Imagine a situation when you are listening to music on your Computer using your headphone and someone else also wishes to listen to it but on a Speaker.
With technologies getting better and better every day, it is now possible to listen to music through the speaker while using your headphones at the same time. It does not matter if you are using Android or Apple because you are just a few steps away from enjoying your music.
So, How Do You Play Music Through Speakers While Using Headphones?
For Windows/Personal Computer
There are three ways to play music through speakers while using headphones with Windows such as:
1. Adjusting your computers sound settings
2. Using software from a third-party audio mixer
3. Using a Bluetooth adapter or an audio splitter
For Mac
To play music through speakers while using headphones with Mac there are two ways as:
1. By adjusting the settings on your Mac
2. By using an audio splitter
So, How Do You Play Music Through Speakers While Using Headphones?
For Windows/Personal Computer
There are three ways to play music through speakers while using headphones with Windows such as
- Adjusting your computers sound settings
- Using software from a third-party audio mixer
- Using a Bluetooth adapter or an audio splitter
For Mac
To play music through speakers while using headphones with Mac there are two ways as
- By adjusting the settings on your Mac
- Or by using an audio splitter
Let us now learn about all these ways in detail so that next time you wish to use both your headphones and your speaker you will be able to do so easily.
Understanding Sound Devices
Before we get into the specifics of how to simultaneously play sound through your headphones and speakers, it's worth briefly explaining how sound devices work in Windows 10.
In Windows 10, each sound device is registered as a distinct audio target. You might believe that only the sound card counts as an audio device, but Windows sees no difference between the audio output of your sound card and Bluetooth headphones.
HDMI devices, such as your GPU, are also audio devices because HDMI can carry both video and audio data. Audio occasionally fails because Windows selects the HDMI-out on the graphics card as the audio device, but most computer monitors lack speakers!
Audio equipment is also dynamic. When you plug in USB headphones, Windows instantly registers a new audio device. The audio does not pass through your soundcard at all. The headphones contain a small sound card device (a “DAC,” or digital-to-analog converter).
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How to Play Sound On Speakers and Headphones on PC?
If you're using a PC, there are three ways to output sound to both headphones and speakers. The quickest way is to use the Control Panel to change your PC's sound settings.
If this does not work, you can send sound to multiple devices using third-party audio mixer software. Finally, you can send audio to two or more devices by using an audio splitter or Bluetooth adapter.
1. Adjusting your computers sound settings
Before adjusting your computer's sound settings ensure that your headphones and your speakers are properly connected to your computer and are turned on.
Also, make sure to keep the volume of both devices low to avoid the sudden outburst of sound.
- Go to the taskbar on your computer screen below and right-click on the volume icon
- Click on open sound settings
- Click on the playback tab and navigate to speakers. Right-click on that and select Set as Default device
- Now go to the Recording tab and right-click on Stereo Mix
- Now click on properties and then click on the Listen Tab
- Under the listen tab select the ox that says Listen to this device
- A Playback tab will now appear
- Click on it and select your headphones from the drop-down list
- Now click on Apply
The second way to play music through speakers while using your headphones on your Personal Computer is by
2. Using software from a third-party audio mixer
Adjusting your sound settings temporarily is a good-to-go method however if you are a professional and playing music is your profession then you might want to consider using an audio mixer.
An audio mixer will let you produce better sound quality and is great if you prefer to use your headphones and your speaker frequently.
There are a lot of free audio mixer apps available in the market that will allow you to do this process easily such as the Voicemeeter app, Chevolume app, and the Audio Router app. These apps are very easy to download, install and use.
3. Using a Bluetooth adapter or an audio splitter
The third way of playing music through speakers while using headphones on a personal computer is by using a Bluetooth adapter or a good audio splitter.
This is one of the simplest methods of connecting both devices and not making any changes to your software settings. The Audio splitter allows you to connect the splitter to your computer and plug the headphones into one port and the speakers into the other.
Using a splitter allows you to listen to the same music on both your PC and your headphones without any disturbance. Splitters also come with multiple port options which allow you to connect multiple devices to your computer at the same time.
Some splitters also come with an option to connect your mic so that you can sing along while listening to music. In case you are using a Bluetooth speaker and Bluetooth headphones then you can use a Bluetooth adapter with it which will work as a splitter for your devices.
To use your Bluetooth adapters you will have to connect them to your computer USB port and connect your Bluetooth devices to the adapter.
How to Play Sound On Speakers and Headphones on Mac?
In general, using Mac makes it much easier to use two or more speakers and headphones at the same time. Let us now see how to play music on your speaker while using the headphones on Mac.
1. By adjusting the settings on your Mac
To play more than two speakers and a headphone is much easier on a mac compared to windows. For playing the speaker and the headphones at the same time, you will have to use the Systems Preferences in your Mac to set up a Multi-Output Device.
Setting up a Multi-Output device works on any device whether it has two wires or only one wire. To set up the multi-output device on your Mac, ensure that your speakers are charged and are connected to your Mac including your headphone.
As a precautionary measure, we suggest you keep the volume of your speaker and headphone low to avoid the sudden sound outburst which might cause harm to your eardrums.
- Click on Finder on the taskbar below and go to Applications
- Now go to Utilities
- Click on MIDI setup
- Now click on the + sign in the lower-left corner and a drop-down will appear
- Select Multi-output device or Audio Midi Setup
- Move your cursor to the Multi-output device and two-finger click on it
- Select Use this device for sound output
- Now go to Multi-output device again and click on the boxes towards the right side which you would like to use
- Click on the Master Device now and select the device that you wish to make your master device
- Now click on the checked boxes again on the right-hand side and choose the device which you wish to make your secondary /slave device
- Now go back to the Systems preferences tab again on the taskbar
- Open the Sound panel
- Click on the Output tab and select Multi-output device from the drop-down list
Your Mac is now set to start playing music through the speakers while using the headphones
2. By using an audio splitter
The second way to use the speakers and the headphones at the same time on a Mac is to use an audio splitter. Do make a note that an audio splitter is required only if you want to use more than two devices at the same time for example two speakers and one headphone.
If you are using only one speaker and one headphone, then a Multi-output device will do the job. Using a splitter will give you the freedom to use your Mic while listening to the songs which is a great way to enjoy your Karaoke evenings.
However, the issue that comes with having a splitter is that it requires you to spend money. Ensure you invest in a good Splitter for your Mac as investing in a cheap one might damage your system and your devices someday.
Alternative Video: How To Play Music Through Speakers While Using Headphones?
Conclusion
We really hope that you have enjoyed reading this article today. It will be great if you found the article interesting and helpful. So the next time you wish to play music through your speakers and use your headphones at the same time try the methods given above.
We hope you will be able to fix your speaker and the headphones to your system following the steps mentioned here and enjoy your music the way you want to.
FAQs About
Can you have speakers and headphones on at the same time?
Have you ever wondered if you could use speakers and headphones on a Windows 10 PC at the same time? Yes, you can use headphones and speakers at the same time in Windows 10 without installing any additional software.
When I plug in my headphones the speakers still play on my phone?
Headphones are plugged in, but the sound is coming from the speakers: Mobile Devices Solutions. Cleaning the headphone port and/or restarting the device usually solves the problem on both Android and iOS mobile devices.
How can I play two audio devices at once?
Select Sounds by right-clicking the Speakers icon in the system tray. Select the Playback tab, as shown in the screenshot below. Then, select the audio playback device for your primary speakers and click Set as default. This will be one of the two playback devices for the audio.
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