How to play music with your mic

Have you ever wondered how YouTubers and gamers talk and play music simultaneously with their mics? You're probably thinking that you have to buy expensive software to make this happen. However, this is not necessarily true.

In this article, we will teach you how to play music through your microphone on different platforms. Plus, we'll offer recommendations on the best programs to use.

How to Play Music Through Your Microphone on a Windows PC

Playing music through your mic on a Windows PC is simple and can be done using software available on the internet. We'll take a look at one of the most popular programs: VoiceMeeter. In addition to that, you will also need to install a soundboard on your computer.

VoiceMeeter is a virtual audio mixer that combines various audio sources and sends them to different outputs. It lets you connect various devices and apps to customize your inputs and outputs. You can select it as the primary audio device for your system. The program is free, but if you use it for professional purposes, you will have to pay for your license.

A soundboard is a program into which you can load your audio files.

In this method, the soundboard and microphone signals are passed to VoiceMeeter as input. VoiceMeeter processes the signals and reads them as outputs. Here's how to set it up.

1. Download and install VoiceMeeter and Soundboard. We recommend using Soundboard EXP.
   
2. Open your Windows 10 audio settings and enable VoiceMeeter input and output in the "Recording" tab. If you don't see it, right-click and check "Show disabled devices".
   
3. In the same tab, right-click on "VoiceMeeter Output" and press "Set as Default Device".
   
4. Open the EXP soundboard.
   
5. Choose “VoiceMeeter Input” as the first output.
   
6. Go back to VoiceMeeter and choose your microphone as the first hardware input.
   
7. Under "A1 Hardware Out" on the right side, select your speakers. By selecting this, you will be able to hear the sound coming into the microphone.
   
8. Open the start menu, start typing “Voice Recorder” and open it. This application allows you to check if you have set everything correctly.
   
9. Tap the microphone icon to start recording and play any sound file on the soundboard. If that doesn't work, go back to sound settings and make sure "VoiceMeeter Output" is selected as "Default Device" and "Default Communication Device".
   

How to Play Music Through Your Microphone on a Mac

If you want to listen to music through your mic on a Mac device, you can use QuickTime, Apple's multimedia framework. Here's how:

1. Find QuickTime in your Applications folder and open it.
2. Press "File".
3. Tap "New audio recording".
4. Tap the triangle in the upper right corner.
5. Choose built-in input and preferred volume.
6. Play the music.

How to play music through your mic on Discord

If you use Discord often, you'll be happy to know that you can listen to music through your mic and share it with your friends and fellow gamers.

1. Install any soundboard app.
   
2. Connect your mic to the app and set it as default.
3. Open Control Panel and go to sound settings.
   
4. Under the “Recordings” tab, enable “Stereo Mix”.
   
5. Open the Discord app and tap the gear icon to access settings.
   
6. Tap "Voice and Video".
   
7. Under "Input Device", choose "Stereo Mix".
   
8. Under 'Input method', make sure the check mark is next to 'Voice activity'.
   
9. Toggle the button next to "Automatically determine input sensitivity".
   
10. Play music through your mic.

How to Play Music Through Your In-Game Mic on an Xbox

If you often play games on your Xbox and want to share music or sound effects with your party, you can do so by following the steps below:

1. Open Control Panel and go to sound settings.
2. Under the “Recordings” tab, enable “Stereo Mix”.
3. Open the Xbox app, tap your profile picture, then tap "Settings."
4. Tap "Volume & Audio Output".
5. Make sure the correct output is selected.
6. Play your music.

Also, if you want background music, Xbox allows you to download music apps like Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, etc. Simply download the apps through your console and listen to the music through your headphones.

However, if you stream your gameplay, Xbox will block you from playing music.

How to Play Music Through Your In-Game Mic on a PS4

Similar to Xbox, PS4 lets you use music apps like Spotify to enjoy background music while you game. You can share your music through your microphone by configuring the Xbox settings:

1. Open Settings on your Xbox.
2. Tap on "Sharing and broadcasts".
3. Tap "Audio Sharing Settings".
4. Make sure all three options are checked.

