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If viewers can see your Discord stream but cannot hear it, first check whether the problem is on the streamer’s side or the viewer’s. Application audio is supported on Discord’s Windows and macOS desktop apps, Chrome, and mobile clients, but not on Linux or browsers other than Chrome. If you are watching, check the stream’s mute and volume controls before changing the streamer’s settings.
First, identify who cannot hear the stream
- You are streaming: Everyone—or several viewers—can see your screen, but cannot hear the game or app. Focus on audio capture, permissions, supported platforms, and the app’s output routing.
- You are watching: Other call audio works, but the shared stream is silent, or only you cannot hear it. Check your stream volume, Discord output device, and individual-user volume.
Microphone audio and application audio use different capture paths. A working voice call does not prove Discord can capture a game or browser’s sound.
If viewers cannot hear your stream
1. Stop and restart Go Live
- Stop the current screen share while staying in the voice channel or call.
- Select the screen-share or stream control again.
- Choose the specific game or application window when available, then select Go Live.
Discord recommends restarting a stream when application audio capture fails. If you had switched windows or apps, starting a fresh stream can restore capture. See Discord’s Go Live and screen-share guide and its audio and video error troubleshooting guide.
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Discord’s current guidance lists the Windows and macOS desktop apps, Chrome, and mobile clients as supporting audio capture. It says application audio is unavailable on Linux and browsers other than Chrome. Video may therefore work even when application sound cannot be shared. Check the supported-client details from Discord before spending time on settings that cannot enable an unsupported feature.
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For browser Discord, try Chrome. If you are using Firefox, Safari, or another browser, switch to Chrome or the desktop app for the test. Browser permissions and compatibility can also affect screen sharing; Discord’s voice and video troubleshooting guide covers browser checks.
3. Check the application and its audio routing
Make sure the game, browser tab, or other app itself is producing sound. Confirm it is not muted and that its audio is going to the output device you expect. An app playing through a different device or routing path may be audible locally without being captured as expected.
Choose the individual application window where possible. Some apps restrict capture, and changing share mode will not bypass those restrictions. If only one app is silent, test another app with ordinary audio before changing more Discord settings.
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If Discord or the operating system asks to capture sound, approve the request. If you dismissed it, stop the stream, fully quit and reopen Discord, then start Go Live again and look for a renewed prompt. If no prompt appears, check the relevant operating-system privacy settings.
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On macOS, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording and allow Discord. Names can vary slightly by macOS release. Screen-recording permission is required for sharing; Discord’s streaming troubleshooting guide discusses permissions and other capture checks.
Windows does not have one universal screen-recording permission page equivalent to macOS. Check Discord’s permissions and whether security software is interfering. Running Discord as administrator can be tried as a Windows diagnostic step, but it is not a guaranteed audio fix.
5. Verify Discord and system output devices
In Discord, open User Settings → Voice & Video and check Output Device. Select the headphones or speakers actually in use. Also check that the operating system has not muted Discord or the app.
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- On Windows, inspect the Volume Mixer for both Discord and the shared app.
- On macOS, confirm the selected sound output and check whether a Bluetooth device changed connection or routing.
- Check whether the app itself is muted or routed to a different output device than Discord.
Discord’s troubleshooting guide specifically recommends checking the output device when Discord audio is missing.
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6. Refresh Discord and test hardware acceleration
- Fully quit Discord, then reopen it.
- Refresh the desktop client with Ctrl + R on Windows or Command + R on macOS.
- Update Discord through its normal distribution channel and install available operating-system updates.
- If the problem persists, open User Settings → Voice & Video → Video, disable Hardware Acceleration, restart Discord, and test again.
Hardware acceleration is a troubleshooting test, not a confirmed cause or guaranteed fix; disabling it can increase CPU use or reduce performance. Re-enable it if it makes no difference. Discord describes client refreshes, updates, and hardware-acceleration checks in its voice, video, and streaming guide and general troubleshooting guide.
