Setup guides
Everything you need to
get your audio in.
Start with System Audio if you're on Chrome — no install needed. For more control, BlackHole or Loopback give you a proper routing setup.
any app
Loopback…
in Chrome
any device
If your computer can play it, SESSION AM can stream it.
System Audio — built into Chrome
If you're on Chrome, you can stream your system audio without installing anything. Chrome can capture what your computer is playing and send it straight to SESSION AM — one permission dialog, done.
Quick sessions, testing, streaming from a browser-based tool (YouTube, SoundCloud, a web DAW). Open SESSION AM, pick System Audio, go live in 30 seconds.
Chrome applies its own internal gain to System Audio — SESSION AM compensates automatically with a +7dB correction. Also: if you're on a video call (Discord, Zoom), that audio will bleed into your stream unless you route carefully. For clean isolation, use BlackHole or Loopback instead.
Open SESSION AM in Chrome
Chrome only — this won't work in Safari or Firefox. Open the broadcaster at sessionam.com and click to start a session.
Select "System Audio" from the source dropdown
In the broadcaster, open the audio source dropdown and choose System Audio. Chrome will show a permission dialog asking what you want to share.
Choose your screen and enable "Share system audio"
In Chrome's share dialog, select any screen or tab, then make sure the "Share system audio" checkbox at the bottom is checked. Click Share.
Watch the meter and go live
Play something. You should see the VU meter in SESSION AM react immediately. If it's flat, check that your system volume is up and the right audio is playing. Then start your session and share the link.
Virtual Device — why you want one
System Audio captures everything your computer plays. A virtual device lets you choose exactly what goes out. One cable, zero bleed.
BlackHole on macOS
BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver. It creates an invisible cable between whatever's making sound on your Mac and SESSION AM — no physical cable, no extra hardware.
No video call open. Your system audio works as-is — you can skip the Multi-Output step below if you don't need to hear yourself while streaming.
You need BlackHole, otherwise the call audio gets mixed into your stream along with the music. Follow all the steps.
Install BlackHole
Easiest way is Homebrew — open Terminal and run brew install blackhole-2ch. No Homebrew? Grab it from the official GitHub repo instead.
Create a Multi-Output Device
Open Audio MIDI Setup (Spotlight search it). Click the + in the bottom-left corner → Create Multi-Output Device. Check the boxes for both BlackHole 2ch and your normal output (built-in speakers or headphones).
Set your DAW's output to the Multi-Output Device
In Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools — wherever your sound is coming from — point the main output at the Multi-Output Device you just made instead of your default speakers.
If you're also on a call
In Discord/Zoom settings, set the output device to your real headphones (not the Multi-Output Device) — so the call doesn't loop back into BlackHole and into your stream.
Open SESSION AM and select BlackHole as your source
In the broadcaster, open the source dropdown and pick BlackHole 2ch. You'll see the meter move as soon as anything plays.
Loopback on macOS
Loopback (by Rogue Amoeba) does the same job as BlackHole, with a proper visual mixer instead of Audio MIDI Setup. Worth it if you want a "real mixing desk" feel and don't want to fiddle with system settings.
Install Loopback
Download from rogueamoeba.com. Also available bundled with Audio Hijack, or in the Ultimate Podcast Bundle, if you want more tools.
Create a new virtual device
Open Loopback → New Virtual Device. Name it something like Loopback SESSION AM so it's easy to find later.
Route your sources in
Drag in the apps or system audio you want to capture. Make sure each source has "Not muted on capture" checked and volume at 100%.
Select it in SESSION AM
Open the source dropdown in the broadcaster and pick Loopback SESSION AM.
Windows setup guide
We're writing the full Windows walkthrough (using VoiceMeeter, free from VB-Audio). Leave your email and we'll let you know the moment it's live.
Thanks — we'll email you when it's ready.
Ableton Live routing
A focused guide on routing Ableton's output to BlackHole — via External Audio Effect or a direct Audio To routing. In the meantime, the general BlackHole guide above covers the core setup.
Logic Pro routing
A focused guide on setting Logic's output device directly to BlackHole or your Multi-Output Device. In the meantime, the general BlackHole guide above covers the core setup.
Title, cover image & session ID
Before you go live, you can give your session a name, a face, and a permanent link. None of these are required — but they make the experience feel like a real room, not a random URL.
Set a session ID
The session ID is the last part of the listener's link: sessionam.com/listen/yourID. Type anything — your band name, the project title, a code word. Once saved, this link never changes. Send it once, reuse it every session.
Add a title and cover image
The title appears on the listener's screen while they're connected. The cover image fills their background. Use the project name, the film title, the band name — whatever makes them feel immediately oriented.
Share the link
Use the share buttons directly in the broadcaster — WhatsApp and Telegram are one tap. Or copy the link and send it however you want. The listener just opens it in any browser.
What listeners need
Almost nothing. That's the point.
Any browser, any device. Safari, Chrome, Firefox — mobile or desktop. Open the link, tap to join. No install, no account, no friction.
Listeners need Chrome on desktop to receive Sync DAW (MTC) and Tape Sync signals. The Web MIDI API used to output timecode to the DAW is only available in Chrome desktop.
| Feature | Browser requirement |
|---|---|
| Live audio — basic | Any browser, any device |
| Live chat | Any browser, any device |
| Sync DAW (MTC) | Chrome desktop only |
| Tape Sync | Chrome desktop only |
Activating Pro Mode
Pro Mode is activated per listener, from the broadcaster side. Your listeners don't need to do anything — they just accept the invitation.
Start your session normally
Go live as usual. Wait for your listeners to connect — you'll see them appear in the listeners panel.
Open Pro Mode for a listener
In the listeners panel, click the ⚡ Pro button next to the listener you want to invite. A notification appears on their screen: "You've been invited to Pro Mode." They tap to accept.
Choose which Pro features to enable
Once a listener is in Pro Mode, you can activate Sync DAW, Tape Sync, adjust their bitrate, or toggle their connection mode — all independently, all in real time.
Sync DAW — MTC relay
Your DAW's transport — play, stop, position — streamed live to your listener's DAW. Browser to browser, no MIDI hardware required.
Any DAW that can chase MTC: Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Cubase, Reaper, and most professional DAWs. Listener needs Chrome desktop.
The listener just wants to hear the audio without syncing their DAW. In that case, leave Sync DAW off — it's an optional overlay, not required for listening.
Enable MTC output from your DAW
In your DAW's MIDI settings, enable MTC output. In Logic: File → Project Settings → Synchronization → MIDI → Transmit MTC. Point it at SESSION AM as the MIDI destination.
Activate Sync DAW for the listener
In the broadcaster, with the listener in Pro Mode, toggle Sync DAW on. SESSION AM starts relaying MTC quarter-frame messages over the WebRTC DataChannel to that listener.
Listener: set their DAW to chase MTC
The listener opens their DAW's sync settings and sets it to chase external MTC. SESSION AM appears as a MIDI source in their browser. Their DAW will follow your transport from this point.
Press play
Hit play in your DAW. The listener's DAW follows — same position, same speed, live.
Tape Sync — frame-accurate start
A synchronized playback start without continuous MTC chase. Both sides hit the same frame at the same moment — old-school tape machine logic, over the browser.
Tape Sync is the right tool when you need both DAWs to start at the same position simultaneously but don't need continuous position locking. It's simpler to set up than Sync DAW and works with any DAW that can start playback from a timecode position.
Set the target timecode
In the Tape Sync panel, enter the timecode position you both want to start from — e.g. 01:00:00:00. Both DAWs should be parked at this position.
Fire the latency beacon
SESSION AM measures the round-trip time between broadcaster and listener. This takes about a second. The result is used to offset the start command so both sides receive it at the exact same moment, compensated for network delay.
Trigger
Hit the Tape Sync trigger. Both DAWs start simultaneously at the target timecode — compensated for network latency.