Fix Discord Screen Share Audio Not Transmitting on Game Capture Mode

When you share your screen in Discord using Game Capture mode, the video feed works but the audio from the game or app often goes silent for your viewers. This happens because Discord’s Game Capture mode only captures the video output of the selected game window, not its audio stream. This article explains why the audio drops out and provides a reliable fix to restore sound transmission during game share sessions.

Why Game Capture Mode Silences Your Audio

Discord’s Game Capture mode is designed to record only the video output of a specific game window. It does not capture the game’s audio stream. This is a deliberate design choice to reduce bandwidth usage and avoid capturing unrelated system sounds. When you select Game Capture from the share menu, Discord tells your system: “give me the pixels of that window only.” Audio from that window is not included in the video feed.

The result is that your viewers see the game but hear nothing from it. Your microphone audio still works because it is a separate input. This issue occurs with all games and apps that produce their own sound, including media players and streaming software. The fix requires changing how Discord captures the content or rerouting the audio through an alternative path.

Steps to Fix Discord Game Capture Audio Not Transmitting

You have three reliable methods to restore audio during Game Capture shares. Try them in order until your viewers can hear the game sound.

Method 1: Switch to Screen Share or Window Share

1. Open Discord and join a voice channel
   Click the voice channel you want to stream in. You must be in a voice channel to share your screen.
2. Click the Share Screen button
   It is the monitor icon at the bottom of the voice channel panel, next to your microphone icon.
3. Select “Screens” or a specific window instead of “Game”
   In the share screen dialog, choose the tab labeled “Screens” to share your entire monitor, or select a specific window from the list. This forces Discord to capture all audio from that source.
4. Check the “Share Audio” box
   Before clicking “Go Live,” make sure the checkbox labeled “Share Audio” is enabled. This option transmits system audio from the selected screen or window to your viewers.
5. Click “Go Live”
   Your stream now includes the game’s audio because Discord is capturing the entire screen or window, not just game video.

Method 2: Enable Legacy Audio Subsystem in Discord Settings

1. Open Discord User Settings
   Click the gear icon next to your username at the bottom left of the Discord window.
2. Go to Voice & Video
   In the left sidebar, click “Voice & Video” under App Settings.
3. Scroll to Audio Subsystem
   Near the bottom of the page, find the dropdown labeled “Audio Subsystem.”
4. Change from Standard to Legacy
   Select “Legacy” from the dropdown. This uses an older audio processing method that sometimes captures game audio more reliably.
5. Restart Discord
   Close Discord completely and open it again. Try sharing your game using Game Capture mode. The audio may now work.

Method 3: Route Game Audio Through a Virtual Audio Cable

If the above methods fail, use a free virtual audio cable tool like VB-Cable or VoiceMeeter to send game audio directly to Discord as a microphone input.

1. Download and install VB-Cable
   Go to vb-audio.com and download the VB-Cable Virtual Audio Device. Install it and restart your computer.
2. Set the game output to VB-Cable
   Open your game’s audio settings. Change the audio output device to “CABLE Input.” The game’s sound now goes to the virtual cable instead of your speakers.
3. Open Discord User Settings > Voice & Video
   Scroll to the “Input Device” section. Change the input device from your microphone to “CABLE Output.” This makes Discord treat the game audio as your microphone.
4. Test the audio
   Ask a friend to join your voice channel and listen. They will hear the game audio as if it were your microphone. You can still use your physical microphone by selecting it as a secondary input in Discord or using a mixer like VoiceMeeter.

If Game Audio Still Does Not Transmit

“Share Audio” checkbox is grayed out

The Share Audio checkbox is only available when you share a screen or a window, not when you use Game Capture mode. If it is gray, you selected a game from the Game tab. Go back to the share dialog and choose the Screens tab or a specific window instead.

Game audio is too quiet or distorted after switching to Screen Share

Discord applies automatic volume leveling to all shared audio. Right-click your voice channel after starting the stream and select “Voice Settings.” Under “Advanced,” you can adjust the “Attenuation” slider to reduce how much Discord lowers other sounds when you speak. You can also ask viewers to increase their volume for that specific stream.

Virtual audio cable causes echo or feedback

If you use a virtual cable and your viewers hear an echo, it is because your microphone is also picking up the game audio from your speakers. Mute your speakers or use headphones. In Discord Voice & Video settings, set the input device to only the virtual cable output and the output device to your headphones. This prevents the loop.

Screen Share Audio Methods: Game Capture vs Screen Share vs Virtual Cable

Item	Game Capture	Screen Share	Virtual Cable
Audio support	None by default	Yes with Share Audio checkbox	Yes, as microphone input
Setup difficulty	Instant	Instant	Requires install and config
Bandwidth usage	Low	High (full screen)	Low
Best for	Video-only streams	Games with audio	Games that block screen share
Works with all games	Yes	Yes	Yes

You can now restore audio to your Discord game streams using one of the three methods above. Start with the Screen Share method because it requires no extra software and works in most cases. If your game blocks screen sharing, the virtual cable method is the most reliable alternative. Remember to enable the Share Audio checkbox every time you start a stream, and use the Legacy audio subsystem if you prefer staying on Game Capture mode.