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🎧 Audio Routing Guide (System Audio Capture)

By default, the Audio-Visualizer natively requests "Microphone" access to capture sound from your environment.

But what if you want the visualizer to react to the music currently playing on your computer (from Spotify, YouTube, your DAW, etc.) without having the music play out loud into a physical microphone?

Until the browser API allows direct system audio capture, the standard workaround is to use a Virtual Audio Cable. This software creates a fake "speaker" you send music to, which invisibly loops directly into a fake "microphone" that the Audio-Visualizer can listen to.

Here are the best free tools and steps for each operating system.

🪟 Windows Setup

Option 1: VB-Cable (Recommended - Simplest)

  1. Download & Install: Get VB-Cable (Free) and install it as Admin. Restart your PC if required.
  2. Set Playback: Click the Windows sound icon in the taskbar and change your output device to CABLE Input (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).
    • Note: You will not hear your music through your real speakers while this is selected.
  3. Set the Visualizer: Open the Audio-Visualizer web app. When it asks for Microphone permissions, select CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).
  4. Play Music: Start your music. The visualizer will now react purely to the internal system audio.

Option 2: VoiceMeeter (Advanced - Hear while visualizing)

If you want to visualize the audio and still hear it from your speakers simultaneously, use VoiceMeeter.

  1. Set Windows default playback to "VoiceMeeter Input".
  2. In the VoiceMeeter app, set "Hardware Out A1" to your real speakers.
  3. In the Audio-Visualizer, select "VoiceMeeter Output" as your microphone.

🍎 macOS Setup

BlackHole

macOS requires loopback software to capture system audio. BlackHole is the open-source industry standard.

  1. Download & Install: Get BlackHole (Free). The 2-channel version is usually sufficient.
  2. Audio MIDI Setup:
    • Open the built-in macOS Audio MIDI Setup app.
    • Create a Multi-Output Device (click the + at the bottom left).
    • Check both your real speakers (e.g., "MacBook Pro Speakers" or "Built-in Output") AND "BlackHole 2ch".
  3. Set Playback: Set your Mac's system sound output to this new "Multi-Output Device". This sends audio to the visualizer AND your physical speakers.
  4. Set the Visualizer: Open the Audio-Visualizer web app. When it asks for a microphone, select BlackHole 2ch.

🐧 Linux Setup (Ubuntu / Mint / Arch)

Linux audio servers inherently support audio routing, making this quite easy without third-party downloads.

PulseAudio / PipeWire (Pavucontrol)

  1. Install Pavucontrol: Run sudo apt install pavucontrol (or your distro's equivalent).
  2. Start Visualizer: Open the Audio-Visualizer in your browser and allow microphone permissions.
  3. Route the Audio:
    • Open pavucontrol (Volume Control application).
    • Go to the Recording tab.
    • Find the entry for your web browser (e.g., Firefox or Chrome).
    • Change its source dropdown to "Monitor of [Your Output Device]" (e.g., "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo").

🚀 The Future: Native Browser Support

We are actively tracking browser API updates. Features like getDisplayMedia({ audio: true }) currently allow sharing tab audio, and we plan to integrate native stream-sharing capabilities directly into the UI in future updates so you won't need these virtual cables! (See our ROADMAP).