Spotify offers a convenient way to stream music from your computer or phone, with a massive catalog and the option to download songs for offline listening. But if you want to play that music through your mic, whether for friends on a call or a stream, the setup takes a bit more work.
This guide covers how to add local music to Spotify, the best software for routing audio through your mic, and a step by step walkthrough using VoiceMeeter.
How Do I Add Local Music to Spotify?
Using the Spotify desktop app, click the arrow next to your account name at the top of the window, then choose Settings from the dropdown menu.
Scroll down to find the Local Files section and turn on Show Local Files. The toggle should switch to the on position.
Choose the music sources you want Spotify to use. By default, Spotify pulls from your downloads and music library folders. If your music lives elsewhere, click Add a Source and select the relevant folder.
You should now see local files appear in the left-hand navigation pane. Click Local Files and choose the track you want to play.
Best Software to Play Music or Effects Through a Microphone
You may want additional software to add effects or more flexibility to your audio setup, whether for mixing, voice effects, or general fun. Some streamers invest in pricier dedicated hardware for this, but you can accomplish most of the same results without spending extra.
A few of the best software options include:
- Virtual Audio Cable and Soundboard
- Clownfish
- VoiceMeeter and Soundboard
- MorphVox
- Soundpad
- Rust Soundboard
All of these are solid choices, and quality across them is generally strong. Each one has a slightly different focus and workflow, so it’s worth trying a couple to see what fits your setup best. For a deeper breakdown of these tools specifically for Discord, see our guide on how to play music through mic on Discord.
How to Stream Spotify Through Your Mic
You can play music through your mic by changing your default microphone setting to your system sounds. Go to Control Panel, then Hardware and Sound, then Manage Audio Devices, then Recording, and enable Stereo Mix, setting it as your default microphone.
Step 1: App Volume and Device Preferences
This step requires Windows 10, since it’s currently the only Windows version with a built-in “App volume and device preferences” setting.
- Click Start
- Go to Settings
- Click System
- Click Sound
- Open Advanced Sound Options
- Select App Volume and Device Preferences
This approach uses a built-in Windows feature, so there’s nothing extra to download for this step. That said, pairing it with a second tool gives you more control overall.
Step 2: Set Up VoiceMeeter
VoiceMeeter is a virtual audio device that functions as a virtual audio mixer with multiple inputs and outputs. Despite being called a mixer, the goal here isn’t to mix anything, just to use a couple of its features in a different way, effectively turning it into a virtual microphone.
You can select your main speakers or headphones in VoiceMeeter under A1. VoiceMeeter Output (A2) acts as your virtual microphone, so don’t select your actual speakers under A2.
You’ll hear Spotify playing through VoiceMeeter Output 1 (A1). In Step 1, you set VoiceMeeter Input as Spotify’s output device, which is what connects the two.
You can mute VoiceMeeter’s sound by clicking the green circled “A” under VoiceMeeter Input. Sound will keep flowing through the virtual microphone as long as the orange circled “A” (VoiceMeeter Output 2, A2) stays enabled.
Step 3: Test Your Setup
Once everything above is configured, test your setup by playing a track in Spotify and confirming the audio comes through your virtual microphone as expected in whatever app you’re using it with, whether that’s a voice call, stream, or recording session.
Conclusion
Following these steps carefully should let you stream Spotify through your mic without running into major issues. Between adding local files, choosing the right software, and configuring VoiceMeeter correctly, you’ll have a reliable setup for routing music through your microphone whenever you need it.
For more on related audio routing and microphone setups, see our guides on how to play music through mic, how to use Soundpad on Discord, how to enable microphone on remote desktop, and how to clean a microphone pop filter.