7. Test another application to isolate the cause
- Another app streams with sound: The original app may restrict capture or route its audio differently.
- No app streams with sound: Check platform support, permissions, Discord state, output routing, and updates.
- Only one viewer has trouble: The likely cause is that viewer’s stream volume, mute state, or output device rather than the streamer’s capture.
If you cannot hear someone else’s stream
1. Unmute the stream and raise its volume
- While watching on desktop, right-click the stream window.
- If Mute is enabled, turn it off.
- Raise Stream Volume.
These controls are separate from the voice call’s main volume. On mobile, swipe up from the bottom while watching the shared screen to reach stream-volume controls. See Discord’s desktop stream controls and mobile screen-share FAQ.
2. Check your output device and the streamer’s individual volume
Open User Settings → Voice & Video and select the headphones or speakers you are using under Output Device. Check your system volume and mute state as well. If you can hear the call but not one person’s stream, check that person’s individual volume; on mobile, long-pressing a user’s profile in the voice call opens the individual-volume control described in Discord’s audio troubleshooting guide.
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3. Rejoin and compare clients
Leave the stream and rejoin it. If that does not help, leave and re-enter the voice channel, then try the stream on another Discord client or device. If other viewers can hear it but you cannot, concentrate on your own controls and output routing.
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Platform-specific limits and checks
Windows
Start by confirming that the app produces sound and that Discord and the app use the expected devices. Check Windows Volume Mixer for per-app mute or volume settings. If capture still fails, restart Discord, try running it as administrator as a diagnostic, test with hardware acceleration disabled, and update Discord, Windows, and relevant audio or graphics drivers. These are troubleshooting measures, not proof that a driver or privilege issue is the cause; Discord’s streaming guide covers permissions, updates, drivers, and capture troubleshooting.
macOS
Discord says application and game audio sharing is supported on macOS 13 and later. Older macOS setups may require the legacy audio-capture process, which can involve installing and authorizing ACE from Rogue Amoeba through User Settings → Voice & Video → Screen Share. Do not treat those older ACE instructions as the default for current macOS. Check Discord’s macOS audio-sharing guidance and its older macOS setup FAQ. Screen Recording permission still matters; Discord also documents the macOS screen-share workflow.
Chrome and other browsers
Discord identifies Chrome as the supported browser for application-audio capture; other browsers do not support it. If browser sharing is silent, use Chrome for a simple audio test, confirm Discord and browser permissions, then reload Discord. If the test works in Chrome but not another browser, switch browsers or use the desktop app rather than repeatedly changing unrelated settings.
Linux
Discord states that application-audio sharing is unavailable on Linux, even if video sharing works. Reinstalling Discord or changing audio settings will not enable a feature Discord does not support on that platform. Use a supported Windows or macOS system when application audio is essential, or share a media link or use another suitable service.
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iPhone, iPad, and Android
Mobile screen sharing can have app-specific limits. Discord says Android audio sharing requires Android 10 or later; Android screen sharing itself is available from Android 5. Some apps do not permit audio sharing, and Discord identifies Netflix and Spotify as restricted examples. Update the Discord app through the App Store or Google Play, and test another ordinary app if one mobile app is silent. These details are in Discord’s mobile screen-share FAQ.
When Go Live or stream audio is unavailable
If the Go Live or screen-share option is missing in a server, ask a moderator to check whether you have the Video permission in that voice channel. Discord lists this permission as necessary for server screen sharing in its Go Live guide. If video is available but application sound is not, first check platform support: Linux and non-Chrome browsers do not support Discord application-audio sharing, while mobile audio capture also depends on the operating system and the app being shared.
If none of these checks resolves it
Reproduce the problem with a simple application that normally plays audio, then note your device, operating system, Discord client (desktop, browser, or mobile), the app being shared, and whether all viewers are affected. If application audio still fails on a supported client after permissions, routing, and updates are checked, contact Discord Support with those details.
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