How to Play Audio With Multiple Speakers in Windows 10

Head to the Sound settings

By
Jon Martindale
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Jon Martindale
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    Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He's written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal.
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    Updated on May 5, 2022
    Windows

    What to Know

    • System tray, right-click speaker icon: Sounds > Recording tab > Stereo Mix > Enable.
    • Stereo Mix > Properties > Listen > tick the box next to Listen to this device > Playback through this device.
    • Then Default Playback Device drop-down menu > pick the secondary device you want to play sound through > Apply.

    This article explains how to output sound to multiple speakers or headphones in Windows 10 using the Windows 10 settings menu, as well as a hardware adapter.

    How Do I Play Music Through Multiple Speakers In Windows 10?

    You can play music through multiple speakers connected together in the same way you would any single speaker. Just make sure the speakers are all hooked up to your Windows 10 PC.

    If you have multiple sets of speakers, or speakers and headphones you want to connect to Windows 10, you'll need to enable the Stereo Mix option in the Windows 10 Sound options.

    1. Open the Sounds menu by right-clicking (or press and hold) the speaker icon in the system tray and selecting Sounds.

      The Sounds menu in Windows 10

    2. If not already selected, select one of the speakers or headphones you want to play music from, and select the Set Default button.

    3. Select the Recording tab at the top of the window. Select Stereo Mix and right click (or tap and hold) on it and select Enable. Then, if necessary, select the Stereo Mix then select Set Default.

      Recording sound menu in Windows 10 showing Stereo Mix

      If you don't see Stereo Mix on the recording page, then right click (or tap and hold) the main body of the window and select Show Disabled Devices.

    4. Right click (or tap and hold) on Stereo Mix and select Properties. Select the Listen tab, then tick the box next to Listen to this device.

      Adjusting Stereo Mix settings in Windows 10

    5. Under Playback through this device, select the Default Playback Device drop-down menu, and pick the secondary device you want to play sound through.

      Selecting Stereo Mix output options in Windows 10

    6. Select Apply, then restart your PC. When it boots back up, sound should play out of both devices at once.

    How Do I Use Multiple Speakers In Windows 10?

    If you just want to setup a surround sound speaker system, you don't need to make any changes to Windows itself, you just need to correctly manage your speakers through an onboard or sound card that supports as many speakers as you are using.

    If you want to connect multiple sets of speakers to Windows 10, use the steps outlined above to enable Stereo Mix outputs within Windows 10.

    FAQ
    • How do you split audio output on a PC?

      A quick way to get sound to multiple speakers or headphones in Windows 10 is to use a physical audio splitter. Both both USB and 3.5mm versions are available, but the quality can vary, so do your research to make sure what you're buying will do the job you want.

    • How do I connect multiple Bluetooth speakers to Windows 10?

      It's a little harder to pair two wireless speakers with a PC because their lack of cables and ports can make them more difficult to connect to each other. You can pair multiple Bluetooth devices to Windows using the Bluetooth menu in Settings, but you may only be able to output to one at a time. If Stereo Mix doesn't work, make sure that the speakers you're using can pair with each other, either wirelessly or with cables.

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