Why Can't You Share App Audio in Discord on Mac by Default?
On Windows, apps like Voicemeeter (which VB-Audio offers only for Windows) route audio between programs through virtual cables. macOS has no built-in equivalent. The operating system sends each app's audio straight to the system output device. Since macOS 14.2, another app can pick up a single app's audio, and LitLink Pro uses that feature for per-app routing. Discord's input device selector lists microphones and audio interfaces, not other applications.
The solution is a free virtual audio driver called LitLink that creates a bridge device between any application and Discord. LitLink requires no Terminal commands and runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later; its per-app features need macOS 14.2 or later.
How Does System Audio Passthrough Work for Discord?
System Audio Passthrough is the free method and the fastest way to get started. Open the LitLink app, toggle on System Audio Passthrough, and toggle on Mic Passthrough so Discord also hears your voice. LitLink creates a multi-output device behind the scenes and sets it as your default output, so all system audio flows through automatically.
- Download and install LitLink free, signed and notarized by Apple, 8.5 MB
- Open the LitLink app search Spotlight or find it in Applications
- Toggle on System Audio Passthrough all Mac audio now mirrors to LitLink Audio Bridge
- Toggle on Mic Passthrough combines your microphone with app audio into one stream
- In Discord, set Input Device to LitLink Audio Bridge Settings > Voice & Video > Input Device
- Disable Krisp noise suppression noise suppression is built for voice and can filter out app sounds
The trade-off with system-wide passthrough is that Discord hears everything on your Mac, including notification sounds and other app audio you may not want to share. The Discord soundboard setup guide covers how to configure Discord's voice settings to get the cleanest audio through this method.
How Do You Route a Single App to Discord Without Sharing Everything?
Per-app routing solves the biggest limitation of system-wide passthrough. Instead of Discord hearing every sound on your Mac, it only receives audio from the apps you choose. This is essential when you want to play a YouTube video for your Discord call but keep your Spotify playlist or game sound effects to yourself.
- Open the LitLink app make sure you are on the Pro version
- Turn off System Audio Passthrough otherwise both routes capture the same apps and the audio doubles
- Navigate to per-app routing each running app appears in a list with its own routing toggle
- Enable routing for the target app for example, toggle on Chrome or Safari
- Leave other apps untouched only selected apps send audio to LitLink Audio Bridge
- In Discord, set Input Device to LitLink Audio Bridge same as the free method
Per-app routing is a core feature of per-app audio routing on Mac. LitLink Pro does it without any aggregate device configuration in Audio MIDI Setup; Rogue Amoeba's Loopback ($99) also routes single apps. The routing persists across restarts, so you set it once and forget it.
Per-app routing relies on a feature Apple added in macOS 14.2, so it requires macOS 14.2 or later. Apps you route land on LitLink Audio Bridge by default, and each app can be moved to one of eight separate LitLink Tracks or sent to a different output device instead. LitLink Pro costs $29 one-time or $3.99 a month, and the app includes a 7-day free trial with no payment required.
How Do You Send Chrome or Safari Audio to Discord?
Sending browser audio to Discord is a common use for this setup. Teachers share educational videos during class calls. Gaming groups play YouTube clips or soundboards during voice chat. Music listeners share tracks with friends in real time. The browser does not need any special configuration because LitLink picks up its audio for you.
One detail to keep in mind: if you use per-app routing for Chrome, all Chrome tabs route to Discord, not just the one playing audio. LitLink cannot pick out single tabs, because the browser plays the sound of all its tabs as one app. If you need to isolate a specific tab, open it in a separate browser (use Safari for the tab you want to share and Chrome for private browsing, or vice versa) and route only that browser.
How Do You Play YouTube Audio in a Discord Voice Channel?
Compared with sharing your screen, routing audio through LitLink sends only the sound and leaves your screen private, and nobody has to watch a stream to hear it.
Discord's own screen share remains the right choice when you want people to watch as well as listen. For sound alone, the LitLink route keeps your screen to yourself and works without starting a screen share.
YouTube music, tutorials, podcasts, and live streams all work. The audio plays through your headphones simultaneously, so you hear what everyone else hears. Volume control works normally through both the YouTube player and your Mac's system volume. Discord members hear the audio the same way they hear a microphone, at the voice channel's audio quality.
How Do You Route Game Audio to Discord on Mac?
Gaming is a typical case for per-app routing. Competitive players want teammates to hear callouts and game sounds but not their background music. Streamers need game audio in Discord for co-commentary but route it separately to OBS for the stream mix. LitLink Pro handles both scenarios by letting you select exactly which audio sources reach each destination.
macOS games, Steam titles, and emulators all produce standard system audio that LitLink can capture. There is no special configuration per game. If the game plays sound through your speakers or headphones, LitLink can route it. If a game lets you choose an output device, leave it on the system default.
What Discord Settings Should You Change for App Audio?
Noise suppression (Krisp) is a frequent cause when app audio does not reach Discord. It is built to remove sounds other than voice, so it can filter out music, game audio, YouTube playback and other routed app audio. Turn it off when you share app audio.
Echo cancellation can also cause problems, especially with music, because it can treat routed audio as an echo and try to remove it. Turning it off lets the routed audio reach the voice channel without that processing.
What Are Common Problems When Routing App Audio to Discord?
Echo has a second cause worth knowing. System Audio Passthrough sends everything your Mac plays into the bridge, and that includes the voices of the people in your call whenever Discord plays through the multi-output device. LitLink shows a note about this in the app when System Audio and Mic Passthrough are both on. For calls, the echo-free setup is a mix-minus: Mic Passthrough plus per-app routing for the music, browser, or soundboard you want to share, with System Audio Passthrough off.
If you are transitioning from a manual setup using Audio MIDI Setup aggregate devices, LitLink replaces that entire workflow. The LitLink Pro upgrade adds per-app control that aggregate devices do not offer: Audio MIDI Setup only combines existing devices, it does not separate individual applications.
The same LitLink Audio Bridge device also works in reverse for recording Discord audio on Mac, capturing voice calls and music bots into Audacity, OBS, or any recording application.
Marcel Iseli is an indie developer, DJ, and music producer with over 20 years behind the decks and in the studio. Rooted in hip hop culture, he collects drum machines, samplers, and vintage audio gear. LitPads grew out of that obsession: decades of triggering samples on hardware led him to build the software equivalent he always wanted.