Screen share no audio
Discord Discord
Severity: MinorWhat Does This Error Mean?
When you share your screen on Discord, viewers can see your screen but hear no sound from it. This happens because screen share audio is a separate feature that must be explicitly enabled. It also doesn't work for all apps — browsers and many media apps are not supported.
Affected Models
- Discord (Windows)
- Discord (macOS)
- Discord Canary
- Discord PTB
Common Causes
- The audio share toggle was not enabled when starting screen share
- You are sharing on macOS, which does not support application audio capture in Discord
- The app you are sharing (Netflix, Spotify, etc.) uses DRM and audio is intentionally blocked
- Discord's audio drivers are not installed or have become outdated
- The wrong audio output device is selected in Discord's voice settings
How to Fix It
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When you start a screen share, look for the speaker icon at the bottom of the screen picker window and make sure it is turned ON. The default state is OFF.
This is the most common reason for no audio — the toggle is easy to miss.
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If you are already sharing, stop the share and start a new one. Click the green screen share button and look for the audio toggle before confirming.
You cannot add audio to an existing screen share session. You must start a new one with audio enabled.
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Make sure you are sharing a specific application window, not your entire desktop. Select the app window in the screen picker, then enable the audio toggle.
Application audio capture works best when you select the specific app window rather than the whole screen.
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Go to Discord Settings > Voice & Video > scroll down and check the output device. Make sure it matches the device your audio is actually playing through.
If Discord is monitoring the wrong audio device, it won't capture the sound you expect.
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If audio still doesn't work, try updating Discord. Screen share audio support has improved significantly in recent versions.
Go to the system tray, right-click the Discord icon, and select Check for Updates.
When to Call a Professional
Screen share audio issues are a software configuration problem. No professional help is needed. Note that audio capture is not available on macOS due to system restrictions — this is a known limitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I share audio on Discord for Mac?
macOS has a system-level restriction that prevents apps from capturing audio from other apps without a virtual audio driver. Discord does not install one by default on Mac. There is no built-in fix — it's an Apple limitation. Third-party tools like BlackHole or Loopback can work around it.
Why is Discord screen share audio blocked for Netflix and Spotify?
These services use DRM (Digital Rights Management) to protect their content. DRM actively prevents screen capture tools — including Discord — from recording or transmitting their audio. This is intentional and cannot be bypassed.
Can the people I'm sharing with hear my microphone AND my screen audio at the same time?
Yes. Discord mixes your microphone audio and your screen's audio together. Viewers hear both your voice and whatever is playing on your screen. You can adjust your microphone volume separately in voice settings.