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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Start with the OBS mixer meter while the silence is happening. If it shows no level, trace the sound source and capture route; if it is moving, check mute, fader, track assignment, output, and monitoring separately. A silent headset does not by itself mean viewers have lost audio.
Why does OBS audio stop after running all night?
There is no single established overnight OBS audio defect that explains every 24/7 stream. The source could be a Media Source, a browser or app, a capture device, or a globally captured desktop device; the failure could affect the live stream, a recording, or only local monitoring. Diagnose the signal path before changing drivers or replacing equipment.
OBS issue reports describe monitoring problems in particular setups. They do not establish that the same cause explains other streams or that stream output was also silent.
What to check first: the OBS mixer meter
If the meter has no level
When the sound should be playing, look for activity on the corresponding source in the Audio Mixer. OBS documents the meter as an indicator of source level, so no activity points first to playback or capture—not to stream output settings.
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- Confirm the source is still active in the current scene and that playback has not stopped or ended.
- For a capture source, confirm it still uses the intended device and that the operating system or playback application is sending audio to it.
- If the source is a Media Source, test whether the file is playing and whether the source continues through a loop or scene change.
See the OBS audio sources guide and mixer controls documentation.
If the meter moves
Check the source’s mute state and fader first. Then check whether the source is assigned to the audio track used by the stream or recording. Test the output itself rather than assuming that a moving meter guarantees that viewers can hear it.
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Is the stream silent, or only local monitoring?
OBS monitoring is a separate listening path from the stream or recording. If possible, check a recording or the live output independently. If that output contains sound while your headphones or speakers do not, inspect the source’s monitoring mode and OBS’s selected monitoring device instead of changing stream settings.
OBS’s mixer documentation describes the monitor control and monitoring-device setting. In one report for macOS 14 and OBS 30.2.3, monitoring stopped after a device reconnection, Mac lock, or restart; toggling monitoring restored it for that user. Treat toggling as a recovery check, not a guaranteed lasting fix: the report covers one setup, not a universal overnight failure. See the OBS issue report.
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Check the capture route for duplicate or changed devices
OBS can capture audio devices at scene level, which can help keep a device tied to a particular scene. But selecting the same device both there and under Settings → Audio can cause echo. Use one deliberate capture route for each device, then check whether its mixer meter responds.
If a device was disconnected or the computer changed state overnight, verify that OBS still points to the intended device. Do not assume that replacing hardware is the answer until you have established where the signal disappears.
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For a looping Media Source, separate playback from listening
A report about an audio-only Media Source describes monitoring loss around scene transitions, playback stop/start, or looping. It does not establish that every stream or recording output went silent, or that all Media Sources share the problem. If its mixer meter is still active, test the stream or a recording before concluding that viewers have no audio. See the Media Source issue report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Make the failure reproducible before changing more
Write down what happened during a silent period, then compare it with a working period. These observations help distinguish a source problem from a monitoring or output problem:
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- Operating system and OBS version.
- Sound source type: Media Source, browser or app, capture device, or desktop audio.
- Selected capture and monitoring devices.
- Whether the mixer meter moved, and whether a recording, live stream, or only local monitoring was silent.
- Whether silence followed a loop, playback stop/start, scene transition, device reconnection, lock, or restart.
Changing one setting at a time makes it easier to tell which part of the signal path matters. The available reports do not establish a single root cause for a setup whose operating system, OBS version, source, and affected output are unknown.
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