If OBS’s audio meter does not move, start with the selected source and device, then trace the signal back through your operating system and playback app. If the meter moves but YouTube is silent, check OBS’s mute, fader, output routing and recording playback before changing devices. This guide follows the signal from its origin to the live stream so you can narrow down missing, doubled, quiet, distorted or one-sided audio.
Trace the signal in order
Work from the sound’s origin toward YouTube. This avoids changing OBS settings when the actual problem is an application sending audio to the wrong output or an inactive device. OBS’s audio guidance likewise starts by checking the device and following the signal through the mixer. OBS: Audio Mixer
- Confirm audio at its origin. Play representative music or another program. Check its volume and output selection, then check the operating system’s output device and application mixer. If you use a physical mixer or audio interface, confirm the relevant input gain and master/output path.
- Confirm the source is present and active. In the OBS scene you intend to stream, check that the required audio source exists and is enabled. Open its properties and select the actual device rather than assuming “Default” points to the correct endpoint.
- Watch the OBS mixer meter. Play audio and look for movement on the relevant source. A still meter points first to source selection, source activation, device routing or operating-system/application capture. A moving meter means OBS is receiving some signal; move on to its controls and the output path.
- Check the YouTube path. Once audio reaches the mixer, inspect mute and fader state, channel assignment, monitoring, recording playback and the selected OBS output or track. Then make a representative test on YouTube before going live.
Choose the right OBS source for your system
Available capture sources vary by operating system and OBS release. The OBS documentation describes scene-level Audio Input/Output Capture for selecting a particular device on Windows and macOS; Linux uses its documented ALSA or PulseAudio capture sources. Check the source list in your installed version rather than following a platform-specific instruction that does not match your setup. OBS: Audio Sources
Capture a device for a scene
Add the relevant Audio Input Capture or Audio Output Capture source to the scene and choose the intended device in its properties. A scene-level source is useful when you need a specific endpoint rather than every system sound. If OBS shows no meter movement, verify that the chosen device is the one actually receiving or playing the audio.
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Capture an application on Windows
OBS documents Application Audio Capture for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. Add the application audio source and select the program window. If the window title changes, matching by executable name can keep the capture associated with the program. When capturing applications separately, disable global Desktop Audio to avoid routing the same sound twice. OBS’s guide is dated 2023-07-12, so source availability and labels may differ in later releases. OBS: Application Audio Capture Guide
If an application is missing from Windows capture
OBS notes that some applications may be incompatible with Application Audio Capture. Its documented workaround is to route the application through VB-CABLE and add the cable output as an OBS Audio Input Capture source. Use this only for an application that fails the direct capture route; it is not a general prerequisite for OBS audio.
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Linux and macOS
On Linux, use the ALSA or PulseAudio capture sources documented by OBS. Device configuration depends on the distribution and audio system; if the meter still does not move, note your distribution, audio server, OBS version and source type when seeking help. On macOS, OBS lists Audio Input/Output Capture as available. Do not assume Windows per-application capture instructions apply there.
Fix echo and doubled music
Echo or doubled playback often means OBS is capturing the same endpoint through more than one route—for example, once as a scene-level device source and again through global audio settings. OBS warns that selecting the same device in both places can cause echo. OBS: Audio Sources
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- If a scene-level source captures a device, open Settings > Audio and disable the matching global device capture.
- If you use Windows Application Audio Capture for a program, disable global Desktop Audio when it would capture that same program again.
- Play the source and watch the mixer after removing one route. Keep the route that provides the capture you need; do not leave both enabled just to make the meter move.
Check stereo, monitoring and level
Make sure both stereo channels are present
OBS displays left and right meter bars separately. If only the first bar moves, listeners may receive audio only in the left channel. Check the source’s channel layout and listen in both sides of headphones. OBS says mono is heard in both channels and provides Downmix to Mono in Advanced Audio when mono output is appropriate. Do not downmix a genuinely stereo source unless that is the intended result. OBS: Audio Mixer
Monitor what OBS receives
Use Edit > Advanced Audio Properties to configure Audio Monitoring and its monitoring device. Compare the sound at its original source with the sound monitored through OBS. A player sounding correct on your desktop does not prove that OBS is capturing or routing that player correctly.
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Correct levels before adding filters
Check physical controls, operating-system levels and application volume first, then adjust the OBS fader. Clipping can sound distorted; keep the source level under control. OBS’s audio guide places background music in the green meter zone, but meter colors are not a calibrated loudness or LUFS target. If the signal is quiet, establish that the correct source is routed before applying gain.
Use a filter only for the problem it addresses
- Gain: boosts a quiet source after its routing and upstream levels are checked.
- Compressor: helps keep levels below a threshold or duck one source while another is active.
- Expander: reduces background sound.
- Invert Polarity: addresses phase-cancellation problems.
These filters cannot restore a disabled source, choose the correct device or create a missing route. OBS documents these filter functions in its audio filters guidance. OBS: Audio Filters
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Test the recording and YouTube stream
Before going live, make a recording using the settings you intend to use and listen to it. This checks the encoded result, not just desktop playback or OBS monitoring. YouTube also recommends testing before a stream; include audio and motion comparable to the planned broadcast, and monitor stream health and messages during the event. YouTube Help: Live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
For RTMP/RTMPS, YouTube’s current encoder guidance lists AAC or MP3 audio. For stereo it recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps; its listed figures for 5.1 surround are 48 kHz and 384 kbps. For a typical stereo radio stream, check that OBS is set to stereo rather than 5.1 by mistake. YouTube’s page has no publication date; verify its current guidance when configuring an encoder because platform recommendations can change.
Symptom-by-symptom checks
| Symptom | First checks |
|---|---|
| No movement on the OBS meter | Confirm the source is active, check its selected device and properties, then verify operating-system and application routing. |
| Meter moves, but the stream is silent | Check mute and fader state, monitoring and recording playback, OBS output/track selection, then run a representative YouTube test. |
| Echo or doubled music | Look for the same device captured globally and as a scene source, or the same application captured through both application and desktop audio. Remove the duplicate route. |
| Audio only on one side | Inspect left and right meter bars and the channel assignment. Use mono/downmix only if mono is intended. |
| Distortion or pumping | Check device, application and operating-system levels for clipping before adjusting the OBS fader or considering a compressor. |
| Desktop audio works, but OBS misses one app | Verify the app’s output and capture compatibility. On supported Windows versions, try Application Audio Capture; for an incompatible application, OBS documents a VB-CABLE routing workaround. |
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