Free Virtual Audio Cable & Driver for macOS
NNA VIRTUAL AUDIO
Route, capture, and control audio between any Mac application with zero additional latency. Bit-perfect signal path, fully configurable and renamable virtual audio channels. No signup required.
What Is a Virtual Audio Cable on Mac?
A virtual audio cable is a software-based audio device that creates a bridge between applications on your Mac. It works like a physical cable connecting the output of one app to the input of another, allowing you to route, record, and stream audio between programs. macOS does not include this feature natively, so a virtual audio cable driver -- also called virtual cable software -- is needed for tasks like recording system sound, capturing audio in OBS, or routing audio for podcasts and video calls.
Why NNA Virtual Audio Is the Most Configurable Free Audio Driver for Mac
Most virtual audio cables lock you into fixed channel presets with no volume control. NNA Virtual Audio lets you configure every detail of your virtual audio device -- from channel count to sample rate -- and gives you independent volume control on every input and output channel.
Fully Configurable Virtual Audio Channels
Choose the exact number of input and output channels you need, independently. From a simple stereo virtual cable to a 256-channel production setup. The installer asks during setup, and you can reconfigure anytime.
Zero Additional Latency
Audio passes through the virtual audio cable with no added latency. Your signal stays tight and in sync, whether you are streaming, recording internal audio, or routing between Mac applications.
Bit-Perfect, Neutral & Natural Signal Path
32-bit float precision, no resampling, no dithering. At default settings, what goes in is exactly what comes out. Per-channel volume controls are available when you need them, but the signal path stays clean. True to our name: neutral and natural.
Per-Channel Volume Control -- Input & Output
Independent volume sliders for every single channel, on both input and output. Adjust each channel individually from Audio MIDI Setup or any compatible DAW. Plus a master volume and global mute. No other free virtual audio driver on Mac offers this.
Apple Silicon Native -- Universal Binary
Runs natively on M1, M2, M3, M4, and Intel Macs. No Rosetta translation layer, no compatibility issues. A true universal audio driver for every Mac.
12 Sample Rates -- 8 kHz to 768 kHz
Supports every standard sample rate for professional audio work. From voice calls to high-resolution music production, this virtual audio driver handles it all.
Renamable Audio Driver -- Name It Anything
Rename the virtual audio device to anything you want. Give it a meaningful name for your workflow -- "OBS Audio", "DAW Input", "Stream Output" -- so it is instantly recognizable in macOS sound settings and your apps. No other free virtual audio driver on Mac lets you do this.
Reconfigure Anytime
Changed your mind about channel count? A single Terminal command reloads the virtual audio driver with your new configuration. No reinstall needed. From a simple stereo cable to 256 channels for post-production -- adapt instantly to any workflow.
What You Can Do with a Virtual Audio Cable on Mac
A virtual audio cable unlocks audio routing capabilities that macOS does not provide natively. Here are the most common use cases.
Record Internal Audio on Mac
macOS does not allow capturing system audio natively. NNA Virtual Audio creates a loopback device that routes all system sound to any recording application on your Mac. Set NNA Virtual Audio as your system output, then select it as the input in QuickTime, Audacity, or your DAW. Every sound your Mac plays is now recorded through the virtual audio cable.
Audio Routing for OBS on Mac
OBS Studio on macOS cannot capture desktop audio without a virtual audio cable. Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup combining your speakers and NNA Virtual Audio. Set it as your system output. In OBS, add an Audio Input Capture source and select the virtual audio device. Full desktop audio captured in your stream or recording.
Mac Audio Loopback for Streaming and Podcasting
Capture all system audio for your live stream or podcast recording. Create a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup to hear audio through your speakers while simultaneously routing it to NNA Virtual Audio. Your streaming or recording app picks up the full desktop audio through the virtual cable input.
Music Production and Multi-Channel Audio Routing
Route audio between DAWs or between a DAW and standalone audio applications on Mac. Use higher virtual audio channel counts for complex multi-track routing setups. NNA Virtual Audio supports up to 256 channels per direction for professional audio production workflows.
Virtual Audio for Video Calls and Screen Recording
Share system audio during Zoom, Discord, or Teams calls on Mac. Set NNA Virtual Audio as your system output and select it as your microphone input in the call app. All system sound is shared with participants. Also works for screen recording with audio in QuickTime, ScreenFlow, or any Mac screen capture tool.
Audio Capture for Education and Tutorials
Record tutorial videos with system audio on Mac. Set NNA Virtual Audio as your system output and select it as the input in your screen recording tool. All desktop audio is captured cleanly without feedback loops or microphone bleed.
How to Install a Free Virtual Audio Driver on Mac
Four steps. Under a minute. No account creation, no email, no signup.
