How to Output Audio to Multiple Playback Devices in Windows 11

Have you ever been creating a presentation or live streaming a gaming session and wished to output your audio to multiple devices simultaneously? This is particularly useful if you use distinct recording devices, such as Elgato. Here, we’ll simplify the process for you.

Modern motherboards, particularly those powered by Realtek audio, come with a built-in virtual input named ‘Stereo Mix’. This feature, when enabled, lets you hear the device’s audio and simultaneously playback through different devices. However, Stereo Mix might not always function as expected, failing to transmit sounds from your computer to the chosen device.

Fortunately, there is an easy fix to this issue by using a third-party program called VoiceMeeter. It’s a free, user-friendly application that lets you direct your computer’s audio output to multiple hardware devices concurrently. Like playing your computer sound to your Headset/Speaker and to other devices. In my case, I want to output sounds to my Headset and at the same time I want to output the sound to my video recording device (Elgato HD60s). VoiceMeeter handles this task effortlessly, enabling sound output on both your chosen devices, it will work to any Windows version (XP, Windows 7, 10) and including 11.

How to use Voice Meeter to Output Audio to Multiplay Playback Devices

Here’s a step-by-step guide to use VoiceMeeter for audio output to multiple playback devices:

Step 1: Visit the VoiceMeeter official website at https://voicemeeter.com/ to download VoiceMeeter. You can opt for either the Zip package or the Exe file.

Step 2: Install the program. You may need to restart your computer, but this is optional.

Step 3: Launch the VoiceMeeter application. In the ‘Hardware Out’ section located in the upper right corner, you’ll find A1 and A2 where the devices that will output your sound. For A1, select your primary or first output device (Eg. Headset/Speaker). Then on the A2, your second output device (Eg. Elgato HD60 or other device).

4. Finally, click on the Windows volume icon, situated in the bottom right corner of your screen. Select ‘VoiceMeeter Input (VB-Audio VoiceMeeter VAIO)’ as your playback option.

Now, your computer should successfully output audio to both your headset or speakers, as well as to your other chosen device.

Additionally, if you wish to direct your microphone’s output to one of these devices, simply navigate to the ‘Recording Devices’ option in your Windows sound settings. Right-click on your microphone, go to ‘Listen’, check ‘Listen to this device’ and select your desired playback device.

We hope this streamlined guide enhances your audio recording experiences and alleviates any related issues you might encounter.

Note: As of May 23, 2023, we have revised this article to accommodate the latest operating system and VoiceMeeter current version.