How to set up and use multiple audio outputs in Windows 10

Are you trying to find the answer to the question of how to use multiple audio outputs in Windows 10? Nowadays, many users frequently connect multiple audio output devices to their PCs. Luckily, Windows 10 has the ability to select the audio output source.

Want to use headphones to listen to discreet beats at work? Or you want to enable multiple audio output devices. For example, connect stereo speakers and a gaming headset to your game station.

This article explains how to play sounds on multiple audio outputs on a Windows 10 computer.

How to set up and use multiple audio outputs in Windows 10

You may have noticed that when you connect the headphone cable, a pop-up window appears asking you to select a playback device. This procedure is the default setting of Windows 10.

However, can you choose to play audio on two or more audio output devices? Answer: Yes. Luckily, Windows has a built-in feature called Stereo Mix. This feature allows users to set up their primary and secondary audio devices.

This article explains how to play sounds from multiple audio output sources at the same time.

• Play sounds from multiple Windows 10 audio outputs with Stereo Mix.
• Set up different audio output devices for alternative applications.
• Using a third party tool to optimize audio playback.

1. Enable stereo mix
2. Select audio output devices to play audio from specific applications
3. Use a third party tool

1. Turn on stereo mix

You can use the Stereo Mix feature in Windows 10 to play audio from two different devices at the same time. But in Windows 10, the Stereo Mix feature is disabled by default.

As a result, you should enable Stereo Mix in Windows 10 and adjust its settings to reflect the same as in this article.

• First, open the sound properties window. Right-click on the “Speakers”icon in the taskbar and select “Sounds”.
• Go to the Playback tab. Select your speaker as your default playback device and click Set Default.

• Go to the “Record”tab.
• Now right-click on an empty space in the Recording tab and select Show Disabled Devices.
• You can now see the Stereo Mix option in the list of Recording tabs. Right-click Stereo Mix and select Enable.
• Right-click the Stereo Mix option again and select “Set as default device”.
• Now open the Stereo Mix Properties menu by clicking on the Properties option.
• Click the Listening tab in the Properties window.
• Check the “Listen to this device”box.
• Select a second playback device from the “Play this device”drop-down menu.
• Save your changes by clicking the Apply and OK buttons in that order.
• Restart your computer. After rebooting, your desktop or laptop plays sounds from two devices at the same time. This is the audio from your default playback device and second playback device.

Note. Your computer may not support Stereo Mix. You cannot see the Stereo Mix feature in the list of disabled PC devices with the latest sound drivers. Try downgrading your audio driver if you want to use this feature to output sound from multiple devices.

2. Select audio output devices to play audio from specific applications.

Windows 10 allows the user to play or set up different audio output devices for different applications. For example, you can connect default speakers to play music from VLC Media Player. And set up your headphones to play YouTube sounds.

The following is a step-by-step guide to setting up the primary and secondary audio devices.

• Right-click on the sound volume icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar.
• Select “Open Sound Settings”.
• Scroll down to more audio options.

• Select Application volume and device settings.
• View the list of applications in the Settings window that opens. Click the drop-down menu next to the desired application and select an output/playback device.
• Restart your computer. When you restart a particular application, Windows remembers the audio output device you selected so that it can play the sound for you next time.

3. Use a third party tool

There are many third-party tools to optimize audio input and output. These tools allow users to switch between audio sources with a simple user interface.

Conclusion

It may seem complicated to redirect audio to two devices on your Windows 10 PC, but it’s pretty easy if you know where to look. In most cases, you can use the built-in options such as the Stereo Mix feature or the default sound settings. And these two options are more than enough for an amateur.

However, using a third-party program to customize Windows 10 audio is useful for professionals. You can simplify the procedure for multiple audio outputs with one software.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to select multiple audio outputs in Windows 10?

You can use Windows 10’s built-in “Stereo Mix”feature to select multiple audio outputs. Right-click the speaker icon (on the taskbar) and select the Sounds option. Set the default playback device. Turn on the Stereo Mix feature on the Recording tab. Then launch the Stereo Mix properties window. Enable Listen to this device on the Listen tab. Select an additional playback device from the drop-down menu. Save changes and restart your computer.

Is it possible to split and merge audio outputs?

You can use a splitter to split the output audio signal to different audio playback devices. For example, you can plug headphones into one of the output jacks and a speaker into the other. Now, if you want to combine different audio outputs into one line, say Facebook, Zoom and Discord, you can use a third party audio mixer tool.

How to make sound from two different applications?

On a Windows 10 PC, click Start and launch the Settings app. Go to System->Sound. Scroll down the page and select App volume and device settings. Select the drop-down menu next to the desired application and select your playback device.

How to quickly switch between two audio playback devices in Windows 10?

Move the cursor to the system tray. Click on the speaker icon. You will see a sign with an up arrow. Click here. Select the playback device on which you want to play the audio.