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To play the same sound through two or more devices on a Mac, create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup, select the outputs you want, then choose that device as your Mac’s sound output. Use an Aggregate Device to combine interface channels, or routing software when different apps need different destinations.
Choose the right method
| Your goal | Use |
|---|---|
| Play the same audio through speakers, headphones, or other outputs | Multi-Output Device |
| Make several interfaces act as one device with more input or output channels | Aggregate Device |
| Send different apps to different outputs | Audio-routing software |
| Build a low-latency, dependable setup for live or studio monitoring | A suitable interface, mixer, monitor controller, or distribution hardware |
| Hear audio while sending it to recording or streaming software | Multi-Output Device plus a virtual audio device, or audio-routing software |
Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup guide for macOS Tahoe documents the Multi-Output Device workflow. It mirrors one audio stream to selected outputs; it is not an app-by-app mixer. Apple’s Multi-Output Device guide
Prepare your audio devices
- Connect and power on wired outputs, and pair Bluetooth devices before opening Audio MIDI Setup.
- For AirPlay, make sure the receiver is available to the Mac; network requirements depend on the AirPlay setup.
- Check that each device appears in macOS Sound settings or Audio MIDI Setup before building the combined output.
- Keep the devices on while creating and testing the configuration. If one is missing, check its connection and any manufacturer software or drivers it needs. Apple’s Audio Devices guide
Create and select a Multi-Output Device
- Open Audio MIDI Setup by pressing Command-Space, searching for “Audio MIDI Setup,” or opening Applications > Utilities.
- If the Audio Devices window is not visible, choose Window > Show Audio Devices. Make sure you are in the Audio Devices window, not MIDI Studio.
- Click the Add (+) button below the device list and choose Create Multi-Output Device.
- Select the new device in the sidebar. Rename it to something easy to recognize, such as “Speakers + Headphones” or “Record and Monitor.”
- In the device pane, check Use beside every output you want included.
- Choose a Primary Device in the pop-up menu. For a setup where timing matters most on one output, make that the primary; for casual listening, try each option and compare.
- Select the named Multi-Output Device as your Mac’s sound output. Use the sound controls in the menu bar or Control Center if available, or open System Settings > Sound and choose it in the output device list. The control’s appearance varies by macOS release and setup.
Apple documents the Add button, output checkboxes, and Primary Device selector in its Multi-Output Device instructions and Audio Devices overview.
Test playback, timing, and volume
Play a familiar stereo track and check each destination separately: confirm that it is producing sound, is not muted, and is at a safe volume. If the two outputs sound uneven, lower the louder device at its own controls before increasing the Mac’s output level.
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Primary Device and synchronization
The Primary Device is the main output selected for the Multi-Output Device. Choose the output that matters most to your workflow, then test the result: timing depends on the devices and their connections. Wired audio may be more predictable for monitoring than Bluetooth, but neither the Primary Device setting nor macOS guarantees that independent outputs will stay perfectly synchronized.
Bluetooth, AirPlay, and separate wired devices can have different playback delays. You may hear an echo, notice audio arriving late, or see lip-sync drift in video. Test the exact Mac and devices before a presentation or performance; use wired outputs or a single suitable interface if tight synchronization is essential.
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Volume controls
Do not assume the Mac’s volume keys control every output independently—or that they will adjust the combined device at all. Adjust volume on the headphones, speaker, display, interface, or its driver utility as needed. Audio MIDI Setup shows channel volume sliders only when software volume control is supported by the device. Apple’s Audio Devices guide
Fix common problems
The Multi-Output Device or an output is missing
- Open Window > Show Audio Devices and make sure you are not in MIDI Studio.
- Check whether each output appears on its own in Audio MIDI Setup. Reconnect wired devices or reconnect Bluetooth devices if necessary.
- Quit and reopen Audio MIDI Setup. If a device still does not appear, check its connection and required driver or manufacturer software.
- If the combined device is present but not active, choose it in the Mac’s output controls or under System Settings > Sound.
Sound comes from only one output
- Select the Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup and verify that Use is checked for both outputs.
- Confirm that the Mac is set to the combined device, not one of the individual outputs.
- Check the silent device’s mute and volume controls, then reconnect it and test again with a simple stereo source.
Outputs are out of sync
- Test each output by itself to identify which playback path is delayed.
- Try a different Primary Device and reconnect the Bluetooth output.
- For live monitoring or video where timing matters, prefer wired connections and reduce wireless or conversion stages. A single interface or appropriate hardware monitoring setup can be more predictable than unrelated devices.
Audio crackles, distorts, or drops out
- Inspect the devices’ Format settings in Audio MIDI Setup. Different outputs may support different sample rates or bit depths; many ordinary combinations work at their default settings, so change formats only when troubleshooting a real issue.
- Update device drivers or firmware if the manufacturer provides them, and close apps that may be interfering with an interface.
- Reconnect devices, remove unnecessary USB hubs or adapters, and recreate the Multi-Output Device if the configuration remains unstable. Apple advises connecting an audio interface directly to the computer rather than through a hub or daisy chain when addressing unacceptable latency in Logic Pro. Apple’s Logic Pro interface guidance
The setup disappears after reconnection or restart
Reopen Audio MIDI Setup and check that every device in the configuration is available. Reconnect devices, check for a changed USB port or Bluetooth device name, and recreate the combined device if a driver update changed how an interface appears. For a repeatable event or studio setup, keep a record of the selected outputs and settings.
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Multi-Output Device versus Aggregate Device
These are different Audio MIDI Setup configurations, not interchangeable names for combining audio hardware.
| Configuration | What it does | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Output Device | Sends the same playback stream to the primary output and other selected outputs | Mirroring audio to multiple destinations |
| Aggregate Device | Combines multiple audio devices into one logical device, exposing their channels together | Using inputs or outputs from separate interfaces in a DAW or recording workflow |
Apple recommends using the same sample rate for devices in an Aggregate Device and provides drift correction where applicable. Unrelated interfaces may not share a physical clock, so aggregate setups can be more sensitive to sample-rate changes, driver behavior, or reconnection. For production, one multichannel interface is often simpler and more predictable. Apple’s Aggregate Device guide
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Route different apps to different outputs
A Multi-Output Device mirrors a selected system output. It does not provide a straightforward built-in way to send, for example, Safari to speakers while Zoom goes to headphones. For that, use audio-routing software designed for per-app output control or virtual routing.
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Hear Mac audio while recording or streaming
To monitor audio while sending it to OBS, Zoom, a screen recorder, or a DAW, you need both a listening route and a recording input. One built-in-style setup is to include a physical listening output and an installed virtual audio device in a Multi-Output Device, then select the virtual device as the recording app’s input. The virtual device must be selected as an input in that app; merely choosing it as the Mac’s output does not route the signal into the app.
BlackHole is an open-source macOS loopback driver for passing audio between applications. Its project guidance describes pairing it with a Multi-Output Device to hear audio while routing it through BlackHole. BlackHole project and setup guidance
Loopback can instead create virtual devices from application audio and physical inputs; Audio Hijack is oriented toward capturing, processing, monitoring, and recording audio chains. In either approach, grant the recording app the necessary audio or input permission, select the virtual device as its input, and avoid routing the recording output back into that same input, which can create feedback. Loopback · Audio Hijack
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To change it, open Audio MIDI Setup, select the Multi-Output Device, adjust its Use checkboxes, or choose a different Primary Device. To remove a created device, select it in the Audio Devices window and click Remove. Apple’s guide covers managing created audio devices. Audio Devices window
Quick Recap
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