Documentation
Tab Audio Recorder is a Chrome extension for recording and editing audio from browser tabs.
Recording & Streaming
Recording
Capture audio from any browser tab.
- Formats: WebM, WAV, MP3
- Quality: 44.1kHz / 16-bit
- MP3 metadata: ID3v2.3 tags embedded automatically (title, date, duration)
- Auto-save: Recordings are saved to the Library
Streaming
Listen to tab audio in real-time without saving to disk.
- Processing: EQ, Limiter & Gain applied live
- Use case: Monitor silenced or background tabs
- Exclusion: REC and STREAM cannot run simultaneously
120 BPM • Click REC or STREAM — then tune each visualizer with ⚙.
Floating Player
A draggable mini-panel injected directly into the active tab. It stays visible even when the extension popup is closed, letting you control recording and streaming without interrupting your workflow.
Controls
- REC / STREAM: Full recording and streaming from any tab
- Gain: Adjust input level in real-time
- Timer: Live elapsed time display
- Post-recording: "Saved to Library ✓" panel with one-click download
Visualizers
- EQ Analyzer, Level Meter, Waveform — identical algorithms to the main popup
- Each visualizer individually togglable
- Colors and styles sync live from extension settings
Settings Panel
- Normalize, Limiter and 5-band EQ controls
- EQ sliders with HIDE/SHOW toggle
- All settings sync bidirectionally with the main popup
Behaviour
- Freely draggable anywhere on the page
- Double-click the grip to snap back to bottom-right
- Persists across popup open/close cycles
- REC and STREAM are mutually exclusive — switching one stops the other
Warp Engine — Playback Speed
Change playback speed while keeping the original pitch intact, powered by Web Audio API time-stretching. Works in both the editor and the floating player.
Editor & Library
Every recording is saved to the Library automatically. Open any item in the full editor to trim, cut, and apply effects before exporting.
Library
- Auto-save: Recordings stored automatically after each session
- Inline rename: Double-click any title to rename it
- Duplicate: Copy any recording with one click
- Audio preview: Play/stop per item without opening the editor
- Hover actions: Preview, Edit, Duplicate, Download, Delete on hover
- Storage quota: Visual indicator with warning at 70% and 90%
- Search: Filter recordings by name in real-time
Editor Tools
- Trim: Set in/out points with draggable handles
- Cut regions: Remove or mute multiple segments
- Silence detection: Auto-detect and mark silent passages
- Fades: Fade in/out with linear, exponential, or logarithmic curves
- Normalize & Gain: Adjust loudness across the full recording
- Reverse: Flip the audio in place
- Time stretch: Change speed in the editor (pitch-preserving)
- Undo/Redo: 20-step history
- Zoom & Pan: Navigate long recordings with precision
Audio Chain & EQ
All processing happens locally in real-time via the Web Audio API. The signal chain is applied identically during recording, streaming, and in the Floating Player.
Signal path: Source → Gain → EQ (5 bands) → Normalize → Limiter → Analyser → Output
Parametric EQ — 5 Bands
Shape the frequency response of the captured audio before it hits the recorder.
Gain range: ±12 dB per band. Toggle on/off without losing your settings.
Gain, Normalize & Limiter
Normalize and Limiter can be combined. All nodes are dynamically wired — disabled stages add zero latency.
Visualizers
Three real-time visualizers run during recording and streaming — in the main popup and in the Floating Player simultaneously.
EQ Analyzer
Frequency spectrum display with configurable bands and scale.
- Styles: Bars, Mirror, Wave
- Display: Segments or Solid fill
- Scale: Logarithmic or Linear
- Bands: 10 / 20 / 32
- Color: 6 presets
- Optional dB / Hz axis labels
Level Meter
RMS-based dB meter with smooth decay and peak hold.
- Display: Segments or Solid fill
- Decay: Fast / Normal / Slow
- Peak Hold: Off / 1s / 3s / ∞
- Peak marker in white, color-coded segments
Waveform History
Rolling RMS bar chart showing the last few seconds of audio level — useful to spot silence or clipping at a glance.
- History window: 5s / 10s / 15s / 30s
- Scale: Adjustable amplitude
- Color mode: Gradient from quiet to loud
Settings
Update History
- New — Floating Player: A draggable mini-panel that floats above the current page. Full REC/STREAM/GAIN controls, 3 visualizers, and a 5-band EQ settings panel. Stays visible even when the extension popup is closed.
- New — Parametric EQ: 5-band equalizer (SUB, BASS, MID, PRES, AIR) applied live to recording and streaming via BiquadFilterNodes. Toggle on/off without losing settings.
- New — ID3v2.3 metadata: MP3 exports now embed title, date, duration, and encoder tags automatically.
- New — Library actions: Inline rename (double-click), duplicate, per-item audio preview, and storage quota indicator.
- New — Recent Recordings: Hover overlay with Preview, Edit, Duplicate, Download, Delete — fully in sync with the Library.
- Bug fix: Settings panel now renders as a single unified menu.
- Bug fix: Loop playback no longer breaks when switching Preserve Pitch off.
- Bug fix: Loop in Standard Mode no longer ends earlier than expected at non-1x speed.
- Bug fix: Playhead marker no longer drifts outside the waveform during looped playback.
- Advanced Library: Real-time search, sorting, and waveform thumbnails.
- Reorganized Settings: Better categorization and improved tooltips.
- Stability: Fixed critical editor bugs and memory leaks.
- Warp Engine: High-quality time stretching.
- Full Editor: Precision trim, cut, and silence removal.
- Audio Chain: Pro limiter, gain, and normalize controls.
Technical Info
- Platform: Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)
- Storage: IndexedDB for audio files
- Privacy: All data stays on your device