How to Use Discord Voice on Linux With PulseAudio

Discord voice chat does not work out of the box on many Linux distributions because the Discord Linux client uses an older audio backend called ALSA, while most modern Linux systems rely on PulseAudio as their sound server. Without proper bridging, you may hear no sound from other users, or your microphone may not transmit audio at all. This article explains how to install and configure the PulseAudio compatibility layer so that Discord voice functions correctly on your Linux machine.

Why Discord Voice Fails on Linux Without PulseAudio

Discord’s Linux client is built against the ALSA sound system, which is the lowest-level audio interface on Linux. However, most desktop environments today use PulseAudio as a sound server that sits on top of ALSA. PulseAudio provides per-application volume control, automatic device switching, and network audio support. When Discord tries to access ALSA directly, it bypasses PulseAudio and often fails to detect the correct input or output device. This results in no audio output, a non-functional microphone, or the error message “Cannot find audio device.”

The solution is to use a PulseAudio compatibility layer called padsp, which intercepts ALSA system calls and translates them into PulseAudio calls. By running Discord through padsp, the application can use your PulseAudio devices without any code changes.

Prerequisites for Using Discord Voice on Linux

Before you begin, confirm that your system meets these requirements:

• PulseAudio installed and running: Most distributions ship with PulseAudio by default. Run pulseaudio --version in a terminal to verify.
• Discord installed: Download the official .deb or .rpm package from the Discord website, or install via your package manager (e.g., sudo apt install discord on Debian/Ubuntu).
• Terminal access: You need a terminal to install packages and edit files.

Steps to Enable Discord Voice with PulseAudio

Follow these steps to get Discord voice working on your Linux system.

Step 1: Install the PulseAudio Utilities Package

The padsp wrapper is part of the pulseaudio-utils package. Install it using your distribution’s package manager.

1. Open a terminal
   Press Ctrl + Alt + T on most desktop environments.
2. Install pulseaudio-utils
   • On Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt install pulseaudio-utils
   • On Fedora: sudo dnf install pulseaudio-utils
   • On Arch: sudo pacman -S pulseaudio-utils
3. Verify the installation
   Run which padsp. You should see output like /usr/bin/padsp.

Step 2: Launch Discord with padsp

Close any running Discord process. Then launch Discord from the terminal using the padsp wrapper.

1. Kill existing Discord processes
   Run pkill discord or close Discord from the system tray.
2. Start Discord with padsp
   Type padsp discord in the terminal and press Enter. The Discord window should open normally.
3. Test voice
   Join a voice channel and speak. You should see the green audio indicator next to your name. Ask another user if they can hear you.

Step 3: Configure Discord Audio Settings (Optional)

If you still have issues, adjust Discord’s internal audio settings.

1. Open 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, select Voice & Video.
3. Select the correct devices
   Under Input Device and Output Device, choose the PulseAudio devices listed. They usually appear as “PulseAudio (alsa_output…)” or similar.
4. Test your microphone
   Speak into your mic. The input sensitivity bar should move. If not, adjust the Input Volume slider or change the Input Device.

Step 4: Create a Desktop Entry for Easy Launching

To avoid having to open a terminal every time, modify Discord’s desktop entry so it always launches with padsp.

1. Locate the Discord desktop file
   It is usually at /usr/share/applications/discord.desktop or ~/.local/share/applications/discord.desktop. Copy it to your local applications folder: cp /usr/share/applications/discord.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
2. Edit the desktop file
   Open the copied file with a text editor: nano ~/.local/share/applications/discord.desktop
3. Modify the Exec line
   Find the line starting with Exec=. Change it to: Exec=padsp discord %U
4. Save and exit
   Press Ctrl + O to save, then Ctrl + X to exit. Now Discord will launch with PulseAudio support from your application menu.

If Discord Still Has Audio Problems After the Main Fix

“Cannot find audio device” error persists

This error means Discord cannot detect any PulseAudio sink or source. First, verify PulseAudio is running: pulseaudio --check. If it returns nothing, start it with pulseaudio --start. Then check your available audio devices with pactl list sinks short and pactl list sources short. Ensure at least one sink and one source exist. If not, you may need to install PulseAudio itself: sudo apt install pulseaudio.

Microphone works but no sound from speakers

This often indicates that Discord is using the wrong output device. Open Discord’s Voice & Video settings and manually select the correct PulseAudio output device. Also check your system sound settings to ensure Discord is not muted in the PulseAudio volume control (pavucontrol). Install pavucontrol with sudo apt install pavucontrol, launch it, go to the Playback tab, and verify Discord’s volume is up.

Discord crashes when using padsp

Some users report that padsp causes Discord to crash. This can happen if the pulseaudio-utils version is outdated. Update your system: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade. If the crash continues, try an alternative wrapper: apulse. Install apulse and launch Discord with apulse discord. Note that apulse is not officially maintained and may have its own issues.

padsp vs apulse: Compatibility Wrappers for Discord Voice

Item	padsp	apulse
Description	Official PulseAudio utility that redirects ALSA calls to PulseAudio	Third-party PulseAudio emulation library for ALSA applications
Installation	Part of pulseaudio-utils package, available in all distros	Requires manual build or AUR/PPA installation
Reliability	High, maintained by PulseAudio developers	Moderate, may break with Discord updates
Performance	Low overhead, direct translation	Higher overhead, emulates ALSA library
Best for	Most users, especially on Ubuntu/Debian/Fedora	Users on Arch or those with padsp crashes

After setting up padsp and creating the modified desktop entry, your Discord voice chat should work reliably on Linux. If you still encounter issues, double-check that PulseAudio is running and that you have selected the correct devices in Discord’s Voice & Video settings. For advanced users, consider using pavucontrol to fine-tune each application’s audio stream independently. This setup ensures you can join voice channels, screen sharing, and use push-to-talk without further configuration.