How to record audio and play music at the same time on Android free?

Recording audio while playing music on an Android device can be useful for a variety of purposes. Some key benefits and use cases include:

Singing or rapping over an instrumental track – Artists can record vocals over a beat or instrumental track playing in the background.
Creating mixed audio content – DJs, podcasters, or other content creators can overlay commentary or narration over background music.

Capturing ambient audio – Recording natural ambience alongside a music soundtrack, like for a video.
Multi-track audio recording – Recording different audio elements separately for mixing later.
Recording lessons or instructions with musical accompaniment – Like music teachers recording a student practice session.

Recording gameplay footage with game music – Capturing in-game audio alongside gameplay commentary.

Overall, simultaneously playing music while recording audio on Android allows more flexible and layered audio capture than just recording audio alone. It opens up creative possibilities across many use cases.

Permissions Needed

To record audio while playing music on an Android device, the app needs permission to access the microphone and modify audio settings. The two key permissions are:

Record Audio – This allows the app to access the microphone and record audio. It is considered a “dangerous” permission that poses a privacy risk, so the user has to explicitly grant it.
Modify Audio Settings – This allows the app to change audio settings like volume levels that may interfere with music playback. Without this, the app may not be able to play music and record at the same time.

When installing an app for simultaneous music and recording, users should watch for permission requests for the microphone and modification of audio settings. Granting both these permissions is required for the app to function properly. Some apps may work with just the record audio permission, but issues like loud music disrupting recordings may occur without also having the modify audio settings permission.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduced run-time permissions, so users have to grant microphone access the first time they want to record audio in an app. This allows more control over privacy instead of just approving all permissions during installation.

Using a Music App that Supports Audio Recording

Many popular music apps for Android include built-in recording capabilities along with features for playing audio tracks. This allows you to easily record yourself singing or playing an instrument while the app plays background music. Some examples of music apps with recording include:

BandLab – BandLab is a full music studio app that lets you create, edit, mix and share songs. You can record vocals or instruments while adding accompaniment from a library of beats, loops and sounds.

FL Studio Mobile – FL Studio Mobile is a slimmed down version of the popular FL Studio desktop software. It allows multi-track recording while providing thousands of studio quality instrument sounds and loops.

Music Maker JAM – Music Maker JAM makes it easy to create polished songs with professional loops and sounds. You can sing or rap over beats while capturing your vocals directly in the app.

These music apps provide an all-in-one solution for playing background tracks while recording yourself. They offer a range of instruments, beats, effects and editing capabilities to create finished songs entirely on your Android device.

Using an Audio Recording App Alongside Music

One of the easiest ways to record audio while playing music on your Android device is to use a dedicated audio recording app that continues recording in the background. There are several top audio recording apps available on the Play Store that include background recording capabilities:

Easy Voice Recorder – This simple free app allows you to record in high quality while minimizing battery usage. It can run in the background to record conversations, meetings, lectures, or ambient sounds.

Audio Recorder – This feature-rich app has a background recording mode to capture any sounds playing on your device. It also includes editing tools, file sharing, and recording format options.
Hi-Q MP3 Recorder – Designed for high quality music recording, this app can run in the background with music playing from other apps. It supports various sample rates and bitrates.
TapeACall Pro – While designed for call recording, this app can also record in the background while you play music. It’s one of the top-rated options for long recordings.

The key when selecting a recording app is to choose one optimized for background recording. You’ll then be able to launch your music player separately and capture audio simultaneously. Just make sure to enable permissions to access the microphone when prompted.

Splitting Audio Between Music and Recording Apps

One workaround for recording audio while playing music on Android is to split the audio streams, so the music plays through the speakers while the microphone input is sent to a separate audio track for recording. This involves using two apps simultaneously:

A music app like Spotify to play audio through the speakers

A recording app like RecForge II to capture the microphone audio

The key is to disable the recording app’s access to the speakers, while leaving its microphone input active. This prevents the two audio streams from being merged into one recording.

Most recording apps include an option to disable speaker audio in the settings. For example, in RecForge II you can uncheck the “Record device audio” box. This ensures only the microphone input gets recorded, while any music continues playing through the speakers.

The main limitation is that you won’t be able to monitor the audio input through your headphones while recording, since the mic input is siloed. It requires a bit of guesswork to set the proper recording levels. But with some trial and error, you can capture a clean vocal or speech track overlaid on top of your music playback.

