knowing is why a video track appears at all. The browser only offers the option to share tab audio when video is also requested, so the capture asks for both and then stops the video track immediately, keeping the audio track flowing. The stream that reaches the media recorder therefore contains audio only, which is why the file never ends up with a stray video element in it. If the resulting stream has no audio track at all, that is the signature of a share confirmed with the audio option left unticked, and the tool says so directly rather than reporting a generic failure. Capture continues while you move between tabs, because the sharing relationship is with the chosen tab rather than with the one you are looking at. Everything stays local, from the live capture through the decode and the 16-bit WAV write.

What tab capture cannot do:

It cannot record a tab whose playback stops when it is hidden, which some players do deliberately.
Audio that was already playing before you started is not included, since capture begins at confirmation.
Protected content may arrive silent or refuse to be shared at all, because the platform blocks capture of it.
The whole tab's output is captured, so every sound that tab makes ends up in the file, including notifications played in that page.
There is no level control and no metering, so a quiet or clipping source is captured as it is.
Only one tab at a time, and mixing two tabs into one take is not possible.

Reach for it when you want one page's audio without the rest of the machine: a lecture playing in a tab, a web player, or a call that lives in the browser. Start the capture before the audio you want begins, because the take begins the moment the dialog is confirmed. Working with a browser tab rather than with the machine's output keeps the capture scoped to one page, which is often what separates a usable file from one full of unrelated sounds, and the dialog remembers your last choice in some browsers so a repeat capture is quicker than the first.

How to use Browser Tab Recorder

Press the record control, which opens the browser's screen and tab sharing dialog.
Choose the exact tab that is playing and tick the option to share its audio, since that box is off by default.
Let the take run; switching to another tab does not interrupt the capture.
Press stop and download the WAV from the preview panel.

When to use Browser Tab Recorder vs related tools

Browser Tab Recorder suits capturing one page's output, which makes it the right choice for a web player or a browser based call. System Audio Recorder casts a wider net and takes everything the machine plays, while Quick Sound Capture is the same capture framed for grabbing a sound you just heard. Streaming Audio Recorder covers the same technique with delivery and rights guidance attached.

Privacy & Security

This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data ever leaves your device. There is no server round-trip, no upload, no logging, and no account required. Your input is processed locally using client-side JavaScript and is never stored, transmitted, or accessible to anyone else. When you close the tab, everything disappears.