Stereo mix has become a must-have feature recently, however, some users have recently experienced some issues with stereo mix, such as Stereo Mix not working on Skype in Windows 11.
Stereo Mixing records audio output from your computer after combining all available channels. However, there is currently a problem with the use of Stereo Mix on Skype. This article will help you fix Stereo Mix not working on Skype in Windows 11.
Why doesn’t stereo mix work on Skype in Windows?
There can be a variety of reasons for problems with the Stereo Mix in Skype, all related to connected audio devices and software issues.
Problems with audio equipment
Misconfigured settings
Outdated audio driver
Now that we understand the cause of the problem, we can better fix Stereo Mix not working on Skype in Windows 11. There are mainly the following methods:
How to Fix Skype Stereo Mix Not Working in Windows 11?
1. Check connected devices
When Stereo Mix doesn’t work on Skype, the first thing you have to check is that the connected device is working.
To do this, disconnect the microphone and speaker if you are using an external microphone and speaker. Next check if the cables or the ports they plug into are damaged or not. If not found, reconnect and check if Stereo Mix starts working in Skype.
Also, you can connect the same set of peripherals to another system and check if Skype is working there. If this is the case, the problem is with an application or a misconfigured setting, and you can move on to the other fixes listed below.
2. Run the built-in audio troubleshooter
Launch the Settings app by pressing Windows+I keys, then select Troubleshoot from the options listed on the right side of the System tab.
Click Additional Troubleshooting.
Find the Playing Audio Troubleshooter and click the Run button next to it.
After that, select the appropriate response and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.
Whenever you encounter a problem in Windows, your main method should be to find the relevant built-in troubleshooter. Microsoft provides these to help users easily diagnose and eliminate performance-impacting issues.
3. Enable Stereo Mix
Press Windows+S to launch the search menu, enter Change system sound in the text field at the top, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
Go to the recording tab.
Next, right-click the Stereo Mix entry and select Enable from the context menu.
Click OK and close the window.
Now, launch the Skype application, click the ellipsis at the top, and select Settings from the context menu.
Navigate to the Audio and Video tab from the left navigation pane.
Click the drop-down menu next to Microphone and select Stereo Mix from the list of options.
4. Update the sound card driver
Launch the search menu by pressing Windows+S keys, search for Device Manager, and click on the relevant search result that appears.
Find and double-click the Sound, Video, and Game Controllers entry to expand and see the devices listed under it.
Right-click on the audio device and select Update Driver.
Next, select Search for drivers automatically from the options listed in the Update Drivers window.
Wait for Windows to find the best version available on your system and install it.
Drivers help relay commands between the operating system and hardware. Updated drivers ensures the best performance and brings the new features added in new version.
The Device Manager method listed above only scans the driver’s storage drive and not the network, and thus acts as an offline update.
After updating the sound card driver, check if the issue that Stereo Mix does not work in Skype has been fixed.
5. Set the speaker as the default device
Press Windows+S to launch the search menu, enter Change system sound in the text field, and click on the relevant search result.
Go to the playback tab.
Right-click on the desired speaker and select Set as Default Device.
Click OK button.
If you set the wrong speaker as your default playback device, you will definitely have problems with the stereo mix in Skype. Therefore, make the necessary corrections and check if the problem is eliminated.
6. Unmute audio device
Launch the search menu by pressing Windows+S keys, search for Change system sound, and click on the search result.
Navigate to the Playback tab.
Right-click on the default speaker and choose Properties.
Go to the Levels tab.
Check that the output is muted, then click the mute icon to unmute it.
Click OK button.
7. Repair/Reset Skype app
Press Windows+I to launch the Settings app, then select Apps from the tabs listed in the left navigation pane.
Next, click on Apps & Features on the right.
Find the Skype app, click the ellipsis next to it, and select Advanced Options from the menu.
Click the Repair button and wait for a while.
Now check if the problem is resolved. If not, click the reset button.
Again, click Reset in the prompt that appears.
If the above method has not worked, the problem may be in the Skype application itself. In this case, it’s best to try to fix it first, and if that doesn’t help, reset the app.
The repair application identifies problematic files and replaces them, validates registry entries, and checks installation files without affecting cached or configured settings.
On the other hand, resetting the app will delete everything and put it in a similar state to when you first installed it.
