What is this?
When you share your screen during a Teams Meeting, MAC users will notice they can't include system audio. For example, you want to share your screen and show and discuss a YouTube video. Your students can see your video but they can't hear it. As of September 2020, this feature does NOT exist for Mac Users natively in Microsoft Teams. You can share system audio on Windows devices very easily. For Mac Users, we have a work around.
A piece of software called Loopback will add this functionality for you. This is a virtual audio mixer that you have to set up and use and select as your microphone in your device settings in Microsoft Teams.
You will need to work with your Local Campus team to acquire and install the software. This KB article will detail how to use the software.
Instructions
It is recommended that you use a pair of headphones during Teams Meetings. Please find why, and more tips at the end of this article. |
1. Start 'LoopBack' this is what it looks like.
2. In the bottom left hand corner, Click 'New Virtual Device'. This creates your virtual audio mixer.
3. Name your new 'virtual device' whatever you want. By default you will have the 'pass thru' and the 'Output Channels'.
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4. Click the plus sign for 'Sources'. Choose your microphone, either your built in microphone, or a USB microphone that you may have.
REPEAT that step and choose what other sources you want to share. If you sharing YouTube Videos you want to choose Google Chrome (if that is the browser you are using). If you are sharing files from other software they need to be open and you have to select them.
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5. For every Source that IS NOT your microphone, click 'Options' and Un-Check 'Mute when capturing'. (make sure the box is empty)
Why is that important? Because you will want to hear the Audio yourself. With this box checked. You won't be able to hear the audio yourself.
6. You have now set up your virtual audio mixer, Now in Teams you want to select your Virtual Audio Mixer.
- Select 'LoopBack Audio' as your microphone under your device settings before you enter a scheduled meeting. This is just one of the spots where you can select Loopback Audio as your device. You can also make this change during a Teams meeting, or by managing your devices by clicking on your display picture (or initials) in the upper right hand corner.
Yes, It's that easy! Your students will hear your microphone, and you sources when you play content.
Other Recommendations (FAQ style)
What else do I need to know?
- Keep LoopBack running, it has to be on to work.
- If you want to mute your 'mic' in Teams, REMEMBER your mic is actually an audio mixer, so it will mute ALL of your audio to your students. You can turn on/off your sources inside Loopback if you want, but you don't have to and this will be difficult to constantly do this.
Where should I control the volume?
Control your volume at the source. Huh??? if you are using YouTube for example, change the volume of that video in Youtube to match your voice. Your students might hear you quietly and your source content TOO LOUD!. You can check this for yourself by viewing the audio meters in Loopback.
Yes you have volume controls in Loopback as well and they affect the volume your students hear, BUT the audio levels (green bars) is your incoming audio and you want to match the same levels in your mic and your sources so that YOU KNOW that they are equal going to your students. the only way to do that is to change the volume in the software/browser/video you are sharing.
Note: changing your own volume on your laptop does not affect what your students hear.
Why do I need headphones?
- To Prevent feedback! If you have audio coming out of your speakers the audio will get picked up by your microphone and your students will hear double delayed audio (you won't notice, but they will)
- Yes you can turn on/off your mic in loopback but if you plan to constantly talk while playing audio which this KB article assumes you will, then wear headphones!
NOTE: you don't have to share your screen for source audio to be heard by your students. When you change your microphone settings in Teams to Loopback, students will hear everything you have selected for them to hear in Loopback. When you Share your screen, this is only adding the video for them.