If your capture card shows up in Streamlabs Desktop but game audio is missing from your stream, you are not alone. This is one of the most common configuration gaps for console and dual-PC streamers. The fix almost always lives inside a single setting in your Video Capture Device source properties. This guide walks through the correct steps, an alternative method, and the most common reasons audio still does not work after initial setup.
How to Add Video Capture Card Audio in Streamlabs Desktop (Step-by-Step)
What You Need Before Getting Started
Before touching Streamlabs settings, confirm each of the following is in order. A software fix cannot compensate for a hardware or driver issue at this stage.
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Capture card is physically connected to your streaming PC via USB or PCIe and to your console or gaming PC via HDMI.
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Device drivers are installed and up to date (check the manufacturer’s site for Elgato, AVerMedia, or Magewell cards).
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Capture card appears as an audio input in Windows Sound Settings (right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar, open Sound Settings, and look for the card under input devices).
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Streamlabs Desktop is updated to the latest version to avoid known source bugs.
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Console or gaming PC is powered on and outputting a live signal through the capture card.
Step 1 — Add the Video Capture Device Source in Streamlabs Desktop
The Video Capture Device source manages both the video feed and the audio signal from your capture card. If you have already added this source, skip to Step 2.
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Open Streamlabs Desktop and select the scene where you want game audio to appear.
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Click the “+” button in the Sources panel at the bottom left of the interface.
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Select “Video Capture Device” from the source type list.
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Name the source something recognizable, such as “Capture Card” or “PS5 Feed,” then click “Add Source.”
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In the Properties window, open the Device dropdown and select your capture card from the list. You should see a preview of your game feed if the card is connected and the console is on.
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Click Done to save the source.
At this point the source is live, but the audio may not yet be routed to your stream output. That is what Step 2 addresses.
Step 2 — Enable and Route the Capture Card Audio
This is the most important step. By default, Streamlabs Desktop does not always pass capture card audio through to your stream from the Video Capture Device source alone. Two valid methods exist to fix this.
Method A (Recommended): Use Custom Audio Device Inside the Source Properties
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Right-click your Video Capture Device source in the Sources panel and select “Properties.”
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Scroll down until you see the “Use custom audio device” toggle.
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Enable the toggle. A new dropdown appears below it.
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Select your capture card from the audio device dropdown. It may appear as the card’s model name or a generic label such as “Digital Audio Interface.”
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Click Done.
This method keeps video and audio bound to one source, which keeps your scene layout clean. Try this method first.
Method B (Alternative): Add a Separate Audio Input Capture Source
Use this approach only if your capture card does not expose an audio stream through the Video Capture Device properties, or if the “Use custom audio device” option is missing.
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Click “+” in the Sources panel and select “Audio Input Capture.”
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Name the source (for example, “Capture Card Audio”) and click “Add Source.”
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Select your capture card from the Device dropdown in the Properties window.
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Click Done.
Note: With Method B, do not leave Desktop Audio enabled at the same time if your capture card audio is also routed through system sound. That combination causes echo. See the troubleshooting section below for the fix.
Step 3 — Verify Audio Levels in the Streamlabs Audio Mixer
After configuration, confirm the signal is reaching your stream output. Open the Audio Mixer panel at the bottom of the Streamlabs Desktop interface. Play audio on your console or gaming PC and watch for a green activity bar on the capture card source. If the bar is moving, the signal is live. If it is flat, return to Step 2 and verify your source properties. Also confirm the source is not muted (the speaker icon next to the fader should not have a line through it).
Audio Monitoring Modes (accessible via the gear icon on the source in the Mixer):
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Monitoring Mode |
What It Does |
|---|---|
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Monitor Only |
You hear the audio locally; viewers and recordings do not receive it |
|
Monitor and Output |
Both you and your viewers receive the audio |
If you need to hear game audio in your headset during a stream, set this to “Monitor and Output.” If local playback is not needed, the default output setting is sufficient.
Troubleshooting — Capture Card Audio Not Working in Streamlabs
No Audio Signal Showing in the Mixer
If the capture card source shows no activity bar, Streamlabs cannot detect the audio device. Open Windows Sound Settings and confirm the capture card appears as an input device. If it is absent, reinstall the card’s drivers or try a different USB port. Some cards also require a specific HDMI input port to pass audio, so check the manufacturer’s documentation if the issue persists after a driver reinstall.
Echo or Double Audio from the Capture Card
If game audio plays twice or with an audible delay, two sources are picking up the same signal. The most common cause is Desktop Audio being enabled in Streamlabs while the capture card audio is also active through a Video Capture Device or Audio Input Capture source. Go to Settings → Audio in Streamlabs Desktop and set Desktop Audio to “Disabled,” then test again. You can also mute the Desktop Audio fader in the Mixer while keeping the capture card source active.
Capture Card Audio Is Out of Sync with Video
Use the Sync Offset field to correct timing drift. In the Audio Mixer, click the gear icon on the capture card source and open “Advanced Audio Settings.” Enter a positive millisecond value in the Sync Offset field to delay the audio relative to the video. Start with 100ms and adjust in small increments until audio and video align. If the audio is arriving too late rather than too early, the offset may need to be applied to the video side through the source’s own properties filter instead.
FAQ
Q: Why does my capture card show video but produce no sound in Streamlabs Desktop?
The most likely cause is that “Use custom audio device” is not enabled in the Video Capture Device source properties. The second most common cause is that the capture card is not registered as an audio input device in Windows Sound Settings. Check both of these before reinstalling drivers or swapping hardware connections.
Q: Should I use Video Capture Device audio or add a separate Audio Input Capture source?
Start with the “Use custom audio device” option inside the Video Capture Device source. This keeps your source list clean and reduces the risk of echo. Only add a separate Audio Input Capture source if the capture card does not expose audio through the video source properties, or if Method A produces no signal in the Mixer.
Q: How do I stop my capture card audio from being heard only by me and not by viewers?
In the Audio Mixer, click the gear icon on the capture card source and open “Advanced Audio Settings.” If Audio Monitoring is set to “Monitor Only,” change it to “Monitor and Output” so both you and your viewers receive the audio. If local monitoring is not needed at all, set it to “Output Only” or leave monitoring disabled.
Next Steps
Your capture card audio should now appear in the Streamlabs Audio Mixer and route correctly to your stream and recordings. A good next step is balancing audio levels across all sources, including game audio, microphone, and alerts, so your output sounds consistent. For a complete walkthrough from hardware connection to final stream configuration, visit the full capture card streaming setup guide.
