How to

How to Play Audio Through Mic [Easy Microphone Hack in 2022]

As a passionate live streamer, you tend to learn a lot things that no one tells you otherwise. 

From getting the right accessories to setting up your gaming system, there many such things that you learn through trial and error. 

There are many streaming hacks and tricks that pro gamers never reveal. 

You may have seen pro gamers doing it but they hardly ever reveal these secrets to their audience.  

One such hack we are going to discuss in this post is how to play audio through microphone. 

You may have seen many YouTubers doing it, but in this post we will be sharing a step by step guide on how to do it easily without using any extra tool or software.

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Free vs. paid software 

For this, you need to install certain programs and software that are specifically designed for this purpose. 

Moreover, if you opt for free versions of these software, they may contain harmful malware and viruses that may harm your system. 

Therefore, many users hesitate downloading these software and in most cases, completely avoid using them.

Getting the right equipment

Coming to the first step on how to play audio through a microphone, you will obviously require a microphone.

But we recommend not to invest in just any microphone that you find on sale and look for a high quality mic, preferably a branded one that can provide crystal clear audio without any distortions.

Before investing in a software, we recommend to try using stereo mix that’s on your PC. 

This method is safe, simple to do and most importantly, it’s free!

The only downside with this step is that it doesn’t work specifically for a microphone, meaning any type of sound that come from your computer will be audible. 

This can be really annoying for some, especially for your audience.

Moreover, you need to extra cautious while using this method. 

Nevertheless, if you are really desperate and can’t think if any other way to play audio from your mic, consider following these steps:

For Windows OS

  1. Open the speaker icon from your task bar
  2. Press “Recording devices”
  3. Next choose “Recording”
  4. Activate “Show Disabled and Disconnected Devices” 
  5. The option for “Stereo Mix” will show up .
  6. Press “Enable ” to make it your primary device.

In some cases, you won’t be able to use Stereo Mix if the sound card in your system does not come with this feature. 

For this, you need to invest in a new sound card.

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Using a VAC driver

Another alternative method is to use a VAC aka a virtual audio cord.

A virtual audio cord is a great way to play audio through mic. It works just like a regular audio cable. 

Firstly, you will need to install the required programs along with a VAC driver.  

For this, consider following these steps:

  1. Hit audio icon on taskbar and choose “Recording Devices”
  2. Enable Cable Input/ Output for “Playback” as well as “Recording”. Tap on any blank space on your screen and all active and inactive devices will show up.
  3. Choose CABLE Output as your primary mic.
  4. Set recording as default audio device and Playback as your main speakers.
  5. Open the available program for Soundcard. 

5.Tap on Sound tab. Choose default output CABLE Input.

  1. For the audio device, go in to Recording, open Listen tab. 

7.Select CABLE Input.

  1. And you’re done!

Voicemeeter vs. Soundboard

It is also possible to play audio through your microphone through a Voicemeter with sound bar instead of VAC. 

This option is free and does not require any extra cash or software. All it requires it the installation of two things; VoiceMeeter and an EXP Soundboard.

After downloading both things, consider following these steps

  1. Press on the audio icon from the taskbar and click “Playback Devices”
  2. Activate your VoiceMeeter Input/ Output. If it does not appear automatically on the screen, you need to locate it manually. For this, tap on any empty area on your screen and it will show up.
  3. Choose “Recording”. Next, open VoiceMeeter and choose Default Device.
  4. Coming to the EXP Soundboard. Once you have opened it, choose VoiceMeeter for the first Output. Next, choose Cable Output for your second Output.
  5. Once it is done, follow the same process for your mic and speakers.

Other popular programs to consider:

Apart from the programs we shared above such as Voicemeeter, you can also try consider other alternatives. 

However, bear in mind that like Voicemeeter, not every program is free. 

The features and services also differ accordingly. 

Irrespective of the program you choose, the use of soundboard is mandatory for nearly all free and paid programs.

These different methods can be used to play music or audio on your microphone. 

Whether you use YouTube, Spotify, or any other app online, through these methods you can easily speak and listen through your mic and you won’t experience any distortion. 

Plus, this method is more convenient and doesn’t require to use any set of speakers as both functions are performed through a single device.

In Conclusion

This pretty much sums up all the methods you can try to listen audio from your microphone. These steps are not hard to follow, and anyone can follow them easily. Apart from live streams, if you want, you can also play downloaded music from your microphone. The method will remain the same for it. And you can easily make your mic multifunctional. Moreover, you won’t need yo invest in any additional software or drivers to make it work.