How to Connect OBS Audio to Zoom With a Virtual Cable

Learn how to connect OBS audio to Zoom with a virtual cable so your online teaching, recording, and live sessions sound more professional.

Want OBS to control your microphone and video sound before it reaches Zoom? Here’s how to route your audio through a virtual cable and test it properly.

If you followed the basic OBS setup guide, you should already have your camera running through OBS and appearing inside Zoom through the OBS Virtual Camera.

That gives you control of the video.

Now we need to do the same with the sound.

At the moment, your setup probably looks something like this:

Camera → OBS → Zoom

but your microphone is still doing this:

Microphone → Zoom

That works.

But it means OBS isn't really controlling your complete presentation.

What we want instead is:

Microphone → OBS → Virtual Audio Cable → Zoom

Once that's working, things get much more interesting.

Quick answer: How to Connect OBS Audio to Zoom With a Virtual Cable explains how to connect OBS audio to Zoom with a virtual cable so your online teaching, recording, and live sessions sound more professional.

Why Route Your Audio Through OBS?

The simple answer is control.

When your microphone goes straight into Zoom, Zoom controls the microphone.

When your microphone comes into OBS first, OBS can control what happens before the sound reaches Zoom.

That means later you can:

• adjust your microphone level
• add noise suppression
• add compression
• add gain
• play video with sound from an OBS scene
• play background audio
• control the balance between your voice and media

Imagine you've prepared a video clip inside OBS.

You switch to the video scene.

Everyone sees the video.

But nobody hears it.

Not ideal.

The virtual audio cable gives us a route for that sound to travel from OBS into Zoom.

What Is an OBS Virtual Audio Cable?

A virtual audio cable is a software audio device that passes sound from one application to another.

In the workshop, we're using VB-Audio Virtual Cable.

Think of it as an invisible cable.

OBS sends sound to the cable.

Zoom listens to the cable.

So your finished audio path becomes:

Your microphone → OBS → Virtual Cable → Zoom

Later, video audio and other sound inside OBS can use that same route.

If you haven't installed the cable yet, go back through How to Set Up OBS Studio for Online Teaching & Zoom or follow the installation section in the free workshop.

Before You Change Anything, Check Your Current Setup

At this point you should have:

• OBS installed
• your camera added to your Main Camera scene
• OBS Virtual Camera working in Zoom
• VB-Audio Virtual Cable installed
• your normal microphone connected to the computer

Your microphone may still be selected directly inside Zoom.

That's fine.

We're about to change it.

1. Clean Up the OBS Audio Mixer

When you first add your camera, you may notice several audio sources inside the OBS Audio Mixer.

Your camera may have its own built-in microphone.

If you're using a separate microphone, you probably don't want that camera microphone active as well.

In my setup, the camera has its own audio source, but I'm using a separate RØDE microphone.

So I turn the camera audio off.

I like keeping the interface clean because once you add media and more scenes, OBS can become cluttered quickly.

2. Turn Off the Default Global Audio Devices

OBS may show things such as:

Desktop Audio

and:

Mic/Aux

In the workshop setup, we're not relying on those default global devices.

Go to:

Settings → Audio

and look for the Global Audio Devices section.

The workshop disables the unwanted default audio devices so we can deliberately add and control the microphone we want.

It's cleaner.

3. Set the OBS Monitoring Device to the Virtual Cable

This is one of the settings people miss.

Go into:

Settings → Audio

Then move down to the Advanced section.

Set the Monitoring Device to the virtual cable.

You've now told OBS where monitored sound should be sent.

We'll tell the microphone to use that route shortly.

4. Add Your Microphone as an Audio Input Capture

Go to the Sources area for your Main Camera scene.

Click the + button and choose:

Audio Input Capture

Then select your actual microphone.

Don't select the virtual cable here.

At this stage, we're bringing your real microphone into OBS.

Give it an obvious name.

Something such as:

Rode Mic

is much more useful than Audio Input Capture 1.

You should now see the microphone meter moving inside OBS when you talk.

That's the first good sign.

5. Change the Zoom Microphone to the Virtual Cable

Now open Zoom.

Your video setup should already be using:

OBS Virtual Camera

For the microphone, you're no longer going to select your physical microphone.

You're going to select the virtual cable.

Previously:

Zoom → Physical microphone

Now:

Zoom → Virtual cable

Your physical microphone is already going into OBS.

OBS sends that sound to the cable.

Zoom listens to the cable.

6. Why Can't Zoom Hear My OBS Microphone Yet?

You've added the microphone to OBS.

You've selected the virtual cable as the monitoring device.

You've selected the cable as the microphone inside Zoom.

Then you talk.

Nothing.

There is one more setting.

We need to tell OBS that your microphone should actually be monitored.

7. Turn On Audio Monitoring for Your Microphone

Go to the Audio Mixer in OBS.

Open:

Advanced Audio Properties

Find your microphone and change its monitoring setting to the monitoring-enabled option used in the workshop.

Once this is turned on, the microphone is sent to the monitoring device we chose earlier — the virtual cable.

Now look inside Zoom.

You should see its microphone level responding when you speak.

You now have:

Microphone → OBS → Virtual Cable → Zoom

Once this is set up properly, you normally don't need to keep rebuilding it.

The Complete OBS Audio Route

Video

Camera → OBS → OBS Virtual Camera → Zoom

Audio

Microphone → OBS → Virtual Audio Cable → Zoom

Once both are working, OBS sits in the middle of your presentation instead of Zoom directly controlling your camera and microphone.

How to Test OBS Audio in Zoom

Don't assume it works because the meters are moving in OBS.

Create a private Zoom meeting.

Check:

Video: OBS Virtual Camera

Microphone: Virtual cable

Speaker: Your normal speaker or headphones

Then speak.

