The Pro Tools to Zoom problem
If you have ever tried to share audio from Pro Tools during a Zoom call, you know the frustration. You start playback in Pro Tools, share your screen, and your collaborators hear nothing. Or worse: they hear a garbled, delayed mess.
The root cause is simple: Pro Tools outputs to your audio interface or built-in output, not to a device Zoom can capture. Zoom only sees your microphone as an input source. There is no built-in way to route Pro Tools output into Zoom's microphone input on macOS.
That is where virtual audio routing comes in.
What is virtual audio routing?
Virtual audio routing creates software audio devices that act as virtual cables between applications. You create a virtual cable that Pro Tools can output to, and Zoom can listen from. The audio flows through the cable without ever leaving your Mac.
On Windows, tools like VB-Cable and VoiceMeeter have handled this for years. On macOS, the landscape has been more fragmented — until now.
How AudioSquidPatch solves this
AudioSquidPatch is a macOS menu bar application that manages virtual audio devices with a visual patchbay. Instead of dealing with terminal commands or complex setups, you:
- Create a virtual device — AudioSquidPatch creates virtual audio devices that show up in any app's audio preferences.
- Route Pro Tools output to the virtual device — Set Pro Tools playback to output to your virtual AudioSquidPatch device.
- Set Zoom's microphone to the virtual device — In Zoom's audio settings, select the same virtual device as your microphone input.
- That is it — When you play audio in Pro Tools, it flows through the virtual cable directly into Zoom.
The entire setup takes less than two minutes and lives in your menu bar — no full-screen app to manage.
Step-by-step: Route Pro Tools to Zoom
Step 1: Install AudioSquidPatch
Download AudioSquidPatch from the member area after purchasing a license or starting a free trial. Install the RedsquidHAL drivers when prompted (you will need your Mac administrator password for this system-level component).
Step 2: Create a virtual routing device
Open AudioSquidPatch from your menu bar. In the virtual devices section, create a new stereo virtual device. Name it something memorable like "Zoom Feed."
Step 3: Configure Pro Tools output
In Pro Tools, go to Setup > Playback Engine and select the AudioSquidPatch virtual device as your playback engine. Alternatively, you can use a bus output if you want to keep your main monitoring intact.
Step 4: Configure Zoom input
In Zoom, go to Settings > Audio and set the microphone input to the same AudioSquidPatch virtual device. Now Zoom will capture whatever plays through that virtual device.
Step 5: Test and adjust
Play a track in Pro Tools. You should see the Zoom input meter move. If the level is too low or too high, adjust the output gain in AudioSquidPatch's mixer panel.
Tips for the best experience
Use headphones. If you route Pro Tools to your speakers, Zoom will pick up your microphone capturing the speaker output, creating a feedback loop. Headphones eliminate this.
Monitor through a separate output. AudioSquidPatch lets you route the same source to multiple destinations. Send Pro Tools to both the virtual Zoom device AND your headphones so you can hear what you are sharing.
Watch your buffer size. For real-time collaboration, set your Pro Tools buffer to 256 or 512 samples. Lower buffers reduce latency but increase CPU load. AudioSquidPatch's virtual devices are designed to add minimal overhead.
Mute your mic when not presenting. When you are not sharing audio, mute the Zoom input to avoid sending silence or background noise.
Beyond Zoom: where else this works
The same setup works with:
- Google Meet — Set the input device in Meet's audio settings
- Microsoft Teams — Configure in Teams device settings
- OBS Studio — Use the virtual device as an audio capture source
- QuickTime screen recording — Capture system audio in recordings
- Discord — Route music or production audio into voice channels
Why AudioSquidPatch over other tools?
Most virtual audio routing tools for macOS are either command-line utilities with no GUI, or expensive applications that require manual configuration. AudioSquidPatch gives you:
- A visual patchbay to see and manage all your audio routes at a glance
- Menu bar convenience — no switching to a full app to adjust routes
- Mixer controls for gain staging across multiple virtual devices
- Talkback features for studio communication
- Preset management to save and recall routing configurations
Start routing today
Stop fighting with audio routing workarounds. Start a 14-day free trial — no credit card required — to evaluate AudioSquidPatch in a real session. When you are ready, buy for $39.99 (one Mac) or add seats at $29.99 each.