How can i record bluetooth audio in linux? - eviltoast

Hi all,

I have a USB C headset.

I am setting it up, so it’s plugged into my Linux box, so it can listen to music, and make calls, etc from my phone, via bluetooth.

Then I don’t have to keep unplugging my headset and plugging it into my phone.

Also so I can record directly to the Linux machine, that is broadcast from my phone.

But, how can I intercept the Bluetooth audio, and record it?

Thank you.

  • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.mlOP
    1·
    3 months ago

    Thank you. So I’ll definitely look into something like that. I want to make it scriptable, so that it records drops the files straight into a predefined folder. I guess for me it’s getting my head around the idea that it can record the Bluetooth audio.

    I’ll just start experimenting to see what I can find. Thanks again.

    • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      Wait, it’s plugged into the computer, and connected to the phone via Bluetooth, and you want to intercept the bluetooth signal to record the audio to your computer…? Am I understanding right? That kinda negates all of the advice I gave. That’s a super convoluted thing to try and do, and well beyond the scope of basic technical advice 😅

      It seems to me like it’d be easier to record the audio via your phone and automatically send it from your computer, rather than intercept the bluetooth signal, but even that would be complicated if you want to do it automatically

      • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.mlOP
        1·
        3 months ago

        That’s exactly right, that is what I’m trying to do. :-)

        I’ve almost got at working, I have pulse audio recording the signal that’s coming to me, I guess via the Bluetooth speaker function. So the phone is treating the computer as a Bluetooth speaker.

        However when I talk, it does not record anything from the microphone going back to the phone.

        So my headset is a USBC, with mic an headphones (speakers).

        The signal coming from the phone to my ears can be recorded.

        But when I talk and speak back to the phone through my headset microphone, it does not record.

        This is the command I am currently trying, but I will dig deeper:

        pw-record --volume=1.0 -P '{ stream.capture.sink=true }' /home/userName/Temp/Test.ogg
        • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          3 months ago

          I’m not sure linux noobs is the best place to find the answers you’re looking for, a more technical forum is more likely to have people interested in finding answers to your situation. Regardless, that’s well beyond me unfortunately, I’m not the most technical user 😅

          Good luck! I hope you get it working!

          • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.mlOP
            1·
            3 months ago

            Thankyou so much, I guess I was hoping there would be some Grand Lord Master of the Bluetooth Linux Audio Channel Recording legend kind of person living here. :-) Stroking their cat, and meditating at the screen whilst levitating in a yoga pose, dispersing waves of confident knowledge into lemmy.

            Maybe that will be me one day :-)

            One can only hope

            • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              3 months ago

              Lol, don’t let your dreams be dreams! I believe in you! And when I need to install pipewire I’ll have someone to ask lmao

              Good luck! I hope you’re able to find your solution ☺️

      • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.mlOPWikang Tagalog
        1·
        3 months ago

        Just to put things into even more of a spin, I just tested it with a phone call, and now it records my voice through the microphone, but it doesn’t record the speaker’s voice coming back through the speaker.

        I guess on a phone call it’s switched around?

        This Is Going to Be Challenging :-)

        I want to do it all on the computer because I want to run processing over it via an AI, and I want it done local on my machines so that it is private, and nobody has their voice shared with anybody else.

        It’s a bit of an experiment and I just want to see if I can do it. It will greatly speed up my workflow if I can.

    • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      If Bluetooth is working properly, you should be able to record bluetooth microphone audio the same way you’d record audio from any mic connected to the computer, wired or wireless. Just make sure you point the recording software to the correct microphone input. Usually the easiest way to do that is to go to the settings of your desktop environment (GNOME, kde, cinnamon) and select the correct microphone (this is assuming you’re using a desktop environment for a graphical desktop). A voice recorder app or website should allow you to test whether the Bluetooth mic is working properly if you’re unsure.

      After that you’ll need something that can record that supports scripting. I can’t help you there, I have no idea if audacity has scripting support, but something probably exists. But anything that can record audio should play nicely with Bluetooth if Bluetooth is working properly on your computer