How to Play TwistedWave or Audacity Audio Through Google Meet or Teams on Windows

Overview

VB-CABLE is a free-to-download, donationware virtual audio driver from VB-Audio. It creates a one-way software cable: audio sent to CABLE Input arrives at CABLE Output. That makes it possible to play a file from TwistedWave or Audacity into Google Meet or Microsoft Teams as a microphone source.

The signal path is:

TwistedWave or Audacity playback
        ↓
CABLE Input (VB-CABLE playback device)
        ↓
CABLE Output (VB-CABLE recording device)
        ↓
Google Meet or Microsoft Teams microphone
        ↓
Remote participants

Your headphones ← Google Meet or Teams speaker output

Keep the meeting speaker on headphones. Do not select CABLE Output as the meeting speaker, and do not route meeting audio back into CABLE Input.

What You Need

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer.
• VB-CABLE from the official VB-Audio website.
• TwistedWave or Audacity with an audio file ready to play.
• Headphones or an audio interface for the meeting return.
• Google Meet in Chrome or Edge, or Microsoft Teams desktop/web.
• A private test meeting, a second listener, or a recording of the meeting.

Step 1: Download and Install VB-CABLE

1. Open the official VB-Audio VB-CABLE page. Do not use a third-party driver mirror.
2. Download the current Windows driver package. VB-Audio describes VB-CABLE as donationware and provides packages for current Windows versions.
3. Extract the downloaded archive.
4. Run the appropriate setup program as administrator. Approve the Windows security prompt.
5. Restart Windows after installation. VB-Audio explicitly requires a reboot after installing or uninstalling the driver.
6. Open Settings → System → Sound. You should now see a playback device called CABLE Input and a recording device called CABLE Output.

The names are intentionally counterintuitive from a routing perspective: an application sends audio to the playback endpoint named CABLE Input, and the meeting receives audio from the recording endpoint named CABLE Output.

Step 2: Set TwistedWave Playback

1. Open TwistedWave and load the file.
2. Open TwistedWave → Preferences and open the audio devices settings.
3. Set the output device to CABLE Input. Leave the input device on your normal microphone or system setting unless you are recording.
4. Press play for a short test. The file should now be entering the VB-CABLE route rather than your physical speakers.
5. If TwistedWave reports a device or sample-rate error, close other audio applications and select the same sample rate in Windows and TwistedWave.

TwistedWave's manual documents separate input and output device selectors in its audio-device preferences, so only the output needs to change for playback.

Step 2 Alternative: Set Audacity Playback

1. Open Audacity and the audio file.
2. Choose Audio Setup in the device toolbar.
3. Set Host to the Windows audio host that works on your machine. MME is a useful compatibility starting point. WASAPI can be useful for Windows audio workflows when the device is available.
4. Set Playback Device to CABLE Input.
5. Do not select CABLE Output as Audacity's recording device unless you are intentionally recording the routed signal.
6. If the device is missing, choose Audio Setup → Rescan Audio Devices, then reopen the playback menu.

Audacity separates its playback and recording device controls. The key is that Audacity sends to CABLE Input and the meeting listens to CABLE Output.

Step 3: Configure Google Meet

1. Join the meeting from a computer. Do not choose Present from the green room if you need normal microphone and speaker controls. Google identifies that route as Companion Mode.
2. Open More options → Settings → Audio.
3. Set Microphone to CABLE Output (VB-Audio Virtual Cable).
4. Set Speaker to your headphones or audio interface.
5. Keep the microphone unmuted while the file plays. Check the Meet input meter or ask a participant to confirm reception.
6. Allow microphone access for Meet, your browser, and Windows if prompted. In Chrome, review the microphone permission for the Meet site if the device is not available.

For a presentation rather than a microphone route, use Present now and share a Chrome tab with Also share tab audio. That is often simpler for a video or browser source, while VB-CABLE is better when TwistedWave or Audacity must be the source.

Step 4: Configure Microsoft Teams

1. Open Teams Settings and more → Settings → Devices, or configure devices on the pre-join screen.
2. Set Microphone to CABLE Output.
3. Set Speaker to your headphones or audio interface.
4. Use Make a test call if available, then play a short file section while checking the input meter.
5. In the meeting, confirm that the microphone is unmuted before playback.
6. For the alternative screen-share route, choose Share and enable Include sound. Teams documents that computer sound is included through this toggle.

Step 5: Decide How You Will Monitor

With only VB-CABLE, the simplest reliable test is to have a second participant listen. You may not hear the file locally because it is being sent into the virtual cable instead of your headphones.

For local monitoring, open the classic Windows sound control panel:

1. Open Settings → System → Sound → More sound settings.
2. On the Recording tab, open CABLE Output properties.
3. On the Listen tab, enable Listen to this device and choose your headphones as the playback device.
4. Expect some latency. Disable this option if it creates a distracting delay or feedback path.

If you need to combine your physical microphone, file playback, and headphones with independent level control, install Voicemeeter instead. It is a donationware virtual mixer, not just a cable. In that setup, TwistedWave or Audacity can feed a Voicemeeter virtual input, your microphone can feed a hardware input, and the selected virtual output can feed the meeting.

Step 6: Run a Private Test

1. Start a private test meeting or ask one participant to listen.
2. Mute your physical microphone temporarily. This isolates the file route.
3. Play a test file containing speech, silence, and a loud transient.
4. Confirm that the meeting input meter moves only during playback.
5. Ask the listener whether speech is clear, silence is actually silent, and the transient is free of clipping.
6. Check for echo. If the listener hears their own voice, use headphones and make sure the meeting speaker is not CABLE Output.
7. Stop playback, restore your physical microphone, and repeat the test using the exact file and application you will use live.

Live Playback Procedure

1. Connect headphones and join the meeting.
2. Confirm the meeting microphone is CABLE Output and the speaker is your headphones.
3. Open TwistedWave or Audacity and set its output to CABLE Input.
4. Tell participants what they are about to hear.
5. Mute your physical microphone if you want only the file to be heard.
6. Press play, monitor the meeting meter, and stop playback before speaking.
7. After the session, return the audio editor to your normal output device. Otherwise future editing playback may remain silent locally.

Troubleshooting

Sources and Method Notes

This guide describes a Windows virtual-device workflow. Menu names and availability can change with Windows builds, application versions, browser permissions, and organizational meeting policies.

• VB-Audio VB-CABLE official download and installation page
• VB-Audio Voicemeeter official page
• Audacity Manual: Audio Setup Toolbar
• TwistedWave Reference Manual: Audio devices
• Google Meet Help: Present during a video meeting
• Google Meet Help: Fix audio issues
• Microsoft Support: Manage audio settings in Teams meetings