Ways to Fix ShadowPlay Sometimes Doesn't Record Audio

Have you ever captured a game with NVIDIA's ShadowPlay, only for no sound when you tried replaying it? That is why it might be disappointing to find out that ShadowPlay sometimes doesn't record audio, which is a common problem. This problem affects even the best recordings – from the absence of commentary to the game screen voicing silence. Fortunately, some of them can be resolved without much of a problem. This guide will explain this issue and offer step-by-step instructions to ensure your future recordings are perfect.

Part 1: Why ShadowPlay Sometimes Doesn't Record Audio?

There are several reasons why ShadowPlay does not record game audio, and we list down the top six here:

1. Audio Settings in ShadowPlay

ShadowPlay has its system and microphone audio settings; if either is not configured correctly, audio cannot be captured. Occasionally, there is a need to activate the microphone audio, which can be switched off, which means we will not receive any commentary or voice-over.

2. System Sound Settings

As mentioned above, Shadowplay greatly depends on your system's sound settings. Thus, if it is not optimized correctly, it might be a problem. It may fail to select, like selecting the brickies or picking poor output levels. In such instances, the output levels could be set too low. Of course, this will likely happen with more than one audio device, such as headphones, speakers, or even a virtual audio cable. In these cases, ShadowPlay may fail to record audio from the computer.

3. Driver Compatibility Issues

Some drivers, especially the old audio and graphics drivers, can cause recording issues in ShadowPlay. There is usually new firmware for NVIDIA, which usually arrives with bug fixes for recording and other features. They realized that if the drivers of the GPU are not updated, ShadowPlay is likely to perform inappropriately.

4. Software Conflicts

So many applications, such as OBS, Discord, or virtual audio splitters, can interfere with ShadowPlay's audio capture. It causes ShadowPlay not to record sound because it has conflicting software that prevents the program from accessing the specified sound channels. It also fails to record altogether because other applications override or block its capability to capture sound.

5. Settings and Permissions to Windows Audio

Sometimes, the problem comes from Microsoft, which may only be with Windows. It is also important to note that Windows 10 and 11 have complex audio control and permission, which may deter the ability of ShadowPlay to record an audio channel. To prove this, the Windows 10 App Volume and Device Preferences can determine the pick-up of sound by ShadowPlay to ensure that the recording has no sound.

6. In-Game Audio Settings

Some games override their audio settings with their own and may mess up the ShadowPlay. So if in-game audio is turned off or some non-standard format is selected, it will not be recorded. This problem can be addressed by ensuring the game's sound option is configured in a standard 2.0 stereo format.

Part 2: How to Solve ShadowPlay Not Recording Audio

1. Check and Adjust Audio Settings

To test and change audio settings in ShadowPlay, open GeForce Experience and navigate to the settings. Ensure System Sounds and Microphone options are turned on since these settings will be required to record all the audio. In case your voice is interested, ensure the microphone setting is turned on, and you can also set the microphone mode to Always On for the ShadowPlay to record system and mic audio.

2. Verify System Sound Settings

Sound settings on your system can remedy most audio issues encountered while using ShadowPlay. To do that, right-click the volume icon on the taskbar and open your system's sound settings. Now, take the correct audio device as the default and set the volume levels high enough that they are not muted in Playback or Recording devices. ShadowPlay relies on such configurations for proper recording sounds.

3. Update Audio and Graphics Driver

Keeping your audio and graphics drivers current is essential to ShadowPlay. Find out if you have the latest graphics drivers by visiting the NVIDIA site or GeForce Experience. Audio drivers can be checked at the manufacturer's website of your PC or just at the site of your audio driver - likely Realtek. Once you have updated your drivers, restart the computer so that full applications and other possible conflicts can be resolved.

4. Close Other Audio Using Apps

Closing other audio-using applications such as OBS, Discord, or virtual audio software can help ShadowPlay record audio without interference. Interfering applications may override or break access to audio channels; therefore, it's best to close before recording to reset the audio environment. After closing the applications, restarting the ShadowPlay or GeForce Experience sometimes resets the audio environment even further.

5. Adjust Windows Audio Permission

Auditing audio can sometimes be solved by adjusting Windows audio permissions and application volume settings. To do this in Windows, go to Settings > System > Sound > App Volume and Device Preferences to ensure that GeForce Experience or ShadowPlay is listed and that you can access your preferred audio device. In addition, check that the volume slider for ShadowPlay is at a level you'd like for recording.

6. Check In-Game Audio Settings

First, you must check your audio settings directly inside the game to ascertain if it's compatible with ShadowPlay. Open the game that you would like to capture and then go to its audio settings inside the game. Ensure the output audio is stereo; otherwise, multi-channel formats may not record well using ShadowPlay. Thirdly, you must adjust the game levels for volume to check whether your game audio is too low or muted.

7. Use Windows Sound Troubleshooter

When NVIDIA ShadowPlay is not recording game audio, Windows Sound Troubleshooter may assist. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional Troubleshooters and choose Playing Audio. This tool will identify many of the most prevalent sources of audio problems that might prevent ShadowPlay from recording audio cleanly.

8. Reinstall GeForce Experience

As a last resort, try reinstalling GeForce Experience if the above steps don't work. Sometimes, it can resolve bugs in software that might have corrupted files, which is the cause of such audio capture problems. Hopefully, reinstalling might improve ShadowPlay or even help resolve the issues presented by audio capture.

Part 3: Ultimate Alternative Method to Fix ShadowPlay Not Recording Audio

AVAide Screen Recorder offers a quick way to record audio output from your game and even extends the ability to add your voice if you have a connected mic. AVAide takes you to another level of recording, which is why it is selected amongst the best recording software you can download on Windows and Mac. Not only does it record clear audio, but it also provides a pristine state of video recording, extending from your screen to adding your face with a webcam recorder. Moreover, its simplified toolbar interface makes the recording simpler and better, which means there is no required technical setup. Get this AVAide product now by clicking the download button below.

By Sylvie Hyde on May 27, 2025