When you show a video or a demo with sound in a Teams meeting, attendees hear only your microphone by default. The video's audio stays with you. To send your computer's audio along, turn on Include sound when sharing your screen. This article shows how it works on Windows and Mac, how to handle it in a meeting room and what to do if it doesn't work.
When do you need this?
Whenever something on your computer makes a sound the others need to hear: a promo video, a training clip, a demo of an app with notification sounds or an audio clip in a presentation. If you only share slides or an Excel file, you don't need it. The basics of screen sharing are in share your screen, a window or a whiteboard.
On Windows
- In the meeting, select Share.
- Turn on Include sound at the top.
- Choose your screen or window and start the video.
Already sharing? Move your mouse to the presenter toolbar at the top of your screen and select Include sound to turn audio on or off. The exact button name can differ slightly.
Two Windows settings
- Same speaker: Teams and Windows must use the same output device. Check in Windows via Settings > System > Sound, and in Teams via Settings > Devices, that they match.
- Don't let audio get lowered: by default Windows reduces other sounds during calls, including your video. Open the classic Sound Control Panel > Communications tab and choose Do nothing.
On a Mac
The first time, Teams asks you to install an audio driver. Select Install and enter your password. You need admin rights on your Mac for this. Restart your computer afterwards if Teams asks you to. From then on it works the same as on Windows. All the details are in share computer sound on a Mac.
Desktop, web or phone?
- Desktop app (Windows and Mac): fully supported. This is the best choice.
- Teams on the web: sharing sound is limited and depends on your browser. If it doesn't work, switch to the desktop app.
- Virtual desktops: in a Citrix or AVD environment the option may be missing, depending on how Teams is set up there.
In a meeting room
If you connect your laptop to a Teams Room with a cable, computer sound doesn't travel over that cable. Do this instead:
- Join the meeting from your laptop and choose Audio off when joining, so there's no echo.
- Select Share and turn on Include sound.
- Keep only one device's microphone and speaker on in the room.
Tips for video
- Share the video's window instead of your whole screen. Note that all your computer's audio is shared, notification sounds included. Turn on Do not disturb.
- Video choppy for others? Upload it beforehand to the chat or a channel and let everyone watch it themselves. Or use a PowerPoint with the video embedded through PowerPoint Live.
- Close apps you don't need. Lots of open apps can cause audio dropouts.
- Wear headphones, so the video's sound doesn't come back in through your microphone.
- Playing live music, for example an instrument? Use music mode instead of computer sound.
Not working?
- Check that Include sound is really on in the presenter toolbar.
- Pause the video and play it again. Sometimes the audio only starts then.
- On a Mac: install or update the audio driver and restart.
- Restart Teams or clear the cache.
- Black screen when sharing? Read black screen when sharing in Teams.
FAQ
Do others hear my notifications too?
Yes, Teams shares all of your computer's audio. So turn notifications off for a while.
Is the shared sound included in the recording?
Yes, if the meeting is recorded, the shared computer sound ends up in the recording too.
Nederlandstalige versie: Je scherm delen met computergeluid in Microsoft Teams