If you need a screen recording in which microphone, computer sound and other sources remain on selectable audio tracks, OBS Studio and Camtasia have workflows documented by their publishers. OBS gives you configurable capture; Camtasia combines capture with editing. Descript documents computer-audio capture, but the sources reviewed do not establish separate tracks in its ordinary screen recorder.
Here, “multitrack” means that independent audio sources remain separate in the resulting recording or editable project. A file that merely contains microphone narration and system audio mixed together does not meet that test. The comparison below is based on vendor documentation, not hands-on testing.
What multitrack audio means
A recording has useful multitrack audio when you can select one source without changing the others. For example, you might record your voice on one track and application sound on another, then lower the application sound beneath the narration or mute it altogether. If a guest, camera audio or another application is involved, check whether that source can also be kept apart.
Do not treat “records audio” as proof of this workflow. A screen recorder might capture your voice and computer sound but mix them into a single stream. That can be enough for a finished demonstration, but it leaves little room to fix an interruption, rebalance a loud notification or replace narration without affecting the other sound.
It also matters where separation is preserved. Some tools let you assign sources to tracks as you record and save a multitrack file; others may provide separate elements in an editing project. Check what the tool actually exports and whether the editor you plan to use can open those tracks. A set of separate controls in the recorder is not useful if the final file has already combined everything.
For instance, if you are recording a software tutorial, you may want the spoken explanation on one track and the application’s alerts on another. You can then reduce the alerts without lowering your voice. For a lesson, you might need to keep microphone audio distinct from a video or music source that you will balance later. The sources you need to isolate depend on the recording, so list them before choosing a tool.
Why separate tracks matter
Separate tracks make corrections local. If the microphone is too quiet but the computer sound is fine, you can adjust the voice alone. If an incoming notification interrupts a demonstration, you can mute or trim the relevant system-audio section without editing the narration track. That flexibility is especially useful when a recording is long or when you expect to revise it after capture.
There is a trade-off: you must plan the routing, manage more than one track and use playback or editing software that can work with the result. Multitrack recording does not automatically improve the microphone, remove room noise or repair clipped sound. It preserves choices for later; it does not make the choices for you.
The playback app can also mislead you. The OBS Project’s Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide, dated 14 July 2023, warns that standard video players play only one audio track at a time. It recommends sending all sources to track 1 if you will not process the video in an editor before publishing. A player showing just one source does not necessarily mean the other recorded tracks are missing; open the file in a compatible editor and check its track list.
That distinction is worth understanding before you build a workflow around the feature. If your finished video goes straight to a basic player, mixed audio on a single track may be more predictable. If you need to adjust narration and application sound separately, use a suitable editor and confirm the export’s behaviour before recording important material.
OBS Studio for configurable capture
The OBS Project describes OBS Studio as free, open-source video recording and live-streaming software, with Windows, macOS and Linux support on its official product page. Its multitrack guide describes how to assign audio sources to recording tracks and enable the tracks you want in Settings → Output. You open Advanced Audio Properties from the Audio Mixer to set the assignments.
This is configurable rather than automatic. You decide which source goes to which track, and which tracks are included in the recording. The guide’s example keeps sources on track 1 for ordinary playback while using tracks 2–6 to separate sources. Those are the example’s track assignments, not a requirement to use the same layout. A sensible arrangement depends on whether you need microphone, desktop or application audio, and any additional inputs kept apart.
OBS suits you if you want control over the capture path and are comfortable checking settings before a session. The flexibility carries setup work: a source can be audible in the mixer but absent from the track you intended to export if its assignment or output-track selection is wrong. Test a short recording and inspect the result in your editor rather than assuming that every visible source is isolated.
OBS also combines recording and live-streaming functions, so it may fit a workflow that already uses OBS for a YouTube broadcast as well as local capture. For a channel built around a looping sermon or other prepared video, see the practical discussion of tools for looping sermons on a 24/7 YouTube stream. That is a different job from making a multitrack screen recording, but it can help you decide whether the same computer is doing capture, editing and broadcast work.
You do not need every source on a separate track. If you are making a narrated walkthrough and do not expect to edit the computer sound, a simple mix may be sufficient. If you expect to adjust the balance later, assign the sources deliberately and keep a copy of the project or recording with its separate tracks intact.
Camtasia for recording and editing
TechSmith documents Camtasia as a screen recorder and editor that can record screen, camera, system audio and microphone on separate tracks, then let you adjust those elements independently in editing. Its multitrack recorder page describes that workflow; its product page is the place to check current product details.
The main distinction from a configurable capture workflow is the integrated recording and editing path. If you want to capture a demonstration, review the distinct elements in a timeline and adjust them in the same product, Camtasia’s documented workflow addresses that need. For example, you could lower system audio under a screen explanation while leaving the microphone track at its original level.
An integrated timeline can be easier to follow than moving a multitrack recording between separate capture and editing tools. It is still important to confirm that the particular sources you need are recorded separately and that the export behaves as expected. TechSmith’s feature description is a vendor claim, not an independent test, and this comparison does not establish current pricing, plan distinctions or operating-system-specific limits. Check TechSmith’s current product information before committing.
Camtasia is not the only route if you already have an editor you trust. In that case, OBS can provide source routing for a workflow where capture and editing remain separate. Conversely, if you prefer one product for recording and timeline adjustments, Camtasia’s documented feature set may reduce the hand-offs. The better fit depends on the process you will actually use, not on the number of features listed on a product page.
