How to Enable and Use Stereo Mix in Windows

Stereo Mix is a recording input that captures whatever your sound hardware is playing, such as a video, a browser tab or game audio. Windows usually hides it by default. Once you enable it, recording, streaming and call apps can use it like a microphone.

Before you start

Stereo Mix runs locally on your PC. No online service or account is involved. It is provided by your audio driver, not by Windows itself. Whether it exists on your system depends on that driver.

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC with an audio driver that offers Stereo Mix. Onboard Realtek audio often does, but not every system has it.
• Playback going to the same audio hardware that provides Stereo Mix. Sound sent to USB headsets, Bluetooth devices or HDMI outputs usually bypasses it.
• An app to receive the audio, such as Sound Recorder, Audacity, OBS Studio or a call app.
• The right to record the content. Check the consent rules for calls and the terms for copyrighted material before you capture anything.

Step-by-step instructions

Turn on Stereo Mix in the Sound control panel

The classic Sound window works the same way in Windows 10 and Windows 11, so it is the most reliable route.

• Press Windows + R, type mmsys.cpl and press Enter to open the Sound window.
• Open the Recording tab.
• Right-click an empty area of the device list, then turn on Show Disabled Devices and Show Disconnected Devices.
• Right-click Stereo Mix and choose Enable.
• Optional: right-click Stereo Mix again and choose Set as Default Device. Do this only if your app always records from the default input.
• Click OK to close the window.

Use the Settings app instead

In Windows 11, open Settings, go to System, then Sound, and select All sound devices under Advanced. Choose Stereo Mix in the input list and click Allow. In Windows 10, open Settings, go to System, then Sound, and select Manage sound devices. Under Input devices, choose Stereo Mix and click Enable. Labels can shift slightly between Windows updates. If you can't find these options, use the Sound control panel method above.

Record system audio with Stereo Mix

• Open your recording, streaming or call app and select Stereo Mix as its input or microphone. If you set Stereo Mix as the default device, you can leave the app on the default input instead.
• Start playing the audio you want to capture, then start recording.
• If the recording is too quiet or distorted, open the Recording tab, right-click Stereo Mix, choose Properties and adjust the slider on the Levels tab.

Stereo Mix captures playback only, not your microphone. To record your voice and system audio together, use an app that mixes several inputs, such as OBS Studio. Another option is the Listen to this device setting in your microphone's properties, which routes the mic into playback so Stereo Mix picks it up. That route can add delay, and you will hear yourself through your speakers or headphones.

To undo the change, go back to the Recording tab, right-click Stereo Mix and choose Disable. If you made Stereo Mix the default input, set your microphone as the default device again.

Check the output

Keep the Recording tab open and play some audio. The level meter next to Stereo Mix should move with the sound. If it stays flat while audio is clearly playing, Stereo Mix is not receiving that playback. See the next section for fixes.

Next, record a short clip and play it back. Stereo Mix captures everything the device plays, including notification sounds, so mute or close anything you don't want in the file. On many systems the recorded level follows your playback volume, so keep the volume steady while you record. The Advanced tab in Stereo Mix properties sets the sample rate and bit depth it delivers. The file format and compression of the saved recording are chosen in your recording app.

Common problems and next steps

Stereo Mix does not appear

If Stereo Mix is not listed even with disabled devices shown, your current driver does not provide it. The generic Microsoft driver, listed as High Definition Audio Device, typically doesn't include it. Install the audio driver from your PC or motherboard manufacturer, restart the computer and check the Recording tab again. Some drivers give the loopback input a different name, and some don't offer one at all.

If no driver gives you Stereo Mix, you can still record system audio in other ways. Audacity can record through the Windows WASAPI host using a loopback device. OBS Studio captures desktop audio directly. A virtual audio cable driver can also route playback into a recording input.

Stereo Mix is enabled but records silence

• On the Playback tab, make sure your default output is the speakers or headphones on the same audio hardware as Stereo Mix, not a USB, Bluetooth or HDMI device.
• Open Stereo Mix properties, go to the Levels tab and check that the input isn't muted or set to zero.
• Stereo Mix counts as a recording device, so Windows microphone privacy settings can block apps from using it. Check the Microphone page under Privacy & security in Windows 11, or under Privacy in Windows 10, and allow access for the app you use.
• Restart the recording app after changing devices so it picks up the new input.

Echo or feedback

If Listen to this device is turned on in the Stereo Mix properties, Stereo Mix plays back into itself. Turn that option off. In video calls, using Stereo Mix as your microphone sends everything you hear back into the call, including other participants' voices. If you only need to share computer sound in a call, many call apps include a share-sound option when screen sharing, which avoids this loop.