How to Enable Stereo Mix in Windows 7

Stereo Mix is a recording input that captures whatever your sound card is playing, so you can record computer audio or feed it into another program. In Windows 7 it is often present but disabled and hidden. This guide shows how to reveal it, switch it on, confirm it works and undo the change later.

Before you start

• The whole process runs locally in the Windows Sound control panel. No online service or account is involved.
• Stereo Mix is provided by the audio driver, not by Windows itself. It only appears if your sound card's driver exposes it, which is common with many Realtek and some other onboard chips but not guaranteed.
• Installing or replacing an audio driver requires an administrator account. Simply enabling an existing device usually does not.
• Stereo Mix records the output of the same audio device it belongs to. If you listen through a USB headset or HDMI audio, onboard Stereo Mix will not capture that sound.
• Recording calls, streams or other people's audio may require consent or permission depending on where you live and what you record. Check the rules that apply to you.

Step-by-step instructions

• Right-click the speaker icon in the notification area and choose Recording devices. You can also open Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound, select Sound and switch to the Recording tab.
• Right-click an empty area inside the device list and tick Show Disabled Devices. Tick Show Disconnected Devices as well.
• Look for an entry named Stereo Mix. Some drivers use a different label, such as What U Hear or Wave Out Mix.
• Right-click Stereo Mix and choose Enable. Its icon should change from grey to active.
• If you want programs that use the default input to record computer audio, right-click Stereo Mix and choose Set as Default Device. Skip this if you only plan to select it manually inside a specific app.
• Click OK to save the changes.

Open Stereo Mix properties to review a few settings. On the Levels tab, make sure the device is not muted and the level is not at zero. On the Listen tab, leave Listen to this device unchecked; enabling it plays the captured sound back through your speakers and can cause doubled audio or feedback. On the Advanced tab, the Default Format list controls the sample rate and bit depth used for shared-mode recording; the options shown depend on your driver.

To reverse everything, return to the Recording tab, set your previous microphone as the default device again, then right-click Stereo Mix and choose Disable.

Check the output

Play any audio on your computer while the Recording tab is open. The level meter beside Stereo Mix should show moving green bars. If the bars stay empty, the device is not receiving sound from your current playback output.

For a recorded test, set Stereo Mix as the default device and open Sound Recorder from Start, All Programs, Accessories. Start recording, play a short clip, stop and play back the saved file. Sound Recorder in Windows 7 saves WMA files; use a dedicated recording program if you need another format.

Keep in mind that Stereo Mix captures everything the sound card plays, including notifications and system sounds. With many drivers the playback volume also affects the recorded level, so very low or muted output can produce a quiet or silent recording.

Common problems and next steps

Stereo Mix does not appear at all

If it stays hidden even with disabled and disconnected devices shown, the active driver probably does not offer it. This often happens when Windows is using its generic High Definition Audio driver. Check Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers to see which driver is installed, then install the audio driver supplied by your computer or motherboard manufacturer. Some manufacturers deliberately leave Stereo Mix out, in which case no Windows setting will add it.

It is enabled but records silence

Confirm that your default playback device is the same sound card that owns Stereo Mix. Check that Stereo Mix is unmuted on the Levels tab and that the recording app has Stereo Mix selected as its input, not the microphone. Also make sure your playback volume is not muted.

Echo or doubled sound

Turn off Listen to this device on the Stereo Mix Listen tab. If you select Stereo Mix as the microphone in a video call app, the other participants will hear all of your computer audio, including their own voices returned to them, which creates echo. Switch the call app back to your real microphone when you are done.

You need your voice and computer audio together

Stereo Mix only carries playback sound, so it does not mix in your microphone by itself. Use recording or streaming software that can capture two inputs at once, or check whether your audio driver's control panel offers a mixing option.