The Tool Desk
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Identify what is actually delayed
Audio-video sync and stream delay are different problems. If speech or game sound does not line up with the picture, you have a source sync mismatch. If the entire broadcast reaches viewers later than the live event, that is stream latency: a buffer between the live event and viewer playback. Twitch describes stream delay as that kind of buffer, not as a source-sync correction (Twitch: How to Add Stream Delay).
Note whether the mismatch stays roughly constant or worsens over time, which part arrives first, and where you can reproduce it. These details determine whether to change an audio or video source, troubleshoot a viewer’s player, or investigate an uploaded file.
Locate where the sync problem occurs
- Check what viewers receive. Compare your preview or a local recording with the public stream, then watch the public stream from a different computer or smartphone. Twitch recommends checking from another device to confirm whether the sync issue is visible to viewers (Twitch Sports: Getting Started).
- Separate monitoring from the stream output. If you hear a mismatch in OBS monitoring, check a recording or the public stream independently. Monitoring and stream output can behave differently in some audio-device clock arrangements, according to a community discussion on the OBS Project Forums (OBS Project Forums: Video & audio not in sync problem).
- Check whether it affects one viewer or browser. If other viewers are in sync, ask the affected viewer to refresh or restart the player, try another stream, and test another network. These are Twitch’s playback troubleshooting checks; if other streams work but yours does not, the stream’s configuration may be involved (Twitch Help: Playback Issue Troubleshooting).
Fix a stable audio-video offset in OBS
If the mismatch is consistent, delay whichever source arrives early. The needed amount depends on the mismatch you observe; there is no single millisecond value that works for every setup.
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When audio arrives before the picture
- In OBS, open Advanced Audio Properties from the audio source controls.
- Change that source’s Sync Offset (ms) to delay the audio.
- Check the result in a recording or from a viewer’s perspective and adjust only as needed.
When the picture arrives before audio
- In OBS, open the video capture source’s Filters.
- Add a Render Delay filter and set a delay for the video.
- Verify the result in the stream or a recording rather than relying only on your monitor.
Twitch outlines these OBS controls in its setup guidance (Twitch Sports: Getting Started). If the mismatch changes over time, a fixed offset is unlikely to address the underlying cause.
Investigate sync that gets worse over time
Progressive drift is different from a constant offset. Adding or repeatedly changing a static offset may make sync correct at one moment but cannot, by itself, correct a mismatch that keeps growing.
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A 2023 OBS Project Forums discussion raised mismatched audio refresh rates, system load, audio-device timing, and monitoring clocks as possible explanations. These are community suggestions, not a universal diagnosis or controlled hardware findings. First establish whether recordings or viewers’ playback drift too, or whether the problem is only in OBS monitoring. If only monitoring is affected, changing the stream source offset could make the actual output worse.
If drift persists in output and follows a particular device, compare behavior with a different audio device or configuration before buying anything. A USB audio interface with reliable device timing was suggested in the forum discussion as a possible remedy for device-related drift, but no model or guaranteed result was established (OBS Project Forums: Video & audio not in sync problem).
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Fix an out-of-sync YouTube upload
If the problem is in an uploaded video rather than a live source, compare the audio and video track durations. YouTube Help advises editing the tracks in video-editing software before uploading if their durations do not match. To distinguish a file problem from playback trouble, test both the original file and the YouTube upload in other browsers (YouTube Help: Troubleshoot audio or video issues with uploads on YouTube).
Do not use stream delay to repair source sync
Stream delay adds time between the live event and what viewers see. It may serve interaction or moderation goals, but it does not bring early audio and video into alignment. Twitch notes that a delay can affect interaction and system-resource use; use a source sync control for a stable audio-video offset instead (Twitch Help: How to Add Stream Delay).
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Common symptoms and next steps
| What you notice | Likely area to investigate | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Audio is early or late by about the same amount throughout. | Source sync. | Delay the early source in OBS and verify from a recording or viewer device. |
| The mismatch grows as the stream continues. | Timing, device, system-load, or monitoring behavior. | Compare monitoring with recording and public output; investigate devices and timing rather than chasing one fixed offset. |
| Only one viewer or browser reports the problem. | Playback or network on that viewer’s side. | Refresh or restart the player, try another stream, and test another network. |
| A recorded or uploaded file is out of sync. | Track durations or file playback. | Compare audio and video durations, edit mismatched tracks, and test the original and upload in other browsers. |
| The entire broadcast arrives late, but its audio and picture match. | Stream latency, not source sync. | Decide whether a viewer buffer is needed; do not change source sync settings to fix arrival time. |
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