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Asked: 2024-09-27T04:28:28+05:30 In:

How can I quickly switch between different audio output devices in Ubuntu?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been running into this situation lately that’s driving me a bit crazy, and I thought maybe someone here has the magic solution. So, I use Ubuntu for pretty much everything, and I often switch between different audio output devices—like my speakers, headphones, and sometimes even my TV. But every time I want to change the audio output to something else, it feels like I’m on a scavenger hunt trying to figure out how to do it quickly!

I’ve tried going through the settings, clicking around, and sometimes I even end up in the dreaded terminal, which honestly isn’t my favorite place to be when I’m just trying to listen to music or watch a movie. Is there a way to streamline this process? Maybe there’s a shortcut or a tool that can help me switch audio outputs without all that hassle?

Also, it seems like every time I think I’ve got it figured out, I restart my computer, and the order of the output devices changes on me. Super frustrating! Sometimes I’ll have to fiddle with the settings for ages just to get everything back to how I had it before.

I’ve seen some folks mention using PulseAudio and other tools, but I’m not really tech-savvy enough to know how to set those up. If anyone has some tips or can point me in the direction of a simple guide, I’d really appreciate it.

What do you guys do when you need to switch audio devices on the fly? Are there Ubuntu features I’m missing out on? It would be awesome to find a way to streamline this and avoid the hassle. Any help or personal hacks you can share would be gold! Thanks in advance!

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    2 Answers

    1. Switching audio outputs in Ubuntu can definitely be a headache sometimes! But no worries, there are a few ways to make it a lot easier.

      Using PulseAudio Volume Control

      You might want to give PulseAudio Volume Control (also known as pavucontrol) a try. It’s a user-friendly tool that lets you manage audio devices and outputs more efficiently.

      • Install it: Open a terminal (I know, I know, but just this once!) and type:

        • sudo apt install pavucontrol

      • Launch it: After installation, you can start it by searching for “PulseAudio Volume Control” in your applications.
      • Switch outputs: In the “Playback” and “Output Devices” tabs, you can easily switch between your speakers, headphones, and other devices without endless clicking around.

      Keyboard Shortcuts

      If you’re more into keyboard shortcuts (who isn’t?), you can set up custom shortcuts to change audio outputs:

      • Go to Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.
      • Add a custom command to set your audio device. For example:

        • pacmd set-default-sink [Device Name]

      • Just replace [Device Name] with your speaker or headphone name.

      Keep Device Order Consistent

      To avoid confusion after restarting:

      • Sometimes, the device order can be a bit random. You can try to disable and then re-enable devices that you use frequently in pavucontrol to see if it helps.
      • Make sure to configure your preferred output as the default in pavucontrol.

      Hope this helps you streamline your audio output switching! It’s all about finding what works best for you. Happy listening!

    2. To streamline the audio output switching process on Ubuntu, consider utilizing a tool like `pavucontrol` (PulseAudio Volume Control). This graphical interface provides a user-friendly way to manage audio streams and devices. You can install it by running the command sudo apt install pavucontrol in the terminal. Once installed, launch `pavucontrol`, and you will find a tabbed interface where you can quickly switch between different audio output devices without navigating through the System Settings. This tool also remembers the devices you previously used, which should help mitigate the frustration you experience with devices rearranging after reboots.

      For even quicker access, you can create keyboard shortcuts to change audio outputs using the `pactl` command. By adding scripts to your system that switch audio sources, you can bind them to custom keyboard shortcuts. For example, using pactl set-default-sink lets you set your desired sink as the default audio output. You can find the names of your available sinks by running pactl list sinks. This approach not only saves time but also enhances your overall user experience, making it much easier to switch audio outputs on the fly. Combining these methods will significantly ease the hassle of managing audio devices in Ubuntu.

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