Your First Recording

This guide walks you through making your first recording with the desktop app, recording solo — which doesn’t require an internet connection. Recording in the browser follows the same steps minus the save location; see Recording in your browser.

Before You Begin

Make sure you have:

• Installed Capturly
• A microphone connected
• A camera connected (optional, for video)
• Granted microphone and camera permissions

Step 1: Launch and Select Devices

1. Open Capturly

2. On the Setup screen, you’ll see:

   • Microphone dropdown - Select your recording microphone
   • Camera dropdown - Select your camera (or “No Camera” for audio-only)
   • Save Location - Choose where recordings are saved

3. Test your microphone by speaking - the audio level meter should show activity

4. Check your camera preview to ensure framing is correct

Step 2: Configure Your Session

Display Name

Enter your name or a label for this recording. This is used in the output file names.

Save Location

Click Browse to choose where your recordings are saved. Capturly organizes files by date automatically.

Tip: Use a dedicated folder for recordings, like Documents/Podcasts or an external drive.

Resolution

Capturly records at the highest resolution your camera and plan support. You can pick a specific rung — 4K, 1440p, 1080p, or 720p — in Settings. Paid plans reach 4K; the Starter plan tops out at 1080p.

Step 3: Start Recording

1. Click Start Recording
2. Capturly runs pre-flight checks:
   • Verifies disk space
   • Confirms device access
   • Checks permissions
3. If checks pass, recording begins immediately

What Happens at Recording Start

1. A short sync beep is mixed into the start of the audio
2. The recording indicator turns red
3. A timer shows elapsed recording time
4. Audio levels display in real-time

Sync beep: A 1000 Hz tone lasting half a second, placed at the head of the recording. It shows up as an unmistakable spike in any waveform view, which makes aligning several tracks in post trivial. See Sync Beep.

Step 4: Record Your Content

While recording:

• Speak normally into your microphone
• The audio meter shows your levels (aim for green/yellow, avoid red)
• The timer shows your recording duration
• Your camera preview shows what’s being captured

Recording Tips

• Levels: Speak at a consistent volume. Peaks should reach the yellow zone but rarely hit red.
• Environment: Record in a quiet space to minimize background noise.
• Position: Stay a consistent distance from your microphone.

Step 5: Stop Recording

1. Click Stop Recording
2. Capturly finalizes your files
3. You’ll see the Complete Screen with your session summary

Session Summary

The Complete Screen shows:

• Recording duration
• Number of files created
• File locations
• File sizes

On a paid plan you can also save the take to your cloud library from this screen.

Step 6: Find Your Files

Capturly saves recordings in an organized folder structure:

[Save Location]/
└── 2026-01-21/
    ├── ABC123_YourName_2026-01-21_143022_audio.wav
    └── ABC123_YourName_2026-01-21_143022_video.mp4

Output Files Explained

Both files carry the sync beep on macOS. On Windows the beep is in the WAV. Recording in the browser produces a single .mp4 and no separate WAV.

Verifying Your Recording

Before closing Capturly:

1. Click the folder icon to open your recordings folder
2. Play the audio file in your system audio player
3. Check the video to verify it captured correctly
4. Note the file sizes - they should be reasonable for the recording length

Common Issues

No Audio Recorded

• Check that the correct microphone was selected
• Verify the audio level meter showed activity during recording
• Ensure microphone permissions are granted

No Video Recorded

• Check that a camera was selected (not “No Camera”)
• Verify camera permissions are granted
• Try selecting a different camera if available

Recording Won’t Start

• Check available disk space
• Ensure devices aren’t in use by other applications
• Review the error message for specific guidance

For more help, see Troubleshooting.

Next Steps

Congratulations on your first recording! Now you can:

• Learn about recording with remote guests
• Explore file formats in detail
• Set up your post-production workflow
• Review all features available in Capturly