FAQ

Is StreamTap free?

Yes. No account, no licence key, no trial period.

Do I need to install an audio driver or virtual cable?

No. StreamTap uses the loopback capture built into Windows, so it records the normal output of a playback device without changing how your audio is routed.

Does it record my microphone?

Only if you tick Also record my microphone, which is off by default and resets to off on every launch — unless you choose, under Settings, to have it remembered. It can be mixed in or written to its own file. See Recording your microphone.

Which device does it record?

Whichever you choose under Record from. Default follows whatever Windows is using, so it changes when you change your output; a device chosen by name stays chosen. See Choosing a device.

Can I record just one application?

Not currently. StreamTap captures the whole output mix of one playback device — everything coming out of it at once.

Is there a length limit?

No. StreamTap buffers to a WAV while it records, and a WAV cannot describe more than 4 GB — about three hours — so shortly before that it starts a new file and carries straight on into it. Nothing is lost at the join. The files come out numbered _part1, _part2 and so on.

You can also split on purpose, under Settings → Recording, if you would rather a long session arrived in pieces you can work with.

The real limit is free disk space: reckon on roughly 1.3 GB per hour while recording. StreamTap warns you before it starts if the drive is short.

My voice is too quiet next to the other person. Can I fix it?

Yes — Mic level, next to the microphone toggle, moves your mic up or down against the system audio by up to 12 dB. It is applied when the recording is saved, so it changes nothing about what is captured and nothing in Windows. See Setting the level.

Can I pause a recording?

Yes — PAUSE, and again to carry on. The paused stretch is not in the file at all, and the timer counts what you have actually recorded.

Can I run two copies at once?

No. Starting StreamTap while it is already running brings the window you already have to the front, rather than opening a second one.

Two copies would share everything StreamTap keeps for you — your settings, its logs, its diagnostics — and each would quietly overwrite the other's. They would also name recordings from the clock, so two copies stopping in the same second would agree on a filename and one recording would land on top of the other.

If what you wanted was to record two devices at the same time, StreamTap cannot do that yet — running it twice would not have worked either.

Where do my recordings go?

Music\StreamTap by default; change it with the ... button. Files are named by the date and time the recording stopped.

Do my recordings get uploaded anywhere?

No. Recordings stay on your PC. See Privacy and data for exactly what StreamTap does send.

Is it legal to record a call?

That depends on where you and the other participants are. Many places require everyone on the call to consent. Check your local law — and, as a matter of basic courtesy, tell people you're recording.

Which Windows versions are supported?

Windows 10 and Windows 11.

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