If Streamlabs Desktop is not capturing game, browser, music, or other computer sound, first play audio and check whether the matching Streamlabs mixer meter moves. On Windows, check mute, audio-management utilities, the selected playback device, and Windows exclusive mode. On macOS, Streamlabs’ documented setup routes system audio through BlackHole and a Multi-Output Device. If you want sound from just one app, use Application Audio Capture instead of capturing all desktop audio.
Find the right fix for your audio source
Start by identifying what you are trying to capture. The steps differ depending on whether the sound comes from Windows system audio, a Mac app, one selected application, or a console connected through a capture card.
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| What you want to capture | Start here | What to check in Streamlabs |
|---|---|---|
| All computer sound on Windows | Windows output-device and Streamlabs desktop-audio settings | The desktop-audio or Audio Output Capture mixer meter |
| System sound on macOS | BlackHole and a macOS Multi-Output Device | BlackHole selected as a Mic/Auxiliary device |
| One app or game window | Application Audio Capture | The selected app’s source meter; global Desktop Audio disabled to avoid duplication |
| Console sound via a capture card | Capture-card audio mode and console output settings | The capture-device mixer channel and its mute state |
Play a known sound while checking the meter for the source you intend to use. If the meter moves but the stream or recording is still silent, the capture source is receiving audio; investigate its output, monitoring, or stream/recording configuration rather than repeating device-selection steps.
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Try these checks in order, testing the mixer meter after each change. Streamlabs’ official troubleshooting guide recommends starting with the mixer and then checking software or device conflicts. Streamlabs: Desktop Audio Not Being Captured.
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1. Check the mixer mute state
- Play audio from a source you expect Streamlabs to capture.
- In Streamlabs Desktop, look at the mixer channel for desktop audio or the relevant output-capture source.
- Make sure the channel is not muted. If it was muted, unmute it and check whether its meter moves.
2. Close audio-management utilities that may interfere
Streamlabs lists audio-management software as a possible source of conflict, including Nahimic 2, Sonic Studio Sound, Realtek HD Audio Manager, and Sound Blaster Recon. Close these utilities and test again. If they remain active in the background, check Task Manager for similarly named processes and close the relevant process if appropriate. Avoid closing unfamiliar processes simply because their names look similar.
3. Try disabling exclusive mode for the selected Windows output
For the playback device you use, open its Windows Sound properties, go to Advanced, and clear Give exclusive mode applications priority. This is a troubleshooting step for the selected output device, not a setting that every Windows user needs to change. Test Streamlabs after changing it.
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4. Select the same playback device in Streamlabs
In Windows Sound, note which playback device is currently the default. In Streamlabs, manually select that same device for desktop audio rather than choosing an option labelled Default. Play audio and check the corresponding mixer meter.
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5. Use Audio Output Capture as an alternative
If the global desktop-audio device still does not capture the output, disable that global device in Streamlabs and add an Audio Output Capture source to the scene. Select the Windows-default playback device in that source, then test its mixer meter. Change one setting at a time so you can identify which change restores the signal.
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Streamlabs also lists installing Windows C++ Redistributables and, later in its troubleshooting sequence, using Voicemeeter Banana with a virtual audio cable. Its linked guidance covers the redistributable installation; the support article does not establish that a particular version fixes every missing-audio case. Treat virtual routing as an advanced software workaround, not required hardware, and try the simpler checks first.
Route system audio on macOS
Streamlabs’ Mac guide, updated November 10, 2025, documents routing system audio through BlackHole and a Multi-Output Device created in macOS Audio MIDI Setup. In that documented workflow, sound from other apps is routed rather than captured directly by Streamlabs. macOS interface details can change across releases, so if the labels differ, consult the guide and BlackHole’s linked FAQ or Wiki. Streamlabs: Capturing Desktop Audio in Streamlabs Desktop for Mac.
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- Install BlackHole, following its current installation information and troubleshooting resources linked from Streamlabs’ Mac guide.
- Open macOS Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device.
- Add BlackHole and Built-in Output to the Multi-Output Device. Add another monitoring device only if you need it.
- Keep Built-in Output above BlackHole in the device order so you can continue hearing audio through your 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 Streamlabs mixer meter. If alerts or macOS sound effects should not appear in the stream or recording, route them to Built-in Output or speakers alone.
Capture one app instead of all desktop audio
If you only want a game or another selected window, use Application Audio Capture rather than capturing all system sound. Streamlabs describes this option in its advanced audio setup guide. If the source is unavailable, the guide says updating Streamlabs Desktop may be needed. Streamlabs: Advanced Audio Control Setups.
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- Open Streamlabs’ Settings > Audio and disable the global Desktop Audio source.
- Play audio in the selected app and check that source’s mixer meter.
- Add alert audio separately if required, and check its monitoring and output configuration.
Leaving global Desktop Audio enabled alongside the selected application source can capture the same sound twice, which may cause echoes.
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Check console audio separately
Audio from a console connected through a capture card follows a different signal path from ordinary computer desktop audio. Check the capture device’s Audio Output Mode and any custom-audio-device option, then confirm that the capture-card mixer channel is not muted. Also check the console’s audio output settings. Streamlabs’ examples cover PS4 output through a TV or AV amplifier and Xbox party-chat output; those settings are relevant only to those console arrangements. Review audio monitoring as well, since monitoring can produce echo. Streamlabs Desktop: Capture Card Issues/Solutions.
Troubleshoot by what you observe
- No mixer meter movement on Windows: check mute, close interfering audio-management software, try the selected output’s exclusive-mode setting, and confirm Streamlabs is pointed at the correct playback device. Test after each change.
- The global desktop source is silent, but another output device works: disable the global desktop device and add Audio Output Capture for the desired Windows playback output.
- Mac system sound is absent from Streamlabs: confirm the Multi-Output Device includes BlackHole and Built-in Output, is selected as the Mac sound output, and BlackHole is selected in Streamlabs’ Mic/Auxiliary settings.
- A selected app is duplicated or echoes: disable global Desktop Audio when using Application Audio Capture, then review alert audio and monitoring separately.
- Console audio is missing: check the capture card’s audio mode, custom-device setting, mixer mute state, and console output settings; do not apply ordinary desktop-audio fixes as a substitute for these checks.
A separate Streamlabs notice dated September 22, 2026 concerns cutting-out or choppy audio on Streamlabs Desktop 1.19.4 for macOS, not every case of missing desktop audio. Streamlabs listed that issue as under investigation and suggested toggling audio monitoring off and back to its prior mode, or leaving it off. Check the notice for its current status before applying that workaround: Streamlabs: Audio cutting out or choppy on Streamlabs Desktop 1.19.4 on macOS.
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