Streamlabs Desktop on Mac does not directly capture other apps’ audio in the workflow covered here. To send music, browser sound or game audio to Streamlabs while still hearing it yourself, install BlackHole, route macOS output through a Multi-Output Device, and select BlackHole as a Mic/Aux input.
This is a macOS audio-routing workaround, not a setting that makes Streamlabs listen to every app automatically. You need to configure both the Mac’s output route and Streamlabs’ input, then check that the mixer receives sound before you record or go live.
Why Streamlabs Desktop on Mac may miss app audio
A common symptom is that a microphone appears in the Streamlabs mixer but music playing in a browser or another application does not move an audio meter. That does not necessarily mean the app is silent. macOS sends system and app audio to an output device, while Streamlabs needs an input device; a normal microphone input does not automatically receive the sound playing through speakers or headphones.
Streamlabs explains in its Mac desktop-audio guide that macOS does not let apps such as Streamlabs Desktop grab audio directly from other apps. Its documented workaround uses BlackHole as a virtual audio route. In broad terms, macOS sends the sound to BlackHole, and Streamlabs treats BlackHole as an input, much as it would an audio interface.
The extra step for most people is local monitoring: routing sound to Streamlabs is not useful if you can no longer hear it. A Multi-Output Device sends the same system audio to BlackHole and to your built-in speakers, headphones, or another output. The order of devices matters, so follow it carefully rather than choosing BlackHole alone as the Mac’s output.
This approach is useful when you want the output of an app in a recording or stream and need to listen while working. If your real goal is a long-running YouTube channel made from a prepared video rather than a live desktop session, a computer-based setup has different considerations; see how to keep a YouTube music stream running with a PC in India. That is a separate workflow, not a reason to expect Streamlabs to capture Mac app audio without routing.
Install BlackHole
BlackHole is a virtual audio device. It does not behave like a microphone placed near your speakers; instead, it gives macOS and compatible applications a route for sending audio between them. Streamlabs documents BlackHole for this Mac capture workflow and describes it as free and open source. For the project’s own guidance, use the BlackHole system-audio capture instructions.
Download it by following the project’s installation instructions, checking the current choices on the download page as you go. Streamlabs’ guide describes a flow that may offer a donation or skip option and ask you to complete a short form to receive the installer; download pages can change, so do not assume those exact steps will remain the same. Install the software as directed and restart the Mac if the installer or macOS requests it.
Before moving on, make sure BlackHole is available as an audio device. Open Audio MIDI Setup, which is included with macOS, and look for BlackHole in the device list. If it is not there, revisit the installation instructions and any macOS prompts rather than continuing with a route that cannot work. Keep the project page handy if you need to confirm installation steps or supported versions.
BlackHole is one documented route, not a requirement for buying a microphone, headphones, or an audio interface. Streamlabs also names Loopback as another third-party option in its Mac screen-recording guide, but that reference is not a current comparison of features, compatibility or price. If you consider another routing tool, check its current macOS compatibility, controls, monitoring approach, support and cost directly with its maker.
Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup
The Multi-Output Device is the part that lets the Mac send sound to two destinations at once: BlackHole for Streamlabs and a physical output for you. Without that second destination, the Mac may route audio into BlackHole but leave your speakers or headphones silent. You are creating a route for system output; you are not turning Streamlabs into a direct listener for other apps.
Open Audio MIDI Setup. If you cannot find it, use Spotlight search on the Mac. In the Audio MIDI Setup window, use the plus button and choose to create a Multi-Output Device. The exact layout can vary a little between macOS releases, but the device list and the option to add a multi-output route are the items you need.
Select the new device and enable BlackHole and the output you normally use, such as Built-in Output or the connected headphones/output device. If you use an additional monitoring output, include it only if you intend to hear sound there. The relevant point is that the Multi-Output Device contains both BlackHole and the physical device through which you want to listen.
Keep the built-in or chosen listening output above BlackHole in the device list. Streamlabs warns that putting BlackHole first or making it the primary device can leave sound inaudible through speakers or headphones. This ordering is easy to overlook because BlackHole is the destination Streamlabs needs, but it is not necessarily the device you want as the first or only audible output.
The aim is to see one combined device that includes both destinations. If you later change headphones or connect another output, revisit Audio MIDI Setup and check that the listening device is still enabled and above BlackHole. A route that worked with the Mac’s built-in speakers may not automatically be the route you want after switching to another device.
Set the Mac’s sound output
Once the Multi-Output Device exists and includes the right destinations, set it as the Mac’s sound output. You can do this from the macOS sound settings or the sound control in the menu bar, depending on your version and configuration. Choose the combined device you created, not BlackHole by itself.
This choice tells macOS where to send the output from apps. With the Multi-Output Device selected, the same sound is routed to BlackHole and to the listening output enabled in Audio MIDI Setup. Streamlabs will not receive that audio merely because BlackHole is installed: macOS must be sending the sound through the combined route, and Streamlabs must use BlackHole as its input in the next step.
Test with an ordinary sound source that you can start and stop, such as a browser video or local audio file. Confirm that you hear it through the speakers or headphones you selected. If the Mac is silent, return to Audio MIDI Setup and inspect the enabled devices and their order before changing other settings. Choosing BlackHole alone as the system output is a common way to lose local sound.