It's important to note that you won't be able to play music on a PS4 if you're streaming your game.

How to play music through your microphone on VRChat

There are several ways to play music through your microphone in VRChat. The easiest way is to install a program that will make this possible. We recommend using VoiceMeeter.

1. Download and install the program by visiting this webpage.
2. Open Control Panel and go to sound settings.
3. Make sure your microphone is set to default.
4. Under the "Recording" tab, select "Cable Output" and open its properties.
5. Check the box next to "Listen to this device".
6. Add an extension called AudioPick to play music in your mic.
7. Open VRChat and make sure "Cable Output" is selected in your microphone settings.

How to play music through your mic on GMod

If you want to listen to music through your mic in Garry's Mod (GMod), you will need to install two programs: Foobar and Virtual Audio Cable. The latter is not free, but it is the most recommended program of its kind. If you don't want to buy it, free alternatives can be found online.

Foobar is an audio player available for Mac, Windows and Android. It has gained popularity due to its innovative design, ease of use and variety of features. It supports a range of audio formats and offers plenty of options for converting, resampling, and organizing files.

Virtual Audio Cable is a program that allows you to transfer an audio stream from one application to another. Using a virtual audio cable, the program transfers input from one application and sends it to another application as output. As it is a digital transfer, the sound does not lose quality. This program is not free and you will need to purchase a license if you want to use it. Luckily, it's a one-time purchase. Here's how to install it.

1. Download both programs.
2. Open the virtual audio cable.
3. Under "Driver Settings", select "2". In the same folder, find “Audio Repeater” and open it three times.
4. Open Foobar, tap "File," then "Preferences."
5. Tap "Output" and make sure "Line 1" is selected under "Device." Press "Apply" and close the window.
6. Return to the three “Audio Repeater” windows. In the first window, select “Line 1” under “Wave in” and “Line 2” under “Wave out”.
7. In the second window, select "Microphone" under "Wave in" and "Line 2" under "Wave out".
8. In the third window, select “Line 2” under “Wave in” and “Loudspeakers” or “Headphones” under “Wave out”. Press "Start".
9. Go to Audio Settings in Control Panel. Under the "Recordings" tab, select "Line 2" as the default device.
10. In game, type “+voicerecord” in the developer console. You can now play your music.

How to play music through your mic in Rust

If you like playing Rust and want to add music to it, you will need to install three components: a virtual audio cable, a VoiceMeeter, and a soundboard. We recommend using EXP Soundboard.

As mentioned earlier, Virtual Audio Cable is a type of software that transfers inputs from one application and converts them into output for another application. Although it is not free, it is one of the most popular programs of this type. Since it requires a one-time payment, you won't have to worry about wasting your money if you don't use it frequently.

Rust is available on Steam, an online gaming platform. We'll show you how to listen to music through your mic by downloading the aforementioned programs and adjusting the Steam settings:

Here are the steps:

1. Download and install VoiceMeeter and Soundboard EXP.
2. Go to Control Panel and open sound settings. Make sure VoiceMeeter and EXP Soundboard are enabled.
3. Set "VoiceMeeter Output" as the default device.
4. Open the EXP soundboard. Select “VoiceMeeter Input” as the first output.
5. Open VoiceMeeter. Under the first hardware entry, choose your microphone.
6. Under "Hardware Output A1", select your speakers.
7. Open Steam and make sure "VoiceMeeter Output" is selected in Input preferences.
8. Start Rust.

M(us)ic is always a good option

Learning to play music through your mic lets you enjoy your favorite tunes while playing games or chatting with friends. In most cases, you will need to install additional programs that will allow you to set everything up with just a few clicks. Some of these programs are free, some are not. Although we recommend using the most popular ones, you can always try alternatives.

Have you ever played music with your microphone? What software did you use? Tell us in the comments section below.