The Tool Desk
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First, identify which audio path you need
Before changing settings, decide whether you want all computer sound, audio from one application, or audio coming from a console through a capture card. These use different sources in Streamlabs Desktop. Play known audio while checking the matching mixer channel; test after each change so you can tell which one addresses the problem.
- All Windows system audio: check the desktop-audio device and Windows playback output.
- All macOS system audio: use a routed audio device; Streamlabs’ Mac guide documents BlackHole and a Multi-Output Device.
- One game or app: use Application Audio Capture and turn off the global Desktop Audio source to avoid duplicates.
- Console sound through a capture card: check the capture device and console’s audio settings separately.
Fix desktop audio capture on Windows
1. Check the mixer and mute state
- Start playback from the game or app you want on stream.
- In Streamlabs Desktop, watch the corresponding mixer channel. Make sure it is not muted. If the meter moves, the signal is reaching Streamlabs; investigate the scene, output, or monitoring setup rather than repeating device changes.
Streamlabs’ desktop-audio troubleshooting guide, updated April 25, 2025, recommends starting with the mixer mute state.
2. Close audio-management utilities that may interfere
Close audio utilities that manage or enhance the output device, then test again. Streamlabs names Nahimic 2, Sonic Studio Sound, Realtek HD Audio Manager, and Sound Blaster Recon as examples. If needed, check Task Manager for similarly named processes and close them before retesting. Do not assume one of these is installed or responsible; this is a troubleshooting check.
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3. Try disabling exclusive mode for the playback device
- In Windows Sound settings, open the properties for the playback device you are using.
- Open its Advanced tab.
- Clear Give exclusive mode applications priority, apply the change, and test the Streamlabs mixer again.
This is a suggested step for the selected output device, not a setting every Windows user must change.
4. Select the playback device explicitly in Streamlabs
In Streamlabs Desktop’s audio settings, manually choose the same playback device that Windows uses as its default output. Select the device itself rather than choosing “default,” then play audio and check the mixer.
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If that does not work, use a scene-specific source instead: disable the global desktop-audio device in Streamlabs’ audio settings, add Audio Output Capture to the scene, and select the Windows-default output device in that source. Test before moving on; the global device and scene source are alternatives, and enabling both can capture the same sound twice.
5. Try the remaining software checks only if needed
Streamlabs also lists installing the Windows C++ Redistributables and, as a later workaround, using Voicemeeter Banana with a virtual audio cable. Its guide links to installation guidance but does not establish that a particular redistributable version fixes every missing-audio case. Treat virtual routing as an advanced software workaround after checking the simpler device and conflict issues; it is not required hardware.
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Route macOS system audio into Streamlabs
Streamlabs’ Mac guide, updated November 10, 2025, describes routing system sound through BlackHole rather than capturing other apps directly. Its documented setup uses macOS Audio MIDI Setup to create a Multi-Output Device.
- Install BlackHole using the project information linked from Streamlabs’ guide. If installation or app-specific behavior is the issue, consult the BlackHole FAQ or Wiki linked there; macOS and app interfaces may change over time.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device. Include BlackHole and Built-in Output; add another monitoring device if you use one.
- Keep Built-in Output above BlackHole in the device order so the sound remains audible through speakers or headphones.
- Set the Multi-Output Device as the Mac’s sound output.
- In Streamlabs Desktop, open Settings > Audio and select BlackHole among the Mic/Auxiliary devices. Play audio and check the relevant mixer meter.
If alerts or system effects should not appear in the stream or recording, keep those routed to Built-in Output or speakers alone. That is a routing choice, not evidence that BlackHole is malfunctioning.
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Capture only one application instead of all desktop sound
For a game or other selected window, Streamlabs’ Advanced Audio Control Setups guide describes Application Audio Capture. If the source is unavailable, updating Streamlabs Desktop may be necessary.
- Add Application Audio Capture to the scene and select the intended window.
- In Settings > Audio, disable the global Desktop Audio source. Leaving it on can capture the selected app through both routes and cause duplication or echoes.
- Test the app’s mixer signal. Add alert audio separately if needed, and check its monitoring and output configuration.
If the sound is from a console capture card
A console connected through a capture card is a separate signal path from ordinary PC desktop audio. Streamlabs’ capture-card troubleshooting guide, updated April 22, 2025, recommends checking the capture device’s Audio Output Mode and custom-audio-device option, the relevant mixer channel and mute state, and the console’s output settings.
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Its examples include PS4 output through a TV or AV amplifier and Xbox party-chat output settings; use those checks only if they match your console setup. Also review monitoring, which can produce an echo. A capture card or accessory is not a general fix for missing sound from computer applications.
Troubleshoot by what you observe
| What you observe | Likely branch to check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No movement on the relevant mixer meter | Mute state, wrong output device, conflicting audio utility, or missing macOS routing | Follow the matching Windows or macOS steps above and test after each change. |
| The meter moves, but the app is heard twice or echoes | Global Desktop Audio and Application Audio Capture may both be active, or monitoring may duplicate sound | For one-app capture, disable global Desktop Audio; check alert and monitoring routes. |
| Computer sound works, but console sound does not | Capture-card input or console output configuration | Check the capture device’s audio mode, custom audio device, mixer channel, and matching console settings. |
| Audio cuts out or becomes choppy on a specific Mac version | A separate, version-specific issue rather than necessarily a missing desktop source | See the qualification below and check Streamlabs’ current status. |
Streamlabs posted an investigating notice on September 22, 2026 about cutting-out or choppy audio on Streamlabs Desktop 1.19.4 for macOS. Its potential workaround was to toggle audio monitoring off and back to the previous mode, or leave it off. This notice concerns that named version and symptom; it is not a general explanation for missing desktop audio. Check the linked notice for current status before applying a version-specific workaround.
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