How to Share Sound on Zoom: A Step-by-Step Guide

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With Zoom being essential for meetings, classes, and virtual events, sharing screen and sound can make a huge difference in presentation quality. Knowing how to share your screen effectively on Zoom is vital, but sharing your screen with sound can elevate your presentations, classes, or meetings to a new level. Whether you’re a teacher streaming a lesson, a professional delivering a presentation, or simply showing a video to friends, this guide will quickly walk you through how to share screen and audio on Zoom. We’ll cover the steps for various devices, including PCs, Macs, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS, and offer advanced tips to ensure your sound comes through crystal clear.

Basic Steps to Share Screen with Sound on Zoom

The ability to share sound is a handy feature, allowing you to play audio directly from your device so everyone in the meeting can hear it. Sharing your screen with sound is straightforward if you follow these steps:

Locate the “Share Screen” Button

To begin, find the “Share Screen” button at the bottom of the Zoom window once your meeting has started. Clicking this button opens a new window that displays all the screens and applications you currently have open. Here, you can select the specific screen or app you want to share with others in the meeting.

Select “Share Sound” Option

After selecting the screen or application you want to share, you’re in control. Check the “Share Sound” box at the bottom left of the selection window. This allows participants to hear audio from your device and ensures that any audio playing from your computer will be shared with them. After you’ve confirmed your settings, click “Share” to start screen sharing with sound enabled. 

Adjust Sound Settings

Once sharing is active, you can control the volume or mute audio by clicking the sound icon next to the screen share button in the control bar.

Pro Tip: Want to add some personality to your Zoom meetings? Try experimenting with funny Zoom backgrounds to make your presentations engaging.

How to Share Sound on Zoom When Sharing Screen

Sharing your screen and sound is especially helpful when presenting a multimedia experience, like a video or music. This feature enhances engagement by allowing participants to not only view but also listen to the content. Follow these essential tips to ensure everyone can hear the sound as clearly as possible. You might need to do that several times during a more extended call if using the basic plan with Zoom’s time limitation. 

Share Computer Audio While Screen Sharing

To enable computer audio sharing, check the “Share Sound” box whenever you share your screen, as mentioned in the basic steps. This feature streams audio from your device, including sounds from videos, music files, or even sounds from specific software. It’s a great way to make your presentation immersive, especially if you share an educational video or a music track during a virtual event.

Optimizing Video Playback

When sharing video content, like a YouTube video or a video embedded in a PowerPoint presentation, select the “Optimize for Video Clip” option as well. This setting near the “Share Sound” option helps smooth out video playback, ensuring that the video and sound remain synchronized for your audience. This optimization reduces the chance of buffering or lag, which can detract from the experience if not enabled.

Tips for Improved Sound Quality

Using quality audio equipment can significantly enhance your audience’s experience. Consider wearing noise-canceling headphones to help you focus and reduce background noise. Alternatively, tools like Krisp’s noise-canceling software are excellent for filtering out background sounds in your environment. If you’re presenting in a noisy location, this software can maintain audio clarity so participants hear only what’s intended.

Related Article: For additional privacy, check out how to blur the background in Zoom.

Sharing Only Sound Without Screen on Zoom

Sometimes, you only want to share sound without showing it on your screen. This can be useful if you share background music for a workout class, a meditation session, or a study group. Zoom makes sharing sound without any accompanying visuals easy by using the “Advanced” settings in the screen-sharing options.

Enable Audio-Only Sharing

To share only audio, go to the “Advanced” tab within the screen-sharing menu, then select “Music or Computer Sound Only.” This feature allows you to broadcast audio without displaying your screen to meeting participants. It’s a discreet and flexible option for cases where visuals are unnecessary or might even be distracting, and it allows both you and participants to record distraction-free.

Best Uses for Audio-Only Sharing

Audio-only sharing works well for sound-focused scenarios, like virtual yoga or workout classes, where you want to play calming background music. Similarly, this feature can enhance study sessions or team-building activities by providing background tunes that set the right ambiance without requiring participants to focus on a shared screen.

How to Share Sound on Zoom Using a Chromebook

If you’re using a Chromebook, you may encounter certain limitations when it comes to audio sharing. However, with a few tweaks, it’s still possible to share sound successfully on Zoom. Many Chromebooks require the Zoom web app, which has slightly different audio-sharing settings than the desktop app. But don’t worry, we’ll guide you through it.

Audio Sharing Limitations

Some Chromebooks, especially older models, may have issues with Zoom’s audio-sharing features. If you’re experiencing problems, ensure Zoom is updated to the latest version. Alternatively, accessing Zoom through the Chrome browser instead of the desktop app can improve audio-sharing functionality.

Steps for Sharing Audio on Chromebook

To share sound on a Chromebook, join your Zoom meeting and click “Share Screen.” Choose the screen or application you want to share, and check the “Share Sound” option. On some Chromebooks, you might need to grant additional permissions, like audio access, for Zoom to capture and share sound effectively.

Comparison of Audio-Sharing Options by Device

How to Share Sound on Zoom on Android and iOS

Zoom’s mobile app supports screen and audio sharing for Android and iOS devices, making it versatile for on-the-go meetings. While the process is similar to desktop sharing, mobile devices have slight differences.

Sharing Sound on Android

Android users can share sound by joining the Zoom meeting, tapping “Share Screen,” and following prompts to start screen sharing. When prompted, select “Share Device Audio” to allow Zoom to stream sounds from your device. This feature is helpful if you’re sharing an app that plays audio or shows a video clip with sound from your phone.

Sharing Sound on iOS

For iOS devices, select “Share Content” and then “Screen” from the options. When sharing is active, ensure “Device Audio” is turned on, enabling participants to hear sounds from your iPhone or iPad. This setup allows iOS users to share screen and sound similarly to desktop users.

Advanced Tips for Managing Zoom Audio

For users who want to go the extra mile, here are some advanced tips for managing audio on Zoom. These tips can help prevent common sound issues and ensure a seamless experience for everyone in the meeting.

Muting and Unmuting Audio

Once you start sharing sound, you can control it by adjusting your system settings. For instance, muting or unmuting your computer’s sound can give you control over what participants hear, allowing you to temporarily silence audio without stopping screen sharing. This feature is helpful if you pause sound briefly during a presentation.

Troubleshooting Audio Issues

If participants can’t hear your shared sound, double-check that the “Share Sound” option is selected. Additionally, ensure your device’s volume is turned up and not muted. Closing unnecessary CPU applications can reduce audio delay, especially on older devices.

Audio Quality Tips for Zoom Screen Sharing

Common Audio-Sharing Troubles and Solutions

Conclusion: Mastering Zoom Screen and Sound Sharing

With this guide, you can confidently share screen and sound on Zoom, whether presenting to a class, streaming a video, or leading a meeting. By following these steps, you’ll have an optimized setup for any Zoom session, enhancing the audio experience and overall meeting quality.

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