Best Virtual Audio Cable Software (2026): 10 for Windows and Mac

Search for a virtual audio cable and you'll find drivers, mixers, recorders and audio servers all answering to the same name. They overlap, but they aren't interchangeable, and the makers' pages name different systems.

This list covers ten of them, using only what each maker's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order, and it's about software that routes audio between apps.

Audio routing software side by side

Tool	Type	Good for
Audio Hijack	Mac audio recording app	Recording audio from apps, devices or the whole Mac
Audio Router	Open-source Windows routing tool	Sending each program's audio to a different device
BlackHole	Mac virtual loopback driver	Passing audio from one Mac app to another
Elgato Wave Link	Mixing and routing app for creators	Routing and effects for content creation
JACK Audio Connection Kit	Sound server API	Audio and MIDI connections between applications
Loopback	Mac audio routing app	Combining app and device audio into one virtual device
SoundSource	Mac sound control app	Per-app volume, output and effects
VB-CABLE	Windows virtual audio device	One virtual cable between two programs
Virtual Audio Cable	Windows virtual cable software	Connecting, routing and mixing audio between apps
Voicemeeter	Windows virtual audio mixer	Mixing several audio sources to different outputs

Ten audio routing tools, one line each

Audio Hijack

Best for: Recording any audio on a Mac, from a single app, a microphone or all system audio at once, including podcasts and VoIP calls.

Audio Router

Best for: Sending audio from individual programs to different audio devices, from an open-source project on GitHub.

BlackHole

Best for: Passing audio between applications on a Mac through a virtual loopback driver, in 2, 16 or 64 channel versions.

Elgato Wave Link

Best for: Content creators who want routing and effects in a mixing app built for content creation rather than music production.

JACK Audio Connection Kit

Best for: Programmers who want audio and MIDI connections between applications, with device sharing and inter-application audio routing.

Loopback

Best for: Combining audio from apps and input devices into one virtual device on a Mac, then wiring it wherever you need it.

SoundSource

Best for: Controlling each Mac app's volume and output from the menu bar, with per-app audio effects and AirPlay streaming.

VB-CABLE

Best for: Connecting two applications, such as a player and a recorder, through a virtual audio device that forwards its input to its output.

Virtual Audio Cable

Best for: Setups from simple to professional, where several apps can share one virtual cable to connect, route and mix sounds.

Voicemeeter

Best for: Mixing a microphone, music, calls and game sound, then sending the mix to different outputs, with three inputs and three outputs through two buses.

Windows, Mac or neither: check your system first

Here's the split a searcher wouldn't guess: 'virtual audio cable' is a system question first and a job question second. On this list, the makers' pages put four tools on Windows and four on the Mac, and the Type column in the table shows which is which. For the other two, an audio server and a streamer's mixing app, check the maker's own site for your system before you download.

If you want the words from a recording, you can get a transcript from a video without re-listening.

One cable, a mixer, or one app to one device

The second question is the job. The makers describe three different ones.

• A cable between apps: BlackHole calls itself a 'modern macOS virtual audio loopback driver', and Virtual Audio Cable says it lets you 'connect audio applications, route and mix sounds'.
• A mixer: Voicemeeter is a 'virtual audio mixer', and Wave Link's page talks about routing and effects for content creation.
• One app to a different device: Audio Router 'routes audio from programs to different audio devices', and SoundSource lists per-app output redirection on the Mac.

How a virtual cable carries sound, in one maker's words

One explanation comes from the Windows maker that uses the category's name for its product. Its page says each virtual device simulates an audio adapter whose output is connected to its input, making an audio loopback. If one app plays to that device you won't hear it, but if another app records from it, that app receives the sound.

The same page adds that each side of a cable can be used by several apps at once, and that sounds played to the same endpoint are mixed together. It also warns that other products use the same name, and that some of them are fake and contain malware, so make sure you're on the maker's own site.

Recording and streaming setups on a Mac

On the Mac, one maker sells several apps that work together. Audio Hijack can 'record any audio on macOS', and its page suggests pairing it with the maker's routing utility to capture audio from an app or microphone, adjust it, then send it to another app. It also names live streaming to RTMP servers such as YouTube Live, Twitch and Facebook Live.

Loopback's page gives practical uses: combine your mic with audio sources such as music, then select the virtual device as your source in Zoom so your guests hear both. It also suggests combining several input devices into one, for recording apps limited to one audio device at a time.

Audio servers for programmers

JACK takes a different route. Its page describes a professional sound server API that connects audio and MIDI data between applications, and asks: 'Have you ever wanted to take the audio output of one piece of software and send it to another?' It's also aimed at programmers writing real-time audio and music applications who want device sharing and inter-application routing.

Questions to answer before you install a driver

• Am I on Windows or a Mac?
• Do I need one cable between two apps, or a mixer for several sources?
• Do I want one app's sound on a different device, such as headphones?
• Am I recording, streaming, or on a call?
• Do I need MIDI as well as audio?
• Am I downloading from the maker's own site?

Do you make virtual audio cable or audio routing software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My advice for routing audio between apps

Pick your system, then the smallest tool that does the job. If you only need one app to hear another, a single virtual cable is enough. If you're blending a mic, music and a call, look at the mixers. And if you just want to control exactly where each app's audio plays, a per-app output tool is the simpler fit.

If you're setting this up for calls, here's how to share audio on Zoom, and if you're recording a show, my guide to starting a podcast walks you through the rest.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a virtual audio cable for Mac?

Yes. One entry here is a macOS virtual audio loopback driver that lets apps pass audio to each other, and the list also includes a Mac routing app, a Mac recording app and a Mac sound control app from the same maker.

What's the difference between a virtual audio cable and a virtual mixer?

On these makers' pages, a cable passes sound from one app to another: one Windows driver says all audio coming into its input is simply forwarded to its output. A mixer blends several sources, and one Windows mixer says it mixes three inputs to three outputs through two buses.

Can I send one app's audio to a different device?

Yes. One open-source tool routes audio from programs to different audio devices, and one Mac app lists per-app output redirection, so you can control exactly where each app's audio plays.

Can I use these tools for podcast recording?

Some makers say so. One Mac recording app says it can power your podcast, whether you're recording in-studio or remote VoIP conversations from services like Zoom, and a Mac routing app suggests combining your mic with other audio so your guests hear both.

Do any of these handle MIDI as well as audio?

One does. A sound server API here describes connections for both audio and MIDI data between applications. The other pages on this list talk about audio.

Can I stream audio with these apps?

Some say so. One Mac recording app can send audio to RTMP servers like YouTube Live, Twitch and Facebook Live, one Mac sound app streams any app's audio to AirPlay devices, and one mixing app is built for content creators.