In Streamlabs Desktop, “share media” can mean showing your screen, an app, or a game—or letting viewers request videos through the Media Share widget. These are separate setups: choose a capture source to show your own content; enable Media Share in the Streamlabs dashboard to handle viewer requests.
Choose the kind of media sharing you need
- Show your own screen or content: Add a capture source in Streamlabs Desktop. Choose Display Capture for a full monitor, Window Capture for one app, or Game Capture for gameplay. A unified Screen Capture source may also be available.
- Let viewers request videos: Enable Media Share in the Streamlabs dashboard, configure how requests are handled, and add the Media Share widget as a source in Desktop.
The Streamlabs Desktop guide dated July 22, 2026, and its related help articles do not specify a particular installed build number. Labels or source availability can vary by release, so confirm the current options in your app.
Show your screen, an app, or a game
Add the source that matches what viewers should see
- Open Streamlabs Desktop and select the scene you want to use.
- In Sources, press +.
- Choose the source that fits your content: Display Capture for everything visible on one display, Window Capture for a specific application, or Game Capture for a game.
- If your installed release offers Screen Capture, you can use its unified capture flow to preview and select an available target.
- Select the intended display, window, game, or other prompted target, then confirm the source setup.
- Check the scene preview. Resize and position the source as needed, and confirm it is layered where viewers can see it.
The options are not interchangeable on every computer, and Streamlabs’ guides do not give a complete operating-system compatibility matrix. If a source fails to show the intended content, try another documented capture option and verify the result in the preview before going live.
Pick a source by what you are showing
| What viewers should see | Source | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Everything visible on one monitor | Display Capture | A full desktop view. Close private windows and notifications before streaming. |
| One application | Window Capture | A selected, open app window. Verify the chosen target in the preview. |
| Gameplay | Game Capture | A game; select the game or target when prompted. |
| A unified target picker | Screen Capture, where available | Preview and choose among the available capture targets. |
Let viewers request videos with Media Share
Enable and add the widget
- Open the Streamlabs dashboard and go to All Widgets > Media Share.
- Enable Media Share and choose how requests should be handled, including the available auto-show or auto-hide behavior.
- In Streamlabs Desktop, go to Sources, press +, and select Media Share.
- Add the source, adjust its settings, and size and place the widget in your scene.
- Preview the scene and check that the widget appears where expected.
Streamlabs’ Media Share guide documents links to public YouTube videos. It does not establish support for private or unlisted videos, or for links from other services.
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Accept requests from chat
If viewers should submit requests through chat, enable the Media Share module in Cloudbot as well. Streamlabs documents the command format as !request <youtube url>. Keep the Media Share tab available in Recent Events as described in its Cloudbot guide. A request does not necessarily play automatically: the widget’s configuration and moderation flow determine how it is handled.
Choose moderation deliberately
Auto-show can put a submitted video on stream without a moderator screening it first. Streamlabs recommends relying on trusted moderators when requests need to be filtered before appearing live. Only grant moderation or shared access to people you trust, and choose the request behavior that fits your stream.
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Set up audio as well as video
Adding a video or screen source does not by itself guarantee that viewers will hear its audio. Check the audio mixer and configure the relevant output or application audio source separately.
- For computer audio: If your default audio is not already configured, Streamlabs describes adding Audio Output Capture. Avoid adding the same default device twice; duplicate capture can cause an echo.
- For one application’s audio: Select the app in Application Audio Capture. Streamlabs’ application-audio guide says to disable Desktop Audio in Settings > Audio so unrelated computer sounds are not included.
- For a microphone: Add and check it separately if you want narration. A microphone is not required just to show a screen or a Media Share video.
Streamlabs’ quick-start guidance says Windows users should match Desktop Audio to the default device selected in Windows Sound Settings. On macOS, desktop audio may require audio-routing software configured as a Mic/Aux source; the exact setup can depend on the macOS and Streamlabs versions.
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Protect privacy and preview before going live
- With Display Capture, viewers can see private windows, account details, and notifications. Close or hide anything that should not appear.
- With Window Capture, confirm that the intended app—not another open window—is selected.
- Review the scene preview for source placement, visibility, and audio levels.
- If troubleshooting audio or capture, make a short preview or test recording before the main stream.
- For Media Share auto-show, make sure the moderation arrangement is suitable for unfiltered viewer submissions.
Troubleshoot common sharing problems
| Problem | What to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The screen or app is missing from the preview | Whether the source matches the content and has the correct target selected. | Reopen its setup, choose the intended target, or try another documented capture source. Check the preview before streaming. |
| Viewers cannot hear computer audio | The audio mixer and whether the relevant output or application audio source is configured. | Add Audio Output Capture if the default output is not already captured, or configure Application Audio Capture for the chosen app. |
| Audio echoes | Whether the same default audio device is captured more than once. | Remove the duplicate source and check the mixer again. |
| Other computer sounds are included with app audio | Whether Desktop Audio remains enabled while capturing a single application. | Disable Desktop Audio at Settings > Audio, as directed by Streamlabs’ application-audio guide. |
| Desktop audio does not work on macOS | Whether an audio-routing method is configured and selected as a Mic/Aux source. | Check the setup against the instructions for your macOS and Streamlabs versions; the required routing can vary. |
| A Media Share request does not appear or play | Whether Media Share is enabled in the dashboard, its Desktop widget is added, and—if using chat requests—the Cloudbot module and Recent Events tab are configured. | Check each part of the request path and the selected moderation behavior. The documented chat format is !request <youtube url>. |
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