Using Accessibility Services

One way to simultaneously play music and record audio on Android is by using accessibility services. Accessibility services allow apps to receive audio streams from other apps. This makes it possible to route audio between music, recording, and accessibility apps.

For example, an app like AccesDroid can request the accessibility permission from the user. Once granted, AccesDroid can receive audio streams from media apps playing music. At the same time, AccesDroid can send the music audio to a separate recording app.

The key is that the accessibility service acts as an audio router between the music and recording apps. The music app plays audio as normal, AccesDroid receives it through the accessibility permission, then passes it along to the recording app. This allows both apps to function simultaneously without any development work on their end.

Using an accessibility service app requires minimal setup for the user. Just enable accessibility permissions when prompted, then configure the app to route audio between the desired music and recording apps. With the right accessibility app, users can seamlessly play media and capture audio on Android.

Rooting the Android Device

Rooting your Android device gives you additional control over the operating system, but also comes with risks. Rooting allows you to install modules and system-level tweaks that can enable more advanced audio routing between apps. However, rooting voids your device’s warranty and may make your device more vulnerable to malware and hacking. You should only root your device if you’re comfortable accepting these risks and dealing with potential issues.

One of the most popular rooting tools nowadays is Magisk, which uses modules to modify the system without actually replacing system files. There are Magisk modules like USB Audio Router which can redirect audio between apps by emulating headphone plug/unplug events. This allows playing music in one app while recording the audio in a separate recording app.

While tempting, rooting just for this audio routing purpose may be overkill for most users. There are alternatives like using external hardware or apps with accessibility services enabled that can achieve similar results without root. But for advanced users comfortable with rooting, Magisk modules enable the most flexibility and options for advanced audio routing on Android.

Using External Hardware

One way to record audio while playing music on Android is by using external hardware such as an audio interface or external microphone. These devices connect to your Android device via USB-C or microUSB and provide their own audio inputs and outputs, bypassing the internal mixing of the Android OS.

Popular USB audio interfaces like the Audient Evo 4, Focusrite Scarlett Solo, IK Multimedia iRig Stream, and Rode AI-Micro will all work with most modern Android devices. You can connect professional microphones, instruments, and headphones to these interfaces while also playing music apps in the background.

The audio interface will handle the incoming signal from the external mic separately from the music playback happening on your Android device. This allows you to record crisp, clean audio through the external mic while monitoring and playing music apps simultaneously.

One limitation is that many music apps may not continue playing audio when an external interface is connected. But apps focused on audio recording like IK Multimedia’s iRig Recorder are designed to work seamlessly with external audio interfaces on Android.

Limitations and Alternatives

There are some limitations to the solutions outlined above for recording audio while playing music on an Android device:

Using a music app that supports audio recording may not work if the desired music app lacks this feature. Relying on a single app to handle both audio playback and recording limits options.

Splitting audio between a music app and recording app can result in latency and sync issues between the two audio streams. The timings may be slightly off.

Accessibility services only enable recording system-wide audio, so isolating just the music playback may be difficult. There could be background noise picked up.

Rooting the device and using special apps comes with security risks and voids the warranty. It should only be done by advanced users.

External hardware like a microphone splitter causes extra setup and cables. The audio quality depends on the microphone and cables used.

If the above solutions are not ideal, some alternatives include:

Using a computer or laptop instead, which readily supports simultaneous playback and recording.
Recording sections separately – first record the music playback, then record your audio.

Consider simpler solutions like singing over an instrumental version of a song.

In some cases, simultaneously recording music playback and vocals may not be possible on Android. Workarounds like separate recording or using a computer may be needed.

Summary

In summary, there are a few main options for recording audio while playing music on an Android device:

Using a music app that has built-in recording capabilities like Samsung Music is the easiest solution for most users. This allows recording and music playback in one integrated app.

Using a separate audio recording app alongside your preferred music app can also work. However, this may require more technical know-how to route the audio properly.

Splitting the audio output between the music player and recording app via a third-party accessibility service is possible but requires advanced knowledge. This also may not capture the best quality audio.

Rooting the Android device opens up more advanced audio options, but rooting comes with risks and is not recommended for average users.

Dedicated external audio interfaces provide the most flexibility and quality, but require additional hardware purchases.

Overall, leveraging a music app with built-in recording capabilities is recommended as the simplest, most integrated solution for most everyday users looking to capture audio while listening to music on their Android device.