Watch the microphone indicator inside Zoom.

If it's moving, that's a good sign.

I would still record a short test or use a private environment where you can play the result back.

You want to know what the audience hears.

Remember:

Test, test, test.

Why This Setup Matters When You Play Videos in OBS

This is where the audio cable starts earning its keep.

Later in this series, we'll add pre-recorded video to OBS.

A video can contain its own audio.

The virtual cable allows monitored media audio to follow the same route into Zoom.

So your audience can hear:

• you speaking
• your video
• background audio
• other media inside OBS

And you can control the level of each one.

Be Careful When Reusing the Same Microphone Source

You can reuse an existing microphone source in other scenes.

For example:

• Main Camera
• Screen Share
• Video Presentation

But remember that you're dealing with the same audio source.

If you mute it and that setting applies to the shared source, you can return to another scene and wonder why nobody can hear you.

I've done it.

You're talking away.

Someone eventually says:

"We can't hear you."

Keep an eye on those mute controls.

Can You Talk Over a Video in OBS?

Yes.

Once you've added a video scene, you can also add your existing microphone source to that scene.

You could:

1. introduce the video
2. switch to the video scene
3. talk over part of the clip
4. pause or change scene
5. explain something
6. return to the video

We'll cover this properly in How to Add Video to OBS and Control Playback.

What About Microphone Filters?

Don't start piling filters onto the microphone yet.

First get the routing working.

You want:

Microphone → OBS → Cable → Zoom

to be reliable.

Once that's done, we can improve the sound using gain, compression, noise suppression and other controls.

That's covered in How to Use OBS Audio Filters for Better Microphone Sound.

Get the plumbing right before decorating the bathroom.

Common OBS Audio Problems to Check

Your microphone doesn't move inside OBS

Check that the correct physical microphone has been selected as the Audio Input Capture source.

Your microphone moves in OBS but not in Zoom

Check that the virtual cable is selected as your microphone inside Zoom and that monitoring is enabled for the microphone inside OBS.

Zoom is still using your normal microphone

Change the Zoom microphone from your physical microphone to the virtual cable.

Your OBS video works but media sound doesn't

The media source may need monitoring enabled so its sound is sent through the virtual cable.

You suddenly lose your microphone in another scene

Check that the shared microphone source hasn't been muted while you were working elsewhere.

Work logically.

Follow the signal.

OBS Audio Setup Checklist

• VB-Audio Virtual Cable is installed
• Your unused camera microphone is muted if you don't need it
• Unwanted default global audio devices are disabled for this setup
• Your actual microphone is added as an Audio Input Capture
• The microphone meter moves inside OBS
• The OBS Monitoring Device is set to the virtual cable
• Zoom is using OBS Virtual Camera for video
• Zoom is using the virtual cable for its microphone
• Monitoring is enabled for your microphone in OBS
• Zoom's microphone indicator responds when you speak
• You've run a private test before going live

Once those are working, the difficult part is done.

Learn the Full OBS Setup in the Free Workshop

Audio routing makes much more sense when you can see the meters moving and watch the signal travel from OBS into Zoom.

That's exactly what we work through in the free Learn OBS Workshop.

Join the Free Learn OBS Workshop | Present, Stream & Record Better

And if you want the complete overview, use the Learn OBS beginner's guide as the hub for this entire series.

FAQ About OBS Audio and Virtual Cables

How do I send OBS audio to Zoom?

Route your microphone into OBS, set the virtual cable as the OBS monitoring device, enable monitoring for the microphone, then select the virtual cable as the microphone inside Zoom.

Why can Zoom see OBS video but not hear OBS audio?

OBS Virtual Camera handles the video. You need a separate audio route, which is why the workshop uses a virtual audio cable.

Should Zoom use my microphone or the virtual cable?

For this setup, Zoom uses the virtual cable. Your physical microphone goes into OBS first.

Why is my microphone moving in OBS but not Zoom?

Check that the virtual cable is selected as the microphone in Zoom and that monitoring is enabled for your microphone inside OBS.

Can OBS send video audio to Zoom?

Yes. Media audio can be monitored through OBS and routed through the virtual cable.

Do I need a virtual audio cable to use OBS with Zoom?

Not if you only want OBS video and are happy for your microphone to connect directly to Zoom. The cable becomes useful when OBS needs to control and send the audio too.

Can I improve my microphone sound in OBS?

Yes. Once your microphone is routed through OBS, you can use filters such as gain, compression and noise suppression. See the OBS audio filters guide.

Do I need to configure OBS audio every time I use Zoom?

Once the scene and routing are set up correctly, you generally shouldn't need to rebuild everything. Still test before an important session.

What To Do Next

At this point, you should have both sides working:

Camera → OBS → Zoom

and:

Microphone → OBS → Virtual Cable → Zoom

That's a big step.

Test it properly.

Then move on to How to Organise OBS Files and Assets.

It sounds less exciting than green screens and animation, but getting organised now prevents missing images and broken media links later.

Join the free Learn OBS Workshop and follow the complete setup with me.

FAQ

Who is How to Connect OBS Audio to Zoom With a Virtual Cable for?

How to Connect OBS Audio to Zoom With a Virtual Cable is for course creators, coaches and educators who want a clearer OBS setup for recording lessons, streaming sessions or creating better video content for their online business.

How does this OBS workflow connect with New Zenler?

Creators can use OBS to improve video and live-session production, then use New Zenler to host courses, deliver memberships, run live sessions, build funnels and manage learners in one platform.

What should creators check before recording or streaming with OBS?

Check the scene layout, microphone input, audio filters, camera framing, recording settings, internet connection and where the finished lesson or live replay will be delivered in New Zenler.

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