To capture Mac desktop audio in Streamlabs Desktop, install BlackHole, route your Mac’s sound through a macOS Multi-Output Device, then select BlackHole as a Mic/Auxiliary input in Streamlabs. A normal microphone input alone will not capture music, game audio, browser sound, or call audio from other apps.
Why Streamlabs Desktop needs an audio route on Mac
Streamlabs says macOS does not let apps such as Streamlabs Desktop grab audio directly from other apps in the workflow covered by its guide. Instead, create a virtual audio route: macOS sends app audio to BlackHole, which Streamlabs can receive as an input. To hear the audio locally while capturing it, send it to both BlackHole and your speakers or headphones.
This is Streamlabs’ explanation of its setup, not a quotation from Apple. Its guide, “Capturing Desktop Audio in Streamlabs Desktop for Mac,” was last updated November 10, 2025: Streamlabs’ desktop-audio guide.
Set up BlackHole and a Multi-Output Device
- Install BlackHole. Follow the download and installation instructions on the BlackHole project wiki. Streamlabs describes BlackHole as free and open-source. Its guide describes a download flow that may offer a donation or skip option and ask for a short form before providing the installer; that flow can change, so follow the project’s current instructions.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup. On your Mac, open the Audio MIDI Setup app. Click the plus button and choose to create a Multi-Output Device.
- Add the output devices. In the device list, enable BlackHole and the output you use to listen, such as the built-in output or your headphones. If you use another monitoring output, enable that too.
- Put your listening output above BlackHole. Keep the built-in output or other listening device above BlackHole in the Multi-Output Device list. Streamlabs warns that placing BlackHole as the primary device can leave sound inaudible through speakers or headphones.
- Make the Multi-Output Device the Mac’s sound output. Select it as the macOS sound output. System audio should then be routed to both your listening device and BlackHole.
- Select BlackHole in Streamlabs. Open Streamlabs Desktop and go to Settings > Audio. Choose BlackHole for one of the Mic/Auxiliary devices.
- Verify the input before recording or streaming. Play audio from a game, browser, music app, or call and watch the Streamlabs mixer. Confirm that the input meter responds, and listen locally to check monitoring. If either is missing, use the troubleshooting steps below before recording or going live.
Streamlabs also describes BlackHole as its recommendation for macOS 11 Big Sur and later in its Mac screen-recording guide. Its documentation does not establish compatibility for every later macOS release or every Mac configuration, so check the current BlackHole project instructions if installation or routing differs on your system.
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Fix common desktop-audio problems
The Mac is silent after enabling the route
Reopen Audio MIDI Setup and inspect the Multi-Output Device’s order. Put the built-in output or the device you use to listen above BlackHole. The route is meant to send audio to both; selecting BlackHole as the primary device can prevent local playback.
Streamlabs does not show audio from BlackHole
Confirm that the Multi-Output Device is selected as the Mac’s sound output and that BlackHole is selected for a Mic/Auxiliary device in Settings > Audio. Then play audio from an app and check the mixer. If the input still is not available, check macOS microphone permission for Streamlabs Desktop.
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Apple’s instructions, published May 27, 2026, give these paths:
- macOS Ventura or later: System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone, then enable permission for Streamlabs Desktop.
- macOS Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, or Mojave: System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Microphone, then enable permission for the app.
See Apple’s instructions for controlling access to the microphone. Microphone permission lets an app access audio inputs; it does not create the BlackHole route. You still need the Multi-Output Device and Streamlabs input selection.
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You can hear the audio, but the mixer does not respond
Check that the Mac’s selected sound output is the Multi-Output Device, not just the built-in output, and that BlackHole is enabled in that device. In Streamlabs, verify that the selected Mic/Auxiliary source is BlackHole rather than a physical microphone. The two checks are separate: macOS must route the system sound to BlackHole, and Streamlabs must listen to BlackHole.
BlackHole and the other named software option
Streamlabs names Loopback as another third-party solution, but does not provide a current feature, compatibility, setup, or price comparison. The documented BlackHole workflow is the clearest option in Streamlabs’ instructions; compare current macOS compatibility, routing controls, monitoring needs, setup effort, cost, and support before choosing another tool. Streamlabs’ mention alone is not enough to establish Loopback’s current capabilities or price.
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Or let it run in the cloud
For Mac desktop-audio capture, the BlackHole method above routes audio from apps running on your Mac into Streamlabs. If your separate goal is to keep an uploaded-video YouTube stream running around the clock, StreamNeo is a different workflow: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded video from the cloud; it does not capture live audio from your Mac or go live from a camera.
- Your computer and home connection do not have to stay on.
- Each slot has one flat price for any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps, with no re-encoding or quality tiers.
- StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free, with no card required; there is one free day per account.
- Monthly: $9.99 per month.
See StreamNeo for details, then start your free day.
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