How to Record Audio and Video Separately For Smooth Syncing

Looking for a way to record audio from video separately? Learn 2 easy ways to do so and save hours of work.

Stephen Robles
Video & Podcast Creator
Last Updated: April 24, 2025
9 min read
Reviewed by Ortal Hadad

Key takeaways:

Recording audio and video separately gives you cleaner, higher-quality results — and way more flexibility in editing.
You can record separate audio and video tracks using video recording software like Riverside. Or, you can record each separately and stitch them together with an editing tool.
Splitting tracks after recording is possible, but it won’t give you true isolated audio or full control over each participant's track.

If you want full control over your content quality, recording audio and video separately is essential. Separate tracks give you the flexibility to edit cleanly, fix crosstalk, and get better sound by recording with a proper mic.

The good news?

Whether you’re using multitrack software or recording each piece manually, recording audio and video separately is simple.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to record audio and video separately, step-by-step, so you can create polished, professional content every time.

How to record audio and video separately with separate track software

One of the most reliable ways to record high-quality audio and video separately is by using separate track recording software, like Riverside.

Riverside records each participant’s audio and video locally to each persons’ device. This ensures that recordings stay crisp and high-res, even if your internet connection is glitchy. It also provides you with a separate audio and video track for each participant, allowing you to edit and adjust them separately in post-production.

Recording separate audio and video tracks is a default setting, so you don’t need to set anything up. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Sign up or log in to your Riverside account.

Step 2: Choose an existing studio or create a new one. Just click “ + New studio ” at the top of the studio list and set one up. (You can learn how here.)

Step 3: In the studio dashboard, click “Record”.

Step 3: If you haven’t already, plug your microphone and camera into your computer.

Test your devices, select the right inputs, and ensure everything looks and sounds good. Then fill in your name, and click “Join Studio.”

Step 4: Within the studio, click “Copy Link” to share the invitation with guests. Alternatively, use “Invite by Email” to send invitations directly.

You can invite up to 9 guests to join you! (And, yes, each one will have their audio and video recorded in a separate track.)

Step 5: Once all participants have joined and are prepared, click the red “Record” button to begin. Riverside will record each participant's audio locally, on separate tracks.

Step 6: When you're done recording, click the “Stop” button. A pop-up will appear; wait for the recording to fully upload to the cloud, then click “View recordings.”

Step 7: In the recording dashboard, select “Recording files” to view your separate tracks.

Step 8: Click the download button with “High-quality.” Here you can download the:

“Raw video”: The video recording completely untouched.
“Aligned video”: This includes padding where needed to keep all participant tracks in sync.
“Raw audio”: The original audio recording.
“Compressed audio”: The audio recording compressed around 10 times less its original size.

And just like that-you’ve got your separate tracks. But, if you want, you can also edit your recordings in our multitrack editor.

In the editor you can:

Cut background noise, cut filler words, shorten silences, enhance audio and mute crosstalk with quick automated audio editing tools.
Overlay b-roll, images, text or music using the toolbar.
Add and style animated captions to your video.
Trim your recording using the smooth timeline or using your recording transcript.
Set each scene layout to best match the current speaker.

Once you’re done editing, click “ Export”. You have the option to export your full video, or the audio only if you’re creating content like a podcast.

How to manually record audio and video separately

If you're not using an all-in-one tool like Riverside, you can still record audio and video separately–it just takes a little more work.

Here's how to do it right:

Step 1: Set up your camera

Choose your camera: DSLR, mirrorless, webcam, or smartphone. Mount it on a tripod or stable surface and frame your shot.

Lock in your lighting and background so you’re not adjusting things mid-recording.

Step 2: Set up your microphone

It’s time to set up your microphone. You have different options:

Portable recorders are best for recording on the go. They capture high-quality WAV files directly to a microSD card — no laptop needed.
USB microphones plug straight into your computer and work well with free software like Audacity or GarageBand.
XLR microphones offer the most flexibility and quality — especially for multi-person setups. You’ll need an audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, or an all-in-one recorder like the Rodecaster Pro.

Step 3: Start recording

Hit record on your audio first, then your video. This ensures your full audio is captured from the start, even if your camera lags by a second.

Step 4: Clap for syncing

Clap your hands in front of the camera at the start of each take. That sharp audio and visual spike makes syncing way easier during editing.

Step 5: Manage your files

Once your recording is done, download the video and audio from the SD cards or export them from your software of choice. Move all your video and audio files in the same platform for post-production.

Step 6: Syncing audio and video

When you record audio and video separately, the files need to be synced with dedicated editing software, like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.

Final thoughts

Recording separate audio and video tracks is pretty simple - especially if you use recording software like Riverside. But no matter how you do it, the results are well worth it. Separate tracks allow you to edit with precision - and without compromise - for the highest quality results.

FAQs on how to record audio and video separately

What can you do with multi-track recordings?

Remove noise or adjust volume for one speaker without affecting the others.
Cut out awkward pauses or filler words.
Swap visuals without affecting sound.
B-roll or screen share flexibility.

How do you separate audio from video online for free?

Free tools like Clideo and Kapwing let you split audio from video easily.

Can you record video and audio separately in OBS?

Yes, you can record separate audio and video tracks in OBS Studio by adjusting your audio mixer and track settings.

How do you record audio and video separately on an iPhone?

You can use the Camera app for video and Voice Memos for audio, then sync them manually in iMovie.