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Asked: 2024-09-24T15:20:06+05:30 In:

How can I configure my system to play audio simultaneously through multiple output devices on Ubuntu?

I’ve been tinkering with my Ubuntu setup, trying to figure out how I can get audio to play simultaneously through multiple output devices. I know it sounds a bit niche, but hear me out—I’ve got this cool speaker system in my living room, and I also want to use my Bluetooth headphones without having to constantly switch between them.

I’ve done a little digging online, but it seems like most of the guides are either too technical or just not detailed enough for someone like me. I looked into PulseAudio since I’ve heard it’s quite flexible with audio routing. However, I’ve been running into roadblocks.

I tried changing a few settings in the PulseAudio Volume Control, but the audio seems to cut off from one device as soon as I move it to another. I just want to be able to blast some music in the room while I am lounging on the couch with my headphones on without having to sacrifice one for the other!

I even found some command-line tricks, but honestly, I’m more comfortable with the graphical interface. I’m concerned I might mess something up if I dive too deep into terminal commands. Also, I have a vague memory of seeing something about creating a virtual sink, but I’m not entirely sure where to go from there.

I imagine that someone out there has figured this out since it’s a pretty common thing—listening to music on one device while doing something else on another. If you’re using Ubuntu and have managed to do this successfully, I would love to hear about your setup. What steps did you take? Did you have to install any additional software? Any tips for ensuring everything stays balanced and sounds good? Or maybe there’s something I completely overlooked?

I’d really appreciate any guidance or step-by-step instructions. I’m ready to dive in just need a little nudge in the right direction! Thanks!

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    2 Answers


    1. To achieve simultaneous audio playback through multiple output devices in Ubuntu, utilizing PulseAudio is indeed your best bet. Start by installing PulseAudio Volume Control, if you haven’t already, using the command `sudo apt-get install pavucontrol`. Once installed, launch it by searching for “PulseAudio Volume Control” in your applications. In the Playback tab, ensure your music or application is actively playing sound. Then, head to the Output Devices tab, and here is where you can set up multiple outputs. Select the devices (e.g., your speaker system and Bluetooth headphones) and increase their volume sliders. To make audio play through both devices, you’ll need to create a virtual sink. This can be done by executing `pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=Virtual_Sink sink_properties=device.description=Virtual_Sink`. This allows you to send audio streams to a new virtual sink.

      After creating the virtual sink, return to the Playback tab in PulseAudio Volume Control, and you’ll want to change the audio output from your application to this new virtual sink. With this in place, you can now redirect the audio to any physical output devices by setting their volumes in the Output Devices tab. If you’re concerned about maintaining a good balance between the two outputs, consider adjusting the volume levels of both devices carefully, which will help ensure that the sound is distributed evenly. You might also want to set the default sink to your virtual sink for a more streamlined experience. Should you run into any issues, restarting PulseAudio with `pulseaudio -k` followed by `pulseaudio –start` can be quite helpful to apply the changes you’ve made. This approach allows you to enjoy your music seamlessly on both outputs without having to switch between them.



    2. It sounds like you’re on the right track with PulseAudio! Getting multiple audio outputs going simultaneously can be a little tricky, but it’s definitely doable. Here’s a simple guide to get you started:

      Step 1: Install PulseAudio Volume Control

      First, you need to make sure you have PulseAudio Volume Control (pavucontrol) installed. You can do this by opening a terminal and typing:

      sudo apt install pavucontrol

      If you’re not comfortable with the terminal, you can also search for “PulseAudio Volume Control” in your software center and install it from there.

      Step 2: Open PulseAudio Volume Control

      Once installed, open PulseAudio Volume Control. You can find it in your applications or by typing `pavucontrol` in the terminal.

      Step 3: Set Up Simultaneous Output

      Now comes the fun part! In PulseAudio Volume Control:

      1. Go to the “Configuration” tab and ensure your sound devices are recognized.
      2. Next, head over to the “Playback” tab while your audio is playing. You should see the application whose audio you want to split.
      3. Right-click on the volume indicator of your application that is playing audio, and choose “Move Stream”. You’ll see a list of output devices.
      4. Choose one of your output devices (like your speaker system).
      5. Now, go to the “Output Devices” tab. Here you can see all available outputs. Make sure both your Bluetooth headphones and speakers are active.
      6. In this tab, click on the green checkmark next to both devices to set them as active outputs.

      Step 4: Create a Virtual Sink (Optional)

      If the above steps don’t give you the simultaneous output you want, you might need to create a virtual sink. Here’s how:

      pactl load-module module-null-sink sink_name=Virtual_Sink sink_properties=device.description="Virtual_Sink"

      After this, you can use the “Move Stream” option again to send audio to this virtual sink and then mirror it to your actual devices.

      Step 5: Play Around with Settings

      Don’t forget to play around with the volume levels for each device to get the perfect balance! You can tweak this in the “Output Devices” tab as well.

      Final Tips

      If you run into issues, sometimes restarting PulseAudio can help. You can do this by running:

      pulseaudio -k
pulseaudio --start

      And remember, sometimes Bluetooth devices can cause hiccups, so make sure they’re connected properly.

      Hopefully, this helps you enjoy your music without having to swap devices all the time! Just take it step by step and you’ll get there.


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