How to use Streamlabs Virtual Webcam on Discord

The short answer

Discord does not take a stream from Streamlabs the way Twitch or YouTube does. There is no stream key or server address to enter. To show your Streamlabs scene on Discord, start the Virtual Webcam in Streamlabs Desktop. Then pick it as your camera in Discord's Voice & Video settings and turn on video in a call or voice channel. Discord treats your whole scene, with its overlays, alerts and cropped camera, like an ordinary webcam.

The query "stream Streamlabs to Discord" can mean two different things, and the method differs for each:

• Virtual Webcam: your scene appears in your camera tile in a call or voice channel. This guide covers this method.
• Screen share or Go Live: you share the Streamlabs window, or a projector window showing your scene, through Discord's screen-sharing feature. Viewers see it as a shared screen, not as your camera.

Neither method sends your Streamlabs audio mix to Discord automatically. The Virtual Webcam is a video device. Discord takes sound from whatever input device you select in its own settings. The audio section below covers this.

Before you start

• Streamlabs Desktop is installed and you have a scene that already looks right in its preview.
• You are using the Discord desktop app. In a browser, the camera list depends on the browser's own camera permission, which adds another place where setup can fail.
• Your Streamlabs version offers the Virtual Webcam on your operating system. Support and menu labels have changed between releases. If you can't find the option described below, check the current Streamlabs documentation for your OS.

Step 1: Start the Virtual Webcam in Streamlabs

• 1. Open Streamlabs Desktop and select the scene you want Discord to show.
• 2. Open Settings and find the Virtual Webcam section. Some versions also have a shortcut button near the main controls.
• 3. If Streamlabs asks to install the virtual camera component, allow it. Your system may ask for administrator approval.
• 4. Click the option to start the Virtual Webcam.

How to know it worked: Streamlabs should show that the Virtual Webcam is running, usually by changing the button to a stop option. This confirms that Streamlabs is producing a camera feed. It does not yet confirm that Discord can see that feed.

Step 2: Select the virtual camera in Discord

• 1. Open Discord and go to User Settings, then Voice & Video.
• 2. Under Video Settings, open the Camera dropdown.
• 3. Choose the Streamlabs virtual camera entry. The exact name varies by version.
• 4. Use the video preview or test button on that page.

How to know it worked: the preview shows your Streamlabs scene rather than your raw webcam image. If the Streamlabs entry is missing, fully quit Discord, including from the system tray, and reopen it. Discord may only list cameras that existed when it started.

What this check proves: Discord can access the virtual device and is receiving frames from it. The check doesn't show what other people see. Discord may compress or rescale video depending on connection and settings. The check also says nothing about your audio.

Step 3: Turn on video in a call or voice channel

• 1. Join a voice channel or start a direct call.
• 2. Click the Video or camera button. If Discord asks which camera to use, choose the Streamlabs entry.
• 3. Ask someone in the call to confirm what they see, or join from a second device to watch your own feed.

How to know it worked: another participant sees your scene in your video tile and it updates as you change scenes in Streamlabs. This is the only check that confirms the feed reaches other people. Their report of sharpness and smoothness is the best available measure of call quality. This guide has no verified resolution or frame-rate figures for Discord's handling of virtual cameras.

Audio: set it up separately

In Discord's Voice & Video settings, choose your input device. Speak and watch the input indicator. Movement there shows that the microphone is detected and active. It doesn't show that you sound clear, so ask a call participant or use Discord's mic test, if your version offers one, to hear the result.

If you want Discord to hear sounds that Streamlabs plays, such as alerts or music, choose one of these approaches:

• Use Discord's screen share with audio. Whether audio sharing is available depends on your operating system and what you are sharing.
• Route audio through a third-party virtual audio device and select it as Discord's input. This adds software and configuration not covered here.

This guide has no verified input-level targets for this setup. Judge by listener feedback rather than a specific meter reading.

Common problems

Symptom | Likely cause | What to try

Streamlabs camera is not in Discord's list | Discord started before the virtual camera existed, or the component isn't installed | Start the Virtual Webcam first, then fully restart Discord. Reinstall the component from Streamlabs settings if needed.

Preview is black or frozen | The Virtual Webcam is stopped, or the scene is empty | Confirm the Virtual Webcam is running and the scene preview in Streamlabs shows content.

Your physical webcam goes black in Streamlabs | Discord is set to the physical webcam, and the two apps are competing for it | Set Discord to the Streamlabs virtual camera, not the real webcam.

Scene looks wrong in Discord | Discord background or blur effects are applied on top of your scene | Turn off Discord's video background effects so only your Streamlabs scene is shown.

Others can't hear alerts or music | The virtual camera carries video only | See the audio section above.

Backgrounds: know which layer you are changing

Three different things can change what appears behind you:

• Physical background: the real room behind you.
• Streamlabs scene: images or effects you place in Streamlabs.
• Discord video effects: backgrounds or blur that Discord adds on its own end.

When you use the Virtual Webcam, control the background in Streamlabs and leave Discord's effects off. That way you have one place to adjust it, and the two layers won't interfere with each other.

When you are done

Stop the Virtual Webcam in Streamlabs when you no longer need it. If you want Discord to use your real webcam directly again, switch its Camera setting back. Otherwise Discord will stay on the virtual camera and show a blank image when Streamlabs isn't running.