To record selected app audio in OBS, add each app or device as its own source, then assign those sources to recording tracks. Those are separate steps: source selection controls what OBS captures; track assignment controls which audio lands in each file track. If you want an edit-ready recording that also plays normally, put the complete mix on track 1 and isolated sources on additional tracks.
Choose what you need OBS to do
Before changing settings, distinguish among four goals: capturing selected applications, recording editable isolated tracks, making different mixes for a stream or headphones, and routing microphone or instrument inputs. Native OBS sources and track assignments are often enough for the first two. A virtual cable, routing application, or audio interface with loopback may be useful when the native capture path does not expose the source or mix you need.
- Selected app audio: Capture one or more applications without capturing all desktop sound.
- Separate tracks: Record sources independently so you can adjust them later in an editor.
- Different mixes: Send different combinations to a stream, headphones, or recording.
- Hardware inputs: Bring microphones, instruments, or computer playback through an audio interface.
For the common question “How do I record game audio and Discord separately in OBS?”, create an OBS source for each application, then assign each source to its own track. Add a combined track as well if you want the recording to play as a complete mix in ordinary players.
Capture individual applications on Windows
OBS Application Audio Capture is documented for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. It lets you add audio from an application directly, without routing every user through a virtual cable. OBS’s Application Audio Capture guide recommends matching most applications by window type; for applications whose window titles change, such as browsers or music apps, matching by executable name can keep the capture attached as the title changes.
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- In the OBS Sources dock, click + and add Application Audio Capture.
- Select the desired application window or choose the appropriate matching method. Add a separate source for every application you want to control independently.
- Open Settings → Audio and disable global Desktop Audio when using application audio sources. Otherwise, OBS can capture the same sound twice, producing duplication or echo.
- Play audio in each target application and confirm that the corresponding source’s meter moves in the Audio Mixer.
If an app is not captured
Some applications may not work with Application Audio Capture. OBS documents a Windows workaround using VB-CABLE: route the application’s output to the cable in the Windows Volume Mixer, then add the cable’s recording endpoint in OBS as an Audio Input Capture source. This is a fallback for an incompatible app, not a required step for ordinary application capture. Follow VB-Audio’s current installer guidance and select the actual cable endpoint installed on your computer.
For the source details and current steps, see the OBS Application Audio Capture guide.
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Capture desktop or app audio on macOS
The available method depends on both macOS and OBS versions; Windows Application Audio Capture instructions do not apply to Mac. With macOS 13 Ventura or later and OBS Studio 30 or later, add a macOS Audio Capture source and choose desktop audio or an individual application. A macOS Screen Capture source can also carry audio; where supported, configure it for the relevant application or window.
OBS 28 and 29 on macOS 13 use a different screen-capture-source workflow. Older macOS and OBS combinations have different constraints and may require software-based routing. OBS’s documented VB-CABLE setup for older macOS uses a Multi-Output Device and does not provide per-application capture in that configuration. Check the version-specific steps in the OBS macOS desktop audio capture guide rather than following Windows directions.
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Assign sources to recording tracks
Adding separate sources does not automatically put them on separate tracks. Assign tracks in Advanced Audio Properties, then enable the tracks OBS should record.
- In the Audio Mixer, open the gear or menu and select Advanced Audio Properties.
- For each source, select the checkboxes for the tracks it should appear on.
- Open Settings → Output and enable the audio tracks you want included in the recording.
- Record a sample and inspect its tracks in the editor or player you intend to use.
A practical track layout
| Track | Suggested contents | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All desired sources together | Ready-to-hear mix for playback in ordinary players. |
| 2 | Game or other main application | Adjust or replace the main app audio in editing. |
| 3 | Discord or other voice chat | Adjust conversation independently. |
| 4 | Microphone | Edit narration or commentary separately. |
Change the numbering to fit your project. Many standard media players play only one audio track at a time, so a file containing only isolated tracks may seem to be missing sources during ordinary playback. OBS’s multiple audio track recording guide explains the track setup and recommends test recordings.
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Prevent duplicate audio and feedback
- Do not capture the same device twice. If a device is added as a source in a scene, disable that same device in global Settings → Audio when both would otherwise capture it. OBS warns that capturing a device in both places can cause echo.
- Disable Desktop Audio when using Windows app sources. This avoids recording application sound both through its individual source and through desktop capture.
- Keep loopback out of its own return path. If an interface’s loopback is routed into a mix that feeds back into that loopback, mute or remove the loopback channel from the relevant recording or output mix. Focusrite specifically warns to mute loopback channels in recording software to avoid a feedback loop.
- Check what each meter represents. A moving meter confirms signal at that source, but the recording test is what confirms the intended file tracks and mix.
When to use a cable, interface, or routing app
Use the least complicated path that meets the need. These options solve different problems; none is a universal prerequisite for recording audio in OBS.
| Route | Best fit | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| OBS-native application or macOS audio capture | Capturing selected apps on supported Windows or macOS/OBS versions. | Per-app capture and multitrack assignment are separate configuration steps. |
| Virtual cable | A Windows application that does not work with native application capture. | Routes one app’s output to a virtual recording endpoint; adds software configuration. |
| USB interface with loopback | Including computer playback as an interface input alongside microphones or instruments. | Loopback support depends on the exact interface model and generation; confirm the model and capture-application support before buying. Focusrite describes loopback as using virtual inputs rather than physical connectors. |
| Dedicated routing or mixing software | Creating separate submixes for stream, headphones, or VOD. | RØDE UNIFY describes application routing as Windows-only; Elgato Wave Link 3.0 describes separate mixes for stream, headphones, and VOD. Confirm current compatibility, licensing, and availability with the vendor. |
For interface loopback, feature availability is model-dependent; consult the manufacturer’s compatibility information, including Focusrite’s interface compatibility list. Loopback can be a useful hardware path, but an interface is unnecessary if OBS already captures the apps and devices you need.
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Verify the recording before relying on it
- Start audio in each application and speak into the microphone, if used. Watch the Audio Mixer and confirm the expected source meters respond.
- If a meter is silent or the wrong source is active, check the selected application or device. When needed, choose devices manually under Settings → Audio.
- Make a short test recording.
- Open the recording in the editor or player you will actually use. Check the combined mix and each isolated track, and confirm that the intended tracks are enabled and audible.
OBS encourages test recordings before relying on a configuration; the short check catches a silent source, a duplicated source, or a track assignment that is wrong even when the live meters appear normal. See the OBS Quick Start Guide.
Troubleshooting common problems
Application sound is missing
- On Windows, confirm the system meets the documented requirement: Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11.
- Check that Application Audio Capture is attached to the correct app and matching method.
- Test the app again and watch its source meter. If native capture does not expose the app, consider the VB-CABLE workaround described above.
- On Mac, verify that the macOS and OBS versions support the source you selected; use the macOS-specific guide for older combinations.
The same sound plays twice or echoes
- On Windows, disable global Desktop Audio if individual Application Audio Capture sources are in use.
- Check whether the same microphone or device is enabled both globally and as a scene source; disable one capture path.
- For interface loopback, check whether the loopback channel is routed back into itself and remove it from that return mix.
The recording has audio, but the editor or player seems silent
- Confirm which audio track the player is playing. Standard players generally play one track at a time.
- For convenient playback, include all intended sources together on track 1; retain the isolated tracks for editing.
- Check the file in the editing workflow you plan to use, not just in a different player.
A meter moves, but a source is absent from the recording
- Reopen Advanced Audio Properties and check the source’s track assignments.
- In Settings → Output, confirm the relevant track is enabled for recording.
- Make another short sample and inspect the file’s tracks.
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