What Descript documents
Descript’s help page says its desktop recorder can capture system-wide computer audio when screen recording is enabled. Its web recorder can capture audio from a specific browser tab. Those details establish audio capture, but capture alone does not show that microphone and computer audio become separate selectable tracks in an ordinary screen recording.
Descript also describes multitrack recording for Rooms, its remote-recording feature. Rooms is a distinct use case from an ordinary screen capture. Its multitrack capability should not be used as evidence that Descript’s screen recorder preserves computer sound and narration on separate tracks. The relevant documentation is Descript’s help article on recording computer audio and its feature overview.
If Descript is already part of your workflow, confirm the current screen-recording output for the exact sources you need before relying on it. Record a short test, open it in the editing workflow you intend to use and verify whether the sources appear as independent tracks. Until that is established for the ordinary screen recorder, treat its documented computer-audio capture as audio capture, not confirmed multitrack screen recording.
This is a documentation boundary, not a verdict about every Descript feature or future product change. It avoids conflating two workflows that have different purposes. For this comparison, OBS Studio and Camtasia are the choices with explicit documentation for separate audio tracks in screen recording; Descript is not confirmed on that criterion by the sources reviewed.
Check track routing before recording
A short setup check can prevent a recording that sounds complete in the moment but cannot be edited as intended. Begin by naming the sources you expect: microphone, computer or application audio, camera audio, a guest, or another input. Not every session needs all of them. Decide which sources must be independent and which can be mixed together.
Then check the recorder’s routing controls. In OBS, assign each selected source to its intended track in Advanced Audio Properties, and enable those recording tracks in Settings → Output. Do not assume that selecting a microphone or seeing activity in the mixer has isolated it. In Camtasia, inspect the resulting timeline and confirm that the documented sources you care about are independently adjustable. With any recorder, verify the saved result rather than relying only on the capture interface.
A useful test is to record a brief sample while speaking and playing a known computer sound. Open it in the editor you plan to use. Check that you can select the voice separately from the computer sound, lower one without lowering the other, and save or export the result in a form you can play back. If you only hear one source in a standard player, test in an editor that supports multiple audio tracks before concluding that the recording lost the rest.
Also check the final audience’s playback needs. If viewers will play a finished file directly in a simple player, make sure the published version has a suitable mixed track; the editable master can retain separate tracks. If the recording will be edited before publication, keep the multitrack original until the mix and export have been checked. A recording workflow and a playback workflow are separate decisions.
For creators who also prepare video for a continuous YouTube channel, keep production tasks distinct. You might make a multitrack screen tutorial on one machine and use a prepared video loop for the channel; advice on turning a back catalogue into a 24/7 YouTube live stream covers that publishing job, rather than track routing. And if your capture is part of a live OBS setup, the guide to adding Hindi lyrics to a 24/7 bhajan stream in OBS concerns on-screen stream content, not proof of multitrack recording. Keep those adjacent workflows in mind without substituting one for the other.
For a recording with narration, listen for clipping and room noise as well as track separation. The software can keep sources apart, but it cannot ensure your voice is clear or your levels are balanced. A brief rehearsal gives you a chance to correct a muted input, an unintended mix or a source routed to the wrong place before you capture a full lesson or demonstration.
Choose by the workflow you need
| Need | Better-documented fit | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Configurable capture and source-to-track assignments | OBS Studio | Assign each source and enable the desired recording tracks; check the file in an editor. |
| Capture and timeline editing in one product | Camtasia | Confirm that the sources you need appear independently in the project and export. |
| Capture computer or browser audio in Descript | Descript documents audio capture | Do not infer separate tracks for ordinary screen recordings; test the exact workflow. |
| Playback without later editing | A simple mixed audio track may be more practical | Check the finished file in the player your audience will use. |
The comparison is limited to documented workflow, not a speed, quality or reliability contest. OBS is free and open source according to the OBS Project; Camtasia’s current price and plan details were not established in the source review, so check TechSmith’s site for current terms. No hands-on test was performed. Operating-system requirements and feature availability can change, so confirm the current vendor documentation for your setup.
If your aim is simply to make a polished screen recording and you do not need to adjust sources independently, a single mixed track may be enough. If you anticipate edits to narration or system sound, prioritise documented track separation, then test it with the editor and playback method you will use. The crucial question is not whether a tool can hear audio during capture, but whether it preserves the sources separately through the workflow you need.
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FAQ
How do I record my screen with separate audio tracks?
Choose a recorder that documents separate tracks for screen recording, then assign the microphone and computer or application sound to different tracks. OBS Studio’s guide describes source assignment and enabling recording tracks; make a short sample and inspect it in a multitrack-capable editor before recording the full session.
Can I record system audio and my microphone separately?
Yes, OBS Studio and Camtasia document workflows for keeping sources such as system audio and microphone on separate tracks. With OBS you must configure source assignments and output tracks; with Camtasia, check the recorded elements in the editing timeline. Capturing both sounds is not, by itself, proof that they are separate.
Which screen recorder records multitrack audio?
Among the tools compared here, OBS Studio and Camtasia have explicit vendor documentation for separate audio tracks in screen recording. Descript documents computer-audio capture, but the sources reviewed do not establish separate tracks in its ordinary screen recorder. Its Rooms multitrack feature is for remote recording and is a different workflow.
Why does my video player play only one audio track?
Some standard video players play only one track at a time, as the OBS Project notes in its multitrack guide. Open the recording in an editor that supports multiple audio tracks and inspect the track list before deciding that sources are missing. For a finished video intended for simple playback, export a suitable mixed track as well.