Download the installer
Download the NNA Virtual Audio .pkg file from this page. It is a signed and notarized macOS installer package.
Run the installer and choose your channels
Open the .pkg file. During installation, two dialogs ask you for the number of input and output virtual audio channels you need.
Installation completes automatically
The virtual audio driver installs and loads immediately. No restart required. The new audio device appears in Audio MIDI Setup and macOS sound settings.
System Requirements & Specifications
How NNA Virtual Audio Compares to Other Virtual Cable Software for Mac
Looking for the best virtual audio cable for Mac? Here is how NNA Virtual Audio compares to BlackHole and VB-Cable, two other popular virtual cable software options.
| NNA Virtual Audio | BlackHole | VB-Cable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free (Donationware) |
| Platform | macOS | macOS | Windows only |
| Channels | 1-256 (configurable) | 2 or 16 (fixed) | 1 stereo cable (free version) |
| Per-channel volume | Yes | No | No |
| Added latency | Zero | Zero | Varies |
| Apple Silicon native | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Renamable driver | Yes | No | No |
| Reconfigure without reinstall | Yes | No | No |
BlackHole is an open-source virtual audio driver for macOS. VB-Cable is a popular virtual cable software for Windows by VB-Audio. NNA Virtual Audio is the most configurable free option for Mac users who need flexible channel counts and per-channel volume control.
Download NNA Virtual Audio -- Free for macOS
Free for personal use. No signup. No email required. No limitations.
Download Free for MacVersion 1.0.0 | macOS 10.15+ | Apple Silicon & Intel | Signed & Notarized
For commercial or enterprise licensing, contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Virtual Audio on Mac
Yes, free for personal use with no limitations. No signup, no email gate, no donation prompts, no trial period. Download the virtual audio cable, install it, and use it. For commercial or enterprise use, please contact us for licensing. NNA Virtual Audio is made by Neutral & Natural Audio -- we also make professional audio software like AudioBridge and Monitoring Controller. If you frequently switch between audio devices on Mac, check out AudioDock -- a one-click audio device switcher for macOS.
Between 1 and 256 input and output channels, configured independently. Choose during installation or reconfigure anytime in Terminal with nnava-config --inputs X --outputs Y where X and Y are the number of inputs and outputs you want. For example, nnava-config --inputs 8 --outputs 16 gives you 8 inputs and 16 outputs.
Yes. NNA Virtual Audio is a universal binary running natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) and Intel Macs. No Rosetta translation needed.
Yes. Set NNA Virtual Audio as your system output in macOS sound settings. Then select it as the input source in your recording app (QuickTime, Audacity, a DAW, etc.). All system audio will flow through the virtual audio cable and be captured.
Open Audio MIDI Setup and create a Multi-Output Device combining your speakers and NNA Virtual Audio. Set this Multi-Output Device as your system output. In OBS, add an Audio Input Capture source and select NNA Virtual Audio. Desktop audio will appear in your stream or recording.
No. NNA Virtual Audio adds zero additional latency to the audio signal. Audio is passed directly through a shared memory buffer. The only latency is your system audio buffer size, identical to any physical audio device.
Yes. Open Terminal and run nnava-config --inputs X --outputs Y where X and Y are the number of inputs and outputs you want. For example, nnava-config --inputs 4 --outputs 32. The virtual audio driver reloads automatically. No reinstall needed.
Yes. Run nnava-config --name "Your Name" in Terminal to rename the audio device to anything you want. For example, nnava-config --name "OBS Audio" or nnava-config --name "DAW Input". The driver reloads instantly with the new name. It appears under that name in macOS sound settings and all your applications. No other free virtual audio driver for Mac offers this.
12 sample rates: 8, 16, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192, 352.8, 384, 705.6, and 768 kHz. Covers everything from voice calls to high-resolution audio production.
Yes. NNA Virtual Audio uses a 32-bit float signal path with no resampling and no dithering. When all volume controls are at unity (1.0), the signal passes through unaltered. The per-channel volume controls let you adjust levels when needed, but the default is transparent pass-through.
Both are free virtual audio drivers for macOS with zero added latency and native Apple Silicon support. The main differences: NNA Virtual Audio offers configurable channel counts from 1 to 256 (BlackHole is fixed at 2 or 16 channels), per-channel volume control on both input and output, and reconfiguration via Terminal without reinstalling. BlackHole is open-source. Both are solid virtual cable software options for Mac -- NNA Virtual Audio is the more flexible choice if you need custom channel configurations or individual volume control.
Open Terminal and run: sudo rm -rf /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL/NNAVA.driver then sudo killall coreaudiod. The virtual audio device disappears immediately.