First check whether sound is missing only from YouTube playback or from a broadcast you’re sending to YouTube. For playback, check the YouTube player and browser, then the Mac mini’s selected output in Apple menu > System Settings > Sound > Output. For a broadcast, first confirm that local Mac audio works, then check the encoder’s audio sources and a local recording. A problem appearing after an update does not, by itself, show that the update caused it.
Start by separating playback from broadcasting
“YouTube stream has no audio” can mean you can’t hear a YouTube video or live stream, or that viewers can’t hear a broadcast you’re sending to YouTube. These are different audio paths, so identify which one is failing before changing settings.
- You are watching YouTube: test the player, browser, and Mac’s selected audio output.
- You are broadcasting with OBS or another encoder: test local playback first, then inspect the encoder and the audience-facing stream.
The reviewed Apple, YouTube, and OBS guidance provides troubleshooting steps but does not establish that a macOS update caused this particular symptom.
If you can’t hear YouTube on the Mac mini
1. Check YouTube and browser volume
- In the YouTube player, make sure the speaker control is not muted and raise the volume.
- Check that the browser or device volume is not muted or turned down.
- Play a different YouTube video, then try audio in another website or app. If other apps work, focus on YouTube or the browser rather than assuming a Mac-wide audio failure.
- If needed, restart the browser and test again. YouTube’s official guidance recommends checking browser or device volume and sound settings, then restarting the browser or device if the problem persists: How to fix no sound on YouTube.
2. Select the intended macOS output
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Sound > Output.
- Select the device you intend to hear sound from, such as the Mac mini’s speakers through an attached audio device, headphones, or a display.
- Raise the output volume and make sure mute is off, then test YouTube again.
macOS routes audio to a selected output. Available choices can include connected USB or audio-port devices and AirPlay devices, as well as speakers and displays. The system output setting also limits how loud an app can play. See Change the sound output settings on Mac.
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3. Isolate connected devices
Temporarily disconnect headphones, external speakers, USB audio devices, and external displays, then test again. A connected device may have become the selected destination even if you expected audio from another one.
If you want sound through a display but macOS keeps selecting another connected device, Apple advises unplugging headphones or external speakers before selecting the display’s speakers. Reconnect devices one at a time and check Sound > Output to see which one changes the selected route. Apple’s display-audio guidance is at Connect a display to your Mac.
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4. If the intended output is an HDMI-connected display
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Sound > Output and select the HDMI-connected device.
- Confirm that the display itself is configured to play sound.
- When troubleshooting HDMI audio on a Mac mini, disconnect audio devices plugged into the computer’s headphone jack and test the display again.
These are routing and connection checks; they do not mean an HDMI cable is normally the cause. Apple’s Mac mini-specific instructions are at If your Mac mini doesn’t play sound through HDMI.
If viewers can’t hear a broadcast from OBS or another encoder
A working YouTube player volume does not establish that your broadcast contains audio. First play audio locally on the Mac mini. If local sound works but the broadcast is silent, investigate the encoder’s source and routing rather than the Mac’s listening volume.
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- Check the encoder’s audio sources. Confirm that the intended application, desktop audio, microphone, or other source is routed into the broadcast. Check the encoder’s meters or monitoring, if available.
- Check an encoder recording. Make a local recording or review the encoder’s local archive. If that is also silent, the fault is likely before or within the encoder output, not simply the YouTube player.
- Review encoder errors. Look for audio-source or capture problems and correct the source or routing indicated.
- Compare with the live stream. If the local archive has sound but the audience-facing YouTube stream does not, check the stream output and YouTube live controls. YouTube’s live-stream guidance recommends checking routed audio/video sources, encoder output, errors, and, if necessