Virtual Audio Cable [exclusive]

Think of it as a digital patch cable: if you wanted to physically connect a media player to a recording application, you would need to plug a cable from the player’s output jack into the recorder’s input jack. With a virtual audio cable, you achieve the same connection entirely inside your computer, with no physical wires or additional hardware required.

Because Windows and macOS do not natively allow you to plug the "output" of one software program into the "input" of another, you need a digital bridge. That bridge is a . What is a Virtual Audio Cable?

Using VAC, you set:

Because Apple handles audio subsystems differently than Windows, Windows-based VACs will not work on a Mac. Loopback by Rogue Amoeba is the gold standard for macOS. It features a gorgeous, visual drag-and-drop interface that makes routing audio between apps like Safari, Skype, and Logic Pro incredibly intuitive. It is a premium, paid software, but worth every penny for Mac power users. 4. BlackHole (macOS Open-Source) virtual audio cable

I use it to separate my game audio from my Discord chat. I have Discord outputting to "Cable A," and my game outputting to "Cable B." This lets me control the volume of each independently in OBS without affecting what I hear in my headset.

You are not limited to a single virtual cable. The full version of VAC supports up to , each of which can be used independently. VB‑Audio offers up to four independent virtual audio cables (A, B, C, D) that can be purchased or obtained via donation. This multi‑cable capability allows you to set up complex audio routing schemes: record a video game’s sound on one cable, route a VoIP call on another, and send a music player’s output to a third cable, all simultaneously.

Ensure both the and CABLE Output are set to the exact same sample rate (typically 24-bit, 48000 Hz or 16-bit, 44100 Hz ). Think of it as a digital patch cable:

| Product | Platform | Key Differentiator | |---------|----------|--------------------| | | Windows, macOS | Free/Donationware, simpler, but fewer channels/cables | | BlackHole | macOS | Open source, low latency, supports multichannel | | Loopback | macOS | Paid, GUI-driven, very stable, supports app-specific routing | | JACK Audio Connection Kit | Windows, macOS, Linux | Graph-based, patchbay UI, but higher learning curve | | VoiceMeeter | Windows | Virtual mixer + cables, more than just loopback | | snd-aloop | Linux | Kernel module, zero overhead, included in most distros |

Commercial (Paid, with a limited free trial version).

Route audio from your media player through a software VST host for EQ/effects, and then send the processed audio to your output device. How to Set Up and Use Virtual Audio Cable That bridge is a

This is the classic use case. You want to stream a game on OBS, and you want your viewers to hear your Discord friends. However, you don't want your friends to hear themselves (the dreaded echo loop).

Developers who work with audio processing libraries, speech recognition, or text‑to‑speech systems can use VAC to create automated test environments. They can generate synthetic audio in one program, route it through a virtual cable, and capture it in another program for analysis—all without physical hardware.

Multiple applications can use the same virtual cable simultaneously. If two or more applications play audio to the same playback endpoint, their signals are automatically, and the combined result is transmitted to the recording side. If two or more applications record from the same recording endpoint, each gets its own copy of the audio stream. This makes each virtual cable act as a “meeting point” or “logistics hub” for audio data.

VAC is developed by Eugene Muzychenko and has been a staple tool for audio engineers, streamers, developers, and hobbyists for over two decades.