Open Other > JACK Audio

Documentation Documentation - English
1

THIS NO LONGER EXISTS AS OF VERSION 25.01

Opens a live audio input using JACK (JACK Audio Connection Kit) as the capture backend.

This feature is Linux-specific and intended for advanced audio workflows.

What JACK is

JACK is a professional, low-latency audio server used primarily for:

  • Music production
  • Audio engineering
  • Multi-application audio routing
  • Sample-accurate synchronization

Unlike PulseAudio, JACK is designed for explicit, user-managed routing between applications and devices.

Behavior in Shotcut

  • Shotcut connects to the running JACK server
  • Audio routing is handled externally, not inside Shotcut
  • Shotcut appears as a JACK client
  • Audio sources are connected using JACK tools (not Shotcut UI)

Shotcut does not provide internal JACK configuration panels.

Controls

When using Device → JACK:

  • There are no configurable controls in Shotcut
  • No device selector
  • No channel count input
  • No routing options inside the application

All routing and channel assignment is handled by the JACK server.

How audio input is selected

Audio sources must be connected to Shotcut manually using JACK tools such as:

  • qjackctl
  • jackctl
  • Other JACK-compatible patch bays

Typical workflow:

  1. Start the JACK server
  2. Launch Shotcut
  3. Open Device → JACK
  4. Connect audio ports externally (e.g. microphone → Shotcut)

If no connection is made, Shotcut will receive silence.

Scope and behavior

  • Linux-only feature
  • Audio capture only
  • Requires JACK to be installed and running
  • No automatic device selection
  • No fallback if JACK is unavailable

If JACK is not running, this option may fail silently or produce no input.

Typical use cases

  • Professional audio recording
  • Music production workflows
  • Multi-application audio routing
  • Low-latency capture
  • Synchronizing Shotcut with DAWs or other audio software

What this is not intended for

  • Casual voice-over recording
  • Simple microphone capture
  • Users unfamiliar with JACK routing

For those cases, PulseAudio is strongly recommended.

Relationship to other capture options

  • PulseAudio

    • High-level, desktop-managed
    • Best for narration and general use

  • ALSA

    • Low-level, hardware-specific
    • Advanced but static

  • JACK

    • Professional, low-latency
    • Fully manual routing
    • External control required

Limitations

  • Requires JACK knowledge
  • No internal monitoring or meters
  • No automatic device discovery
  • Routing errors result in silence
  • Not beginner-friendly