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To prevent clipping on YouTube Live, find the first point in your radio audio chain that is overloaded and reduce its gain. Check the loudest expected material in OBS, then place OBS’s Limiter last in the relevant filter chain as a safety net. Test the full path before going live and keep monitoring during the stream. YouTube’s audio codec and bitrate settings help with delivery; they cannot repair distortion already baked into the audio.
What clipping is—and where to look for it
Digital audio has a maximum level, 0 dBFS. If the signal exceeds that ceiling, streamed or recorded audio can distort. The overload may begin in the radio automation or player, a mixer, an audio interface, an OBS source or filter, or the final streaming mix. A clean-looking final meter does not necessarily mean the audio was clean earlier in the chain.
Work from the source toward the stream and correct the earliest overloaded stage. OBS’s audio guidance explains the 0 dBFS ceiling, signal levels, and gain controls in the audio path: OBS Audio Mixer Technical Details.
Fix the level before adding a limiter
1. Play the loudest representative material
Test more than an average passage. Include loud music, station IDs, transitions, and any live microphone segments. Use the same routing you intend to use on air.
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2. Check the upstream controls
Inspect the automation or player output, mixer channel and master levels, and audio-interface input gain. Reduce the earliest control whose output is excessive. OBS recommends adjusting the source level first; the relevant control may be on a physical mixer or interface, and its location varies by device.
3. Inspect OBS sources and the final mix
Watch the meter for each relevant OBS source as well as the final mix while the loudest material plays. Check faders and filters for unintended gain increases. OBS notes that its input level indicator is after filters, so temporarily disabling filters can help distinguish the incoming level from processing added in OBS. Its meter’s PPM may indicate a peak 3 dB higher than the displayed reading; do not treat a reading just below the ceiling as generous headroom.
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For filter behavior and controls, see the OBS Filters Guide.
Use OBS Limiter as a final safety net
In OBS, open the audio source’s filter controls and add the Limiter filter. Put it last in that source’s filter chain so it catches peaks after other processing. OBS documents a default threshold of -6.00 dB and a release of 60 ms. These are software defaults, not universal loudness targets for radio.
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A limiter can control peaks reaching it, but cannot undo distortion introduced by an overloaded mixer, interface, or earlier software stage. If it is reducing gain constantly, lower the upstream level rather than relying on the limiter to do all the work. See OBS’s Limiter Filter documentation.
Set YouTube audio delivery separately
For stereo audio using YouTube’s documented RTMP/RTMPS encoder guidance, use a supported codec—AAC or MP3—with a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps audio bitrate. These settings address compatibility and delivery, not the signal’s peak level. Changing codec, sample rate, or bitrate alone will not remove clipping already present in the source.
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Check YouTube’s current live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions during setup, since platform guidance and interface labels can change.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Preflight and monitor the complete stream
- Test before the event: use the same audio routing and settings planned for the broadcast, with material similar in level and activity to the live program. YouTube recommends testing with representative audio and movement.
- Listen to the encoder output: if it is already distorted, trace the signal back through source routing, gain, and processing. Compare with a local archive if one is available.
- Compare local and playback results: if the encoder output or archive sounds healthy but playback does not, investigate the outbound connection and platform path rather than assuming the source is clipping.
- Monitor during the broadcast: keep an operator watching stream health and listening, especially through transitions and loud segments. YouTube advises ongoing monitoring.
For platform-side checks, consult YouTube’s streaming tips and live stream troubleshooting guidance.
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Common clipping and audio problems
| Symptom | Likely place to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Distortion is present in the local recording or encoder output. | Source output, mixer, interface input, OBS source, or processing. | Trace from the source forward; reduce gain at the earliest overloaded stage, then retest. |
| The OBS source sounds distorted even when the final mix meter looks safe. | Upstream hardware or software before the final mix. | Check player, mixer, interface, and source filters. A downstream limiter cannot restore audio clipped earlier. |
| Audio clips only during loud songs, IDs, or transitions. | Peak levels on those specific items or transitions. | Test the loudest material, lower upstream gain, and confirm the limiter is last in the chain. |
| The audio level is controlled but YouTube reports an encoder or ingest issue. | Codec, sample rate, bitrate, or other encoder settings. | Verify supported RTMP/RTMPS settings in YouTube’s current encoder guidance; delivery settings and clipping are separate issues. |
| Local/encoder audio is clean but the stream sounds poor in playback. | Outbound connection or platform path. | Compare the encoder output, archive, and playback, then follow YouTube’s troubleshooting steps. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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