“Share media” in Streamlabs Desktop can mean showing your screen, an app or a game to viewers, or letting viewers request videos through Media Share. These are separate workflows: capture sources show content already on your computer, while the Media Share widget handles viewer requests.
Choose the workflow that matches your stream, then check the preview, audio and moderation settings before going live. Media Share’s official guide documents links to public YouTube videos; it does not establish support for other services or for private or unlisted YouTube videos.
Choose what you mean by sharing media
If viewers need to see a presentation, browser window, game or other content you control, add a capture source in Streamlabs Desktop. You choose what is visible and when it appears in the scene. This is the usual route for demonstrations, gameplay, lessons or showing a video already open on your computer.
If viewers should submit video requests, configure Media Share in the Streamlabs dashboard and add its widget to your scene. That feature has its own request and moderation flow. Adding a display or window capture source does not enable viewer requests, and adding the widget does not share your computer screen.
Decide which workflow you need before changing sources. For a church service, for example, Window Capture might show a presentation app while the presenter controls the slides. A music channel that wants viewers to submit eligible video requests would instead configure Media Share and decide whether requests require approval.
You can use both in one scene, but that makes previewing more important: the widget and capture source may overlap, and sound may come from more than one place. Streamlabs’ Desktop getting-started guide describes adding sources and working with scenes. The interface labels may vary by installed release, so match the current choices in your app rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Add a display, app or game capture source
In Streamlabs Desktop, open the scene you want to use. Under Sources, press + and select the source that corresponds to the material you plan to show. The names available can depend on the app version and platform, but the basic choice is between showing an entire display, one window, a game, or using a unified screen-capture picker if it is offered.
| What you want viewers to see | Source to try | What to check before streaming |
|---|---|---|
| Everything visible on a monitor | Display Capture | Close private windows and notifications; confirm the intended display is selected. |
| One open application | Window Capture | Choose the correct app window and check that it remains visible in the preview. |
| Gameplay | Game Capture | Select the intended game or target when prompted, then confirm the preview. |
| A unified capture selection | Screen Capture, where available | Review the available capture previews and select the intended target. |
For a full desktop, Display Capture is straightforward, but it also exposes anything that appears on that display. For one app, Window Capture limits the intended area, but verify the selected window: two similar browser windows or documents can be easy to confuse. For a game, try Game Capture and follow its target-selection prompts. Streamlabs also documents a Screen Capture source with a unified selection flow; availability and labels can depend on the release.
These sources are not guaranteed to behave identically on every computer, and the reviewed guidance does not provide a complete operating-system compatibility matrix. If a source shows a blank or incorrect preview, check the selected target and try another documented capture type where available. Do not assume that a source is working just because it was added successfully.
Before choosing Display Capture, think about what may appear unexpectedly: messages, account details, notifications, or a private browser tab. If the stream only needs one app, capturing that window can reduce accidental exposure. Streamlabs’ capture and scene guidance recommends selecting only the content you intend to show and closing private windows.
Position and verify the capture
After adding the source, check the scene preview. Select the source and adjust its size and position so it fits the canvas and does not cover a title, logo or other essential scene element. If the source appears behind another layer, adjust the source order; the preview should represent what viewers will see, not merely confirm that a source exists.
Check the whole frame at the output size you intend to stream. A window that looks legible on your monitor can become difficult to read when scaled down. For a presentation, make sure the slide content is still readable. For a game, check that important interface areas are not hidden by overlays. If you use a webcam or text overlay, confirm it does not obscure the material being shared.
Then test the content itself. Switch to the window, display or game you mean to show and look at the preview again. If you use Window Capture, keep the chosen app open and confirm the capture follows the intended window. For Display Capture, check that notifications and other windows are not appearing in the scene. Turn on any application only when you are ready for viewers to see it.
A short private test or recording can reveal problems that are easy to miss while setting up: a blank capture, an unintended desktop, a clipped window or a source hidden under another layer. Keep personal information off-screen during the test as well. If your stream is a recurring loop, planning for what viewers see when a window closes or the computer restarts is a different problem from choosing the initial capture source; the Windows update guide for a YouTube live loop covers that separate continuity concern.
Enable the Media Share widget
Media Share is configured through Streamlabs’ web dashboard, then added as a source in Streamlabs Desktop. In the dashboard, open All Widgets and choose Media Share. Enable the feature and select the moderation behaviour that fits your stream. The exact label or location can change, so use the current dashboard rather than assuming a saved instruction still matches the interface.
Next, in Streamlabs Desktop, open Sources, press +, choose Media Share, and add it to the scene. Adjust the widget’s size and placement in the preview. Keep it large enough for viewers to see when a request is playing, but do not let it cover information that needs to remain visible. You can test its place in the scene before enabling requests for a live audience.
The dashboard setting and the Desktop source do different jobs: enabling the feature establishes its behaviour, while adding the source gives the widget a place in your scene. If you have configured the dashboard but see no widget in the preview, check that the source is added to the active scene and is not hidden or covered. Streamlabs’ Media Share setup guide walks through dashboard setup and adding the source.
The guide describes auto-show and auto-hide options. Consider who can screen a request before it is shown. Auto-show is a consequential choice: use it only if trusted moderators can review requests first and you are comfortable with the content appearing on stream. If you want to inspect requests manually, choose a moderation flow that gives you that control rather than assuming every submission needs to play immediately.
Explain viewer video requests
If you want viewers to request videos from chat, enable the Cloudbot Media Share module as well as the Media Share widget. The documented command format is .request <youtube url>. Tell viewers what the command does and what kind of link is accepted; otherwise, they may submit links that the feature does not document as supported.
The Cloudbot flow also depends on the Media Share tab being available in Recent Events, according to Streamlabs’ Cloudbot Media Share guide. Check that setting if the command is enabled but requests are not appearing where you expect. The Cloudbot module, dashboard widget and Desktop source work together, so confirming only one of them is not a complete setup.
Set expectations in your stream description or on-screen instructions. Explain that requests may be reviewed, may not play immediately, and need to meet the supported-link requirements. This avoids implying that a viewer can make any video appear on demand. For a channel that uses a regular recorded programme rather than viewer submissions, a capture source may be enough; the guide to streaming recorded Sunday sermons continuously from Windows 11 addresses a different way to run prepared content.
Check supported links and playback
The reviewed Streamlabs Media Share documentation supports links to public YouTube videos. Do not tell viewers that links from other services will work, or that a private or unlisted YouTube video is supported. If a link does not meet the documented condition, choose another public YouTube link or do not accept it as a request.
A link being accepted as a request does not by itself prove that the video will display and sound as intended. Check the widget in your scene, test a suitable public YouTube video, and verify both the picture and audio in a preview or short recording before you rely on it. The documented guide does not establish support for every possible video, account state or playback condition, so avoid promising that each request will play.
Video and sound are separate checks. A visible video can be silent if the relevant audio path is not captured or the mixer source is muted. Conversely, sound may be present while the widget is obscured or the scene shows the wrong source. Keep the preview running while you check the mixer, and listen to a test recording using the same configuration you plan to use live.
For current feature details, consult Streamlabs’ Media Share documentation. Its guide was last updated in December 2025, while interface labels and behaviour can change. Check the current page and your own dashboard before you publish instructions to viewers.
Check audio, privacy and moderation
If you are capturing only one application’s sound, Streamlabs’ application-audio instructions say to select the app in Application Audio Capture and disable Desktop Audio in Settings > Audio. Otherwise, unrelated computer sounds may be included. If you use Desktop Audio for the whole computer, check which device it captures and make sure you have not added the same default output again as another source; duplicating it can cause echo.
Use the audio mixer to check which sources are active. If you add Audio Output Capture, first check whether the default audio is already configured. For a stream that needs narration, add and test a microphone separately; a microphone is not required simply to show a screen or Media Share video. On macOS, desktop-audio routing may require additional setup, and the appropriate steps depend on the operating system and Streamlabs release. Recheck the current official instructions for your setup rather than assuming Windows audio steps apply.
Privacy applies to capture and viewer requests. With Display Capture, a message or notification can become part of the broadcast without warning. With Window Capture, the selected app may still show personal information within its own window. Close unrelated tabs, silence notifications where appropriate, and preview the scene before going live.
For Media Share, the moderation setting determines how much screening happens before a request is shown. Streamlabs advises relying on trusted moderators when using auto-show behaviour. Give moderators only the access they need, and make sure they know how to handle a request that is unsuitable or does not play as expected. A moderation workflow reduces surprises but does not make every submission appropriate.
These choices matter especially for channels that run unattended for long periods. If your broader goal is a recurring channel that viewers can watch when you are not at the computer, review the guide to scheduling a 24/7 Punjabi music stream. It covers continuity rather than the Desktop capture and request setup described here.
Troubleshoot before going live
If the preview is blank, confirm the active scene, source visibility and selected target. For a window or game source, verify that you chose the intended open app or game. If the target still does not appear, try another documented capture option that is available in your release, then inspect the preview again. Streamlabs does not publish a complete compatibility matrix in the reviewed guidance, so a label appearing in your menu is not a guarantee that it will capture every target on your computer.
If the picture is visible but sound is missing, check the mixer and the selected audio source. Confirm that the relevant app or output is included, that it is not muted, and that the levels move when sound plays. If sound echoes, look for the same default output captured twice and remove the duplicate path. When you intend to capture one application only, check that Desktop Audio is disabled as described in Streamlabs’ application-audio guidance.
If Media Share requests do not appear, check the setup in sequence: the dashboard feature is enabled, the widget is added to the scene, and—if using chat commands—the Cloudbot module is enabled and Media Share is present in Recent Events. Confirm that the viewer is using the documented command format and a public YouTube video link. Then check moderation behaviour; a request awaiting review may not be shown immediately.
If a request is accepted but does not play as expected, do not assume that the link is supported just because it was submitted. Recheck that it is a public YouTube video, check the current Media Share documentation, and test a suitable link in a preview. Avoid telling viewers that private or unlisted links, or links from other services, are supported. A short test recording is a practical way to check the scene and sound together before the main broadcast.
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FAQ
How do I share my screen in Streamlabs Desktop?
Add a source from Sources + and choose Display Capture for a full display, Window Capture for one app, or Game Capture for gameplay. Use Screen Capture if that unified option is available in your release. Check the preview carefully so the intended content is visible and private information is not.
How do I let viewers request videos?
Enable Media Share in the Streamlabs dashboard, add its source in Streamlabs Desktop, and configure moderation. For chat requests, enable Cloudbot’s Media Share module and use the documented format .request <youtube url>. The documented supported links are public YouTube videos.
Why can’t my stream hear the video?
Check the audio mixer, the output or application audio source, and whether the source is muted. If you capture only one app, follow Streamlabs’ guidance to disable Desktop Audio; if you hear an echo, check for a duplicated default audio source. Test the picture and sound together in a short preview or recording.
Can viewers share any video link through Media Share?
The Streamlabs guide documents public YouTube video links. It does not establish support for other services or private or unlisted YouTube videos, so do not promise those will play. Check the current official guide before giving viewers updated instructions.