Record Android Audio Output

Question

Many people are asking for this, no one seems to have an answer so I do neither.

How is it possible that some apps serve the function to record the audio output of the android system? Everything I am finding is the very same tutorial on 1432 different sites where you can record MIC input. I don't care about mic input, I want the audio output and just can't imagine how to access it.

If everyone can get me on the right way, I would be so happy.

Answer 1

In Android 10, they have introduced Audio Playback Capture API using which we can capture the Audio being played by other applications. But it's not available in previous android versions.

An app X can also prevent any other app from listening, if that app hasn't added any constraint then this API can be used.

Answer 2

Seems to be currently there is no way to achieve this.

This is another question related to this : android get device overall audio output in pcm

Answer 3

The closest API available to you for these purposes is Visualizer. Which only captures "partial and low quality audio content".

I imagine direct audio capture functionality is omitted to prevent pro-piracy apps. It may be worth noting that there is a CAPTURE_AUDIO_OUTPUT permission, but it is "Not for use by third-party applications". So if you really do have legitimate apps that are capable of this, as you claim, they are likely system apps. Even if you wrote an app that generated its own musical sequences, for example, you would still have to write your own encoder/decoder to achieve anything close to what you're asking for (and that wouldn't even be considered audio capture at that point.)

To put it bluntly, it's currently impossible without breaking any ToS with Google or your phone provider, and will probably remain so indefinitely.

Answer 4

Just Use a bidirectional AUX Cable and hook it in your phone Headphone Port and hook it's another end to your Audio Interface "Line In" Channel (Or Whatever Input You have on your Audio Interface ) and then record that input by audacity or any good Audio Recorder.

Answer 5

TL;DR : use the SCR Screen Recorder app to capture video + internal audio (not microphone) [require root]

Long answer

Original answer: Record tablet's screen AND audio

Jeff's answer seems to be the only way you can use through adb. But that force you to do some work (merge video + audio).

I could do it this way :

- connect the Android device to computer with a jack cable (headphone output to microphone input);
- record video with adb shell;
- record audio with Audacity (or anything else)
- then merge video and audio with a video editor (pitivi, openshot, avconv...)

Another way is to directly use an android app:

• SCR Screen Recorder - official website - XDA - short review
• Mobizen for SAMSUNG - google play
• RecMe - google play

SCR Screen Recorder:

• pros :
  • the only app that truly works for recording video + internal audio with all devices
• cons:
  • banned from google play because of SELinux policy (see XDA - Google Play ban and "Dangerous app" warning)
  • require root for recording internal audio

Mobizen for SAMSUNG:

• pros
  • on google play store
• cons
  • only the samsung version works for recording internal audio, the general or LG, XIAOMI version can't record internal audio
  • still a beta feature
  • require root for recording internal audio

RecMe:

• pros
  • on google play store
• cons
  • internal audio recording doesn't works on most devices
  • require root for recording internal audio

Personally I tried a lot of apps and the only working for me is SCR Screen Recorder.

PS : all these apps works without root if not using internal audio.