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Identify which Castr workflow you are using
Castr’s pre-recorded feature plays uploaded videos from the cloud as either a scheduled premiere or a continuous playlist loop. OBS is not required for that workflow. If you uploaded files into a Castr playlist, OBS audio-sync controls do not directly adjust Castr’s cloud playout.
A different path applies if OBS or another encoder is sending a live source to Castr. In that case, OBS audio offset settings may be relevant. Establish which setup you have before changing settings; otherwise, you may adjust a control that is not in the signal path.
Use the mismatch pattern to narrow down the cause
| What you observe | What to check next |
|---|---|
| The same audio lead or lag is present at the beginning and later. | Compare local playback, Castr preview, and the YouTube test in that order. A fixed mismatch may be present in the file or introduced later in the path. |
| The mismatch becomes larger as the program runs. | Compare the beginning and a later cue in the local file, preview, and destination test. A single fixed offset may not correct increasing drift. |
| Local playback is aligned, but Castr preview is not. | Confirm that the exact intended file was uploaded and note where the mismatch first appears. The public Castr guidance does not specify a guaranteed playlist-specific repair for this case. |
| Local playback and Castr preview are aligned, but the YouTube test is not. | Capture the test time and stream details, then investigate the destination path with Castr support. The cited guidance does not establish a universal YouTube-side sync control for a Castr cloud playlist. |
| Sync trouble occurs alongside buffering, dropped frames, or disconnections. | Check stream health and delivery stability separately. Those symptoms warrant broader quality checks, but do not by themselves prove the cause of a steady audio offset. |
Check the uploaded file before changing stream settings
- Play the exact file you uploaded locally. Use a clear cue, such as a clap, impact, or spoken word, where the sound and visible action should coincide.
- Compare the same cue near the beginning and later in the video. Note whether the offset stays roughly constant or grows. These are different symptoms and should not be treated as interchangeable.
- If the local file is already out of sync, repair and export the source before uploading it again. Changing destination settings will not repair an error already present in the file.
- Check file compatibility separately from sync. Castr’s pre-recorded troubleshooting guidance recommends AAC audio averaging 128 kbps. It also suggests HandBrake to lower a file’s bitrate when the file fails to reach destination platforms; that is a delivery suggestion, not a demonstrated audio-sync correction.
Separate Castr preview from the YouTube destination
- Test the source in Castr preview. Castr’s test guidance recommends turning off added platforms, starting the source, and confirming that it reaches the preview.
- Test YouTube separately. Use a private or unlisted broadcast so you can inspect the actual destination output without treating a public launch as a diagnostic test.
- Keep the test running long enough to check for later drift. Compare the same kind of clear cue at the start and later in the program.
- Monitor Castr Analytics and Input Health during the test. Record what you see rather than assuming that a stable offset is caused by network or encoding conditions.
- Write down where the mismatch first appears. Note whether local playback is aligned, whether Castr preview is aligned, whether YouTube differs, and whether the mismatch is fixed or grows.
If the local file and Castr preview match but the private or unlisted YouTube output does not, save the test time and stream details before contacting support. The cited public materials do not give a universal YouTube-side sync setting for Castr’s cloud playlist feature.
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Adjust sync offset only when OBS is actually in the source path
Castr’s published OBS example is for an OBS-based live workflow, not a general fix for uploaded playlist playout. It advises opening Advanced Audio Properties, using a measured audio sync offset, and testing during rehearsal. Castr gives 50–100 ms as an example to try—not a default that fits every stream.
- Use the preview or a rehearsal test to determine whether audio leads or trails the picture.
- Open OBS Advanced Audio Properties and make a small, measured adjustment in the direction indicated by the test. Do not apply the example range blindly.
- Repeat the test and compare the same cue. Change one setting at a time so you can tell whether it helped.
- If the mismatch grows over time, do not assume a single fixed offset will solve it. The cited Castr material does not provide a playlist-specific diagnosis for progressive drift.
Check broader stream quality when other symptoms are present
When the sync problem accompanies choppy playback, dropped frames, or instability, Castr’s general quality guidance supports checking the source encoder, connection, stream-health charts, and ingest location. These are broader checks, not proof that any one factor caused a stable audio lead or lag.
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- Encoder compatibility: Castr’s general recommendations include H.264 video and AAC audio.
- Bitrate and delivery: Check audio and video bitrate and frame-rate information in live health charts. Castr’s OBS guidance also describes CBR and 128 kbps audio as general compatibility settings.
- Keyframes: Castr’s OBS recommendations describe a two-second keyframe interval.
- Upload stability and ingest: Check that the source connection is stable and consider a nearby ingest server when delivery symptoms point that way.
- Resolution: If 1080p causes problems, Castr suggests reverting to 720p as a general quality troubleshooting step.
These settings address stream compatibility and delivery, not a proven universal repair for playlist desynchronization. Change them only when the symptoms justify a broader quality investigation, then repeat the private or unlisted test.
Verify the change and prepare a useful support report
After each change, run another private or unlisted YouTube test and compare the same cue near the beginning and later in the program. Keep the source file unchanged during a settings test, or you will not know which change affected the result.
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If a cloud playlist remains out of sync after the source and destination checks, contact Castr support with the evidence you collected. Include:
- Whether the source is a Castr cloud playlist or an OBS-fed stream.
- Whether the exact local file plays in sync.
- Whether Castr preview is in sync and whether the YouTube test is in sync.
- Whether the mismatch is constant or grows over time, with approximate points in the program where you compared it.
- The private or unlisted test time and relevant stream or health details.
The cited Castr public guidance does not establish an automatic correction or guaranteed repair procedure for audio drift in the cloud playlist feature.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
