Android As Linux Microphone Via Audio Source

On 4 minutes, 30 seconds read By Edward
A picture of a phone microphone to signify using an Android microphone on Linux for OBS Studio

Forwarding Android Device Microphone Via ADB

Learn how to forward your Android device microphone to PipeWire with PulseAudo support through ADB for use as a USB microphone.

You need to select “Enable USB Debugging” in the “Developer Options” of your Android device.

Next, you need to connect a USB cable between the Android device and your workstation. After allowing the access to the Android device, run the Audio Source script.

Requirements For Audio Source

Glossary:

USB

Universal Serial Bus is a standard for digital data transmission and power delivery between electronics.

ADB

Android Debug Bridge.

Android Devices

Recording Devices
Name Description Recording Power
Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra Updated to Android 8.0 and latest web browser. Takes photos and videos on front and back cameras. USB Type-C 2.0 10W charging
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G Updated to Android 14.0 and default camera application. Takes photos and videos on front and back cameras. USB Type-C 2.0 <25W charging
Name Description Example

Download

The Audio Source APK for Android and script for the workstation can be downloaded from Download Audio Source and installed on the Android device and set up on the workstation respectively.

The ADB tool can be downloaded as part of the SDK Platform Tools for Download SDK Platform Tools and decompressed into a folder on your workstation.

ADB Wired USB Connection

# Command Line #
adb devices

ADB Audio Source Command Line Setup
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) Command Line Setup For Audio Source

Gnome Desktop Audio Settings
Gnome Desktop Audio Settings For Sound Input

OBS Audio Input
OBS Studio Audio Input Capture For Pipewire Default


Usage

During testing, the heating furnace was on at the same time as the workstation graphics card fan and the central processing unit cooling fan. The noise cancellation worked well. The Android device screen can be put in sleep mode without the application stopping.

Open Source

The Audio Source project is licensed under the MIT license. Redistribution is permitted in source or binary form with or without modifications, consult the license for more specific details.

Conclusion:

Audio Source forwards an Android microphone to a Linux PulseAudio daemon though ADB. You can then use the Android device as a USB microphone. Depending on the Android device, the quality should be between okay and good which is significantly better than many USB microphones.

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