How to share computer sound in Zoom on Mac: step by step for Zoom Workplace

Check your Zoom and macOS versions first

Sharing computer sound needs the Zoom desktop app for Mac. The steps in this guide cover that app only. Zoom's pages I checked do not give steps for the browser version, so I come back to that near the end.

Your macOS version matters too. Zoom's system requirements page lists the desktop app minimum on macOS as 10.15 or later. Another Zoom page lists 10.14 for the permission setup, so the two disagree. If your Mac runs macOS 10.15 or newer, you are covered either way.

Zoom also sets a global minimum version for its Workplace desktop app. For macOS, the table lists 6.0.2 with enforcement on November 7, 2026. Zoom says it may adjust the upcoming minimum at any time before the next enforcement date, which is February 6, 2027.

A third-party release tracker lists 7.2.5 as the latest macOS build, dated October 31, 2026. I did not confirm that number on Zoom's own release notes, so check Zoom's site before you rely on it.

Share computer sound with your screen

This is the route most people want. You share a window or your whole desktop, and the sound from your Mac goes out with the picture. The step list covers the exact clicks, based on Zoom's own support article about sharing computer audio.

Think about what you choose before you click Share. A single window is cleaner for a video or a slide. The desktop is the right pick when sound comes from several apps, but it also puts more of your screen in front of the group. Close anything private first.

Share sound without sharing your screen

Sometimes you want the sound and not the picture. A short clip, a piece of music for a break, or a recorded interview can go out on its own. In the share selection window, open the Advanced tab, click Computer Audio, optionally choose Mono or Stereo with the down arrow, then click Share.

Zoom's article describes this route for the desktop app. Viewers see no screen, so tell people what they are about to hear before you start. That saves a confused minute at the start of the clip.

Turn on sound in the middle of a share

You do not need to stop and restart a share just to add sound. Open the share toolbar, click More, then select Share Sound. To change the mode during a share, open More again and choose Mono or Stereo under Select sharing sound mode.

Mono or stereo: which mode to pick

Zoom gives two choices. Mono sends one channel. Stereo (high fidelity) keeps the left and right channels, so the sound stays closer to the original mix.

For a video with spoken dialogue, Mono is usually enough. For music, pick Stereo (high fidelity). Test with a short piece of your real clip, then listen from a second device, because the sound you hear on your own Mac does not show how the call will sound.

Give Zoom permission in macOS

This step causes most silent shares. Zoom needs Screen & System Audio Recording permission on your Mac. Open the Apple menu, then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security. Click Screen & System Audio Recording, and turn on the switch for Zoom.

If Zoom is not in the list, click Add and choose Zoom from your Applications folder. Zoom's permission article also lists Camera, Microphone, Accessibility, and Files and Folders as permissions the desktop app uses, so check those if other parts of a meeting misbehave.

Apple's guide shows steps for macOS 27 by default. It does not say which steps apply to older versions. Labels can differ on an older Mac, so look for the same words even if the layout is not identical.

Why the volume does not follow Zoom

Many people search the Zoom window for a volume slider. Zoom's support article says volume is controlled by the app that plays the sound, or by your device volume. Device volume also affects what you hear from Zoom, so one change can touch both.

Set the level in the video or music app first. Then set the Mac volume with the volume control in Control Center or the keyboard volume keys. Share the clip, and ask someone on the call how loud it sounds before you go further.

Keyboard shortcuts for screen share on Mac

Zoom's shortcut article lists three screen share shortcuts on Mac. ⌘⇧S starts or stops screen share. ⌘⌃S starts a direct share, and ⌘⇧T pauses or resumes the share. Zoom lists no keyboard shortcut for Share Sound, so you still click it in the share window or the More menu.

Some shortcuts need a newer build than the desktop app's global minimum. If an option you expect is missing, update Zoom before you assume the shortcut does not exist. Menus can also shift between builds, so check the labels if your screen looks different from this guide.

Sound still missing? Fixes that hold up

Start with the cheap checks. They take less time than rebuilding a share, and they fix most silent sessions.

1. Confirm Zoom is turned on under Screen & System Audio Recording, then restart Zoom.
2. Play a clip on your Mac and check that the Mac volume is not at zero.
3. Check that the share uses Share Sound, not only Share Screen.
4. Update Zoom to the current build, then open a fresh share.
5. Quit and reopen the playing app, then share once more.

I left out community fixes such as reinstalling audio drivers, because I could not confirm them from a full source. Try those only after the checks above fail, and note what you changed.

Echo and feedback when you also dial in by phone

If you join by phone and computer at once, sharing computer sound can cause feedback. Zoom says to mute either your phone or your computer speaker. Muting the phone is usually the simpler fix, because the shared sound already comes through your Mac.

Mistakes people make with shared sound

• Clicking Share before selecting Share Sound, then wondering why the call is silent.
• Looking for a Zoom volume slider. Volume lives in the playing app and on your Mac.
• Changing a permission and skipping the restart that Zoom asks for.
• Choosing the whole desktop when one window was enough, which shows more than you meant.
• Looking for a Share Sound keyboard shortcut. Zoom lists none.
• Testing only on the Mac you speak from, and never listening from a second device.

Zoom Web App and Chrome: what I could confirm

I could not confirm steps for sharing computer sound from the Zoom Web App in Chrome. The Zoom article I opened lists Chrome as a requirement for some features, but it gives no browser steps for sound. Secondary sources disagree on whether a Share sound option shows up in the browser.

Where to go next

If your screen stays black while you share, read how to fix a black screen share in Zoom on Mac. For the basics of the share window, see how to share your screen in Zoom on Mac.

If you need to mute your own microphone while sound plays, see how to mute yourself in Zoom on Mac. Test the whole setup once before a call that matters, not during it.