Why your mic and the app's audio should be separate tracks
A screen recording with one audio track is a decision you cannot undo: the app and your voice are married forever. Two tracks keep the option open. This is what that buys you and how to set it.
What one track costs you
With mic and app mixed into one track, a notification chime that landed mid-sentence stays in the sentence. Music from the app cannot be lowered under your voice; your voice cannot be lowered under the music. A word you flubbed cannot be re-recorded without re-recording the app sound too.
What two tracks give you
- Duck the app audio under your voice in the edit — the standard move for tutorials.
- Cut a cough or a mis-speak from the mic track while the app sound stays continuous.
- Replace the voiceover entirely, or record it later in a quiet room.
- Mute the app on a platform that flags its music and keep your commentary.
When one track is right
When the recording goes straight to a message, a story or a bug report and will never see an editor. One track is simpler, plays everywhere, and there is nothing to mix. Reel's Record audio in single track is on by default for exactly that reason.
Setting it
Settings → General → Record audio in single track. On: one mix. Off: two tracks in the MP4. Every editor worth using shows them as separate lanes.
