How to Configure Audio Sources in Streamlabs Desktop

Streamlabs Desktop separates audio into two kinds of sources: desktop audio, which is the sound your computer plays, and microphone or auxiliary audio, which comes from an input device such as a headset or USB mic. This guide covers selecting those devices, balancing their levels in the mixer and confirming that viewers hear what you expect. Labels and option placement can differ between app versions, so treat the names below as orientation and match them to what your installed version shows.

Before you start

• Install Streamlabs Desktop and connect your microphone, headset or audio interface before opening the app, so it appears in device lists.
• Make sure the operating system recognizes the device and that the correct output device (speakers or headphones) is selected in system sound settings.
• Allow microphone access for Streamlabs Desktop in your operating system privacy settings if the system requests or requires it.
• Close other apps that may take exclusive control of the microphone.
• On macOS, capturing system audio may need extra permissions or a separate virtual audio device depending on your macOS and Streamlabs versions; check the current Streamlabs documentation for your setup.

Audio capture and mixing happen locally on your computer. A streaming platform or a Streamlabs account is only involved when you go live or use online features, so you can configure and test audio without broadcasting. Recordings are saved to the folder set in the app's output settings; confirm that location yourself rather than assuming where files go.

Step-by-step instructions

The global audio settings define default devices that are available in every scene. Use them for the sound sources you always need, such as your main microphone and system audio.

• 1. Open Settings (the gear icon) and go to the Audio section.
• 2. Under the desktop audio device fields, choose the output device you want to capture, or leave it on Default to follow your system output. A second desktop audio slot is available if you need to capture another output.
• 3. Under the mic or auxiliary device fields, choose your microphone. Additional slots let you add other inputs, such as a second mic or an audio interface channel.
• 4. Set unused slots to Disabled so they do not add silence or unwanted sound to the mix.
• 5. If your version offers a sample rate setting, 48 kHz is a common choice for streaming and video; match it to your device and system settings where possible to avoid crackling or pitch problems. Changing it may require restarting the app.
• 6. Save or close the settings and return to the editor.

If you need sound only in particular scenes, add a source to that scene instead. Click the plus button in the Sources panel, choose an audio input capture source for a microphone or an audio output capture source for a playback device, give it a clear name and select the device in its properties. Avoid selecting the same device both globally and as a scene source, because it will be captured twice.

• Adjust each fader in the Mixer so speech peaks sit well below the red zone while game or music audio stays quieter than your voice.
• Use the speaker icon on a mixer channel to mute a source without removing it.
• Open the gear or menu icon on a mixer channel to reach properties, filters and advanced audio options.
• Add a noise suppression or noise gate filter to the microphone if background noise such as fans or keyboard sounds is distracting; start with default values and change one setting at a time.
• A compressor filter can even out large differences between quiet and loud speech.
• In advanced audio options, you can set monitoring if you need to hear a source through your headphones; use headphones to avoid feedback.

Every change here is reversible: you can set a device back to Default or Disabled, remove a filter, or delete a scene source without affecting your recordings already saved.

Check the output

Speak into the microphone and play a sound on your computer while watching the mixer. Each meter should move only when its own source is active. If the microphone meter reacts to game or music sound, the mic is picking up your speakers or the wrong input device is selected.

Make a short local recording, then play it back in a media player with headphones. Listen for whether your voice is clear and louder than background sound, whether anything is duplicated or echoing, and whether there is clipping on loud moments. Meters alone do not reveal echo or noise character, so a playback test is the more reliable check. The final quality of a live stream also depends on the audio bitrate in output settings and on the platform's own processing, which you cannot fully judge from a local recording.

Common problems and next steps

• No desktop audio: confirm the selected desktop audio device matches the output you are actually listening on. If it is set to Default, check that the system default output has not changed after plugging in headphones.
• Microphone not listed: reconnect the device, restart Streamlabs Desktop and check operating system microphone permissions.
• Input level too low or too high: adjust the microphone gain in system sound settings or on the device first, then fine-tune with the mixer fader.
• Sound captured twice or with echo: look for the same device set both in the global audio settings and as a scene source, or for monitoring routed back into a captured output.
• Crackling or distorted audio: check that the sample rate in Streamlabs matches the device and system settings, and disable audio enhancements in system settings if they interfere.
• Too much background noise: add or adjust a noise suppression filter, and move the microphone closer to your mouth so you can use less gain.
• Changes not heard on stream: verify the source is not muted in the mixer and is present in the scene you are broadcasting.

Once the basic setup works, save it as part of your usual scene collection and repeat the short recording test whenever you change hardware, update the app or switch between headphones and speakers.