At a Glance

Audio Groups is a Playback Desktop feature that lets each user choose which channels to monitor from a multichannel Passthrough stream—locally, on their own machine. The stream is unchanged for everyone else.

Typical use: one surround bed (5.1 or 7.1 on channels starting at 1) plus stereo alternates (languages, M&E, and so on) in a single 16 Discrete session. Each Desktop user selects one contiguous channel block (for example In 1-6 or In 9-10) and an output destination on their monitoring device.

Requires Playback Desktop, Alternate Speakers enabled, Passthrough output mode, and a capable monitoring device. Not available on Web (stereo only) or iOS/Apple TV (downmix or simplified pair selection only).

Overview

Ordinary multichannel monitoring

In a standard 5.1 or 7.1 Passthrough session, every guest hears the full surround layout on their monitoring device. That works when everyone is doing surround QC on the same mix.

With Audio Groups

The Organizer places several mixes in one stream—typically a 5.1 bed on channels 1–6 and stereo pairs on channels 7–16—and each Desktop guest picks which block to hear. For example:

• A mix engineer monitors the surround bed on a surround interface.
• A Spanish reviewer monitors channels 9–10 on headphones.
• An executive monitors channels 7–8 (M&E).

Everyone receives the same 16-channel stream. Audio Groups only controls local routing: what you hear on your device.

How it works

1. The Organizer routes mixes into channel numbers upstream (DAW, NLE, virtual audio device) before Remoto captures audio.
2. The session streams all channels in Passthrough—unchanged—to every client.
3. Each Desktop user enables Alternate Speakers, selects Passthrough, turns on Audio Groups, and picks a Group Channel (In X–Y) plus Route to Output (Out X–Y).
4. Playback routes only the selected channels to the user’s outputs; everything else is silent for that user.

The stream is never re-encoded or remixed server-side.

Channel map (standard layout)

Before the session, the Organizer assigns each mix to fixed channel numbers. Guests need this map because Remoto does not label mixes in the Audio Groups menu.

Organizer rules:

• One surround bed only—either 5.1 or 7.1, never both, never two 5.1 beds.
• Surround always starts at channel 1 (5.1 on 1–6, or 7.1 on 1–8).
• Everything after the surround block is stereo pairs (two channels per mix).
• Session layout: 16 Discrete + Passthrough.

If the surround bed is 7.1, it occupies channels 1–8; stereo pairs start at 9–10, 11–12, and so on. Guests select In 1-8 for surround.

Organizer workflow

Upstream routing and session setup

1. In the DAW or NLE (Resolve, Pro Tools, etc.), route each mix to the correct virtual device channels before Remoto captures them.
2. In Stream Settings, set Audio Input Type (e.g. Virtual Audio Device) and 16 Discrete layout.
3. Stream in Passthrough so all channels reach guests.
4. Verify with Loopback or meters that each channel range carries the intended mix.

Local monitoring (Call Preview or Stream Audio Preferences)

1. Enable Alternate Speakers.
2. Select the stream monitoring device.
3. Set output format to Passthrough.
4. Turn Audio Groups on.
5. Select Group Channel (e.g. In 1-6) and Route to Output (e.g. Out 1-6).
6. Apply or save.

Settings are saved locally per user on that machine.

Before going live

Verify each range in stream preview, then share the channel map with guests (see below).

Example message to send guests

Copy, adapt mix names, and send before or at join.

Subject: Audio setup for this session

This session carries 16 channels with several mixes at once. You choose which mix you hear on your machine—it does not change what anyone else hears.

When you join, Playback Desktop will prompt you to set up local stream monitoring (Call Preview). Follow these steps:

1. Enable Alternate Speakers (unlink stream audio from call audio).
2. Call / conference audio: select your usual device (e.g. headphones for the meeting).
3. Stream monitoring: select the device where you want to hear playback (e.g. headphones or surround interface).
4. Set output format to Passthrough (not Stereo).
5. Turn Audio Groups on.
6. In Group Channel, pick the range for your mix (see channel map below).
7. In Route to Output, pick where that group plays (e.g. Out 1-2 on headphones, or Out 1-6 for surround on a 6-channel interface).
8. Click Apply.

Channel map—pick only these options:

• Main 5.1 surround → In 1-6 (requires 6+ channel output)
• M&E → In 7-8
• Spanish → In 9-10
• French → In 11-12

Ignore other menu entries (e.g. In 1-2, In 7-12) unless you are told otherwise.

If you change your mix after the stream starts, open Audio Controls in Studio View, update your selection, then tap Reload stream to apply changes.

Requirements: Playback Desktop (not Web). If anything is unclear, ask which In X–Y option to use before the stream starts.

Guest workflow

Prerequisites

• Playback Desktop (not Web, iOS, or Apple TV for full Audio Groups routing).
• Organizer shared which In X–Y option matches your mix.

Call Preview (before stream)

1. Enable Alternate Speakers.
2. Choose stream output device.
3. Set Passthrough.
4. Turn Audio Groups on, select Group Channel from the Organizer’s map, select Route to Output, then Apply.

Studio View (during session)

1. Open Audio Controls.
2. Unlink call and stream audio (orange icon = Alternate Speakers on).
3. Select Passthrough, turn Audio Groups on, and select group and output.
4. Adjust stream volume separately from call volume.
5. After mid-session changes, tap Reload stream to apply changes.

Guests select one group at a time and can switch during the session.

Linked vs unlinked audio

Guest dropdown: what to pick

On 16 Discrete + Passthrough, Remoto treats the stream as 16 anonymous channels. The Group Channel menu is built from channel math and your output device—not from mix names.

Correct choices (standard layout)

You need a 6+ channel output device for In 1-6; stereo pairs need 2 channels.

Options to ignore

Follow the Organizer’s channel map, not the full dropdown list.

Practical example

Organizer streams 16-channel Passthrough: one 5.1 surround bed on channels 1–6, plus stereo pairs on 7–16.

Organizer and Guest B both select In 1-6—they monitor the same surround mix. Four people are in the session, but only three mixes are in play: Main 5.1, Spanish, and M&E. One stream; no restreaming or separate sessions.

Requirements and platform limits

Output mode vs Audio Groups

Switching to Stereo turns Audio Groups off.

What Audio Groups is not

• Not a server-side mix—the full stream is unchanged; routing is local only.
• Not format-aware—Remoto does not assign or label 5.1 vs stereo slots.
• Not two surround beds—one 5.1 or one 7.1 per session, starting at channel 1.
• Not Contact Groups (invite lists in the Contacts Dashboard).
• Not available with linked audio—Alternate Speakers must be on.
• Not available in Stereo output mode.

Troubleshooting

Related topics

• How Remoto Playback Handles Multichannel Audio Fold Down

Summary

Audio Groups lets each Desktop user monitor one block of channels from a shared multichannel Passthrough stream—locally, without affecting anyone else.

One stream, multiple mixes—because the Organizer planned the channel map upstream and each guest chose their block locally.