Zoom allows you to share your computer’s audio during screen sharing so that meeting participants can hear audio from videos, music, or other applications on your computer. This is an excellent feature for sharing media in meetings, webinars, or online classes.
Sharing your computer audio can enhance presentations, make meetings more engaging, and facilitate activities like listening to music together. However, it does require a few simple steps to set up. This guide covers everything you need to know to share your computer’s audio in Zoom meetings on both desktop and mobile.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Sharing Computer Audio in Zoom
Here are some of the main benefits of using Zoom’s computer audio sharing feature:
- Share music or video clips to make meetings more interactive
- Play background music during webinars or livestreams
- Facilitate activities like online DJ sets or listening parties
- Enhance presentations by adding relevant audio/video clips
- Improve meeting engagement when visuals need accompanying audio
- Share high-quality audio from your computer rather than using your microphone
Follow these steps to share your computer’s audio in a Zoom meeting on a Mac or Windows desktop:
1. Join the Zoom Meeting
Launch the Zoom desktop app and join or start your meeting as usual. Make sure your speakers and microphone are enabled.
Locate and click the green “Share Screen” button in your meeting toolbar.
Share screen button
3. Select “Advanced”
In the share screen dialog box, click on the “Advanced” tab.
Advanced share screen settings
Check the box next to “Share Computer Sound” then click “Share”.
Share computer sound checkbox
Now any audio playing on your computer will be shared to the Zoom meeting! You can play music, video clips, or other audio as needed.
To stop sharing audio, click “Stop Share” at the top of the meeting screen.
Sharing Computer Audio on Mobile
Sharing your device’s audio in the Zoom mobile app works similarly:
On iOS:
- Tap “Share Content”
- Choose “Screen”
- Tap “Start Broadcast”
- Turn on “Share Device Audio”
On Android:
- Tap “Share”
- Choose “Screen”
- Tap “Start Now”
- Turn on “Share audio”
Tips for Sharing Audio
Here are some tips to ensure audio sharing goes smoothly:
- Test audio ahead of time – Verify your setup works before an important meeting
- Adjust application volume – Control volume in the app playing audio, not system volume
- Use headphones – Wear headphones to avoid echo or feedback
- Share selectively – Don’t share audio the whole meeting if unnecessary
- Check permissions – Make sure Zoom has access to your microphone and speakers
Common Issues With Audio Sharing
If you encounter problems sharing computer audio, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Leave and rejoin the meeting – Audio settings sometimes don’t update until you rejoin
- Close and reopen apps – Audio may glitch if other apps are open, close them
- Check connections – Make sure your speakers, mic, and headphones work properly
- Allow microphone access – Confirm Zoom has permission to access your microphone
- Update Zoom – Install the latest version of Zoom from the official website
Conclusion
Sharing your computer’s audio is an easy way to liven up Zoom meetings and webinars. With just a few clicks, you can play background music, share video clips, facilitate listening activities, and more.
While minor technical glitches can occur, Zoom’s audio sharing feature usually works seamlessly. Pay attention to audio permissions, test your setup beforehand, and troubleshoot issues as needed.
With these best practices for sharing computer audio in Zoom, you’ll be ready to integrate audio seamlessly into your next online event or meeting! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions.