This route affects the Mac’s sound output while it is selected. If you later want ordinary playback without sending it to Streamlabs, switch macOS back to your usual output device. When you are preparing a recurring channel, keep the distinction between a one-off desktop recording and a continuous broadcast in mind; for example, planning a 24/7 Hindu prayer stream from a cloud desktop involves a different operating arrangement from routing audio from your Mac.
Keep local monitoring audible
The Multi-Output Device is how this setup provides local monitoring: macOS sends audio to BlackHole and to your physical listening device at the same time. You should not have to listen to Streamlabs’ eventual recording to know whether a browser or other app is producing sound. First verify that the Mac itself remains audible through your chosen speakers or headphones.
If sound disappears after selecting the combined output, check three things in order. Confirm that your built-in output, headphones or intended monitor is enabled in the Multi-Output Device; confirm that it appears above BlackHole; then confirm that macOS is using the Multi-Output Device rather than BlackHole alone. These checks address routing and monitoring. They do not change the fact that BlackHole must also be selected as a Streamlabs input.
If monitoring works through speakers but not headphones, check whether the headphones are the active output included in the combined device. A Multi-Output Device does not guess which physical device you want to hear. If you change outputs, update the device selection and test again before a session.
For a live session, make a brief local test before relying on the route. Play a known sound, listen for it and watch the Streamlabs mixer after completing the input selection. If you are capturing a call or other app, consider whether the other participants should be included in your broadcast and whether your chosen monitoring setup makes the sound clear to you. The routing method carries audio; it does not decide what is appropriate to share.
Select BlackHole as Mic/Aux in Streamlabs
In Streamlabs Desktop, open Settings, then Audio. Choose BlackHole for one of the Mic/Auxiliary devices. The label may say Mic/Aux even though BlackHole is not a physical microphone: Streamlabs is using an available audio input slot to receive the system sound routed through the virtual device.
Do not replace this step with selecting your normal microphone. The microphone can capture your voice, but it does not receive the Mac’s app audio through this workflow. If you want both your voice and app sound, configure the microphone and BlackHole as separate audio sources as appropriate for your scene and version of Streamlabs. Check the mixer so you can distinguish which meter responds to which source.
Now play something from the app you want to capture. Watch the Streamlabs mixer for the BlackHole input meter to respond, and listen locally at the same time. This is a verification step for your own setup, not a claim that every app, Mac or Streamlabs version has been tested. If the meter does not move, check that macOS still uses the Multi-Output Device, that BlackHole is selected in the Mic/Aux slot, and that the app is actually producing sound.
Before recording or streaming, make a short test and play it back. A moving meter is useful, but listening to a recording checks that the sound is present at a sensible level and that your other sources behave as intended. If you are setting up a broader YouTube workflow, preparing a Hindi karaoke music live stream also calls for checking the source material and the channel plan; desktop routing only solves the audio path into Streamlabs.
Check permissions and isolate faults
If BlackHole is selected but Streamlabs cannot use the input, check macOS microphone permission for Streamlabs Desktop. Apple’s microphone access instructions describe the relevant controls. On macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Microphone, and enable the app if it is listed. On Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina or Mojave, Apple’s instructions use System Preferences, then Security & Privacy, then Privacy, then Microphone.
Permission and routing are separate. Allowing Streamlabs to use microphone inputs does not create a BlackHole route, and installing BlackHole does not grant Streamlabs permission. Work through each layer independently: macOS output to the Multi-Output Device, both outputs enabled and correctly ordered, BlackHole chosen as the Streamlabs input, and permission enabled if macOS asks for it.
A simple fault-isolation sequence helps avoid changing several things at once. First confirm that the app sound is audible on the Mac. Next confirm that BlackHole appears in Audio MIDI Setup and is enabled in the Multi-Output Device. Then confirm that Streamlabs is assigned BlackHole and check the mixer. If one stage fails, focus on that stage rather than reinstalling unrelated audio software or changing your microphone settings.
If the Mac is audible but the BlackHole meter stays still, recheck the macOS output selection and the input assignment in Streamlabs. If the meter moves but you hear nothing locally, revisit the monitoring device and its order in Audio MIDI Setup. If neither works after those checks, consult the current Streamlabs, BlackHole and Apple instructions for your macOS version; menus and download steps can change.
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FAQ
Does Streamlabs Desktop on Mac capture other apps’ audio directly?
Not in the workflow described here. The documented method uses BlackHole and macOS audio routing to send app sound to a Streamlabs input; selecting a normal microphone alone does not do that.
Can I hear the sound while Streamlabs captures it?
Yes, the Multi-Output Device is configured to send sound to both BlackHole and your built-in output or another listening device. Keep the listening output enabled and above BlackHole, then test that you can hear the Mac locally.
Why did my Mac go silent after selecting BlackHole?
The Mac may be sending sound only to BlackHole rather than to a device you can hear. In Audio MIDI Setup, check that the Multi-Output Device includes your speakers or headphones and that the listening output is above BlackHole, then select the combined device as macOS sound output.
Does microphone permission replace the BlackHole setup?
No. Microphone permission lets Streamlabs access audio inputs when macOS requires authorisation, but it does not route system audio into BlackHole. You need the virtual device, the Multi-Output Device and the correct Streamlabs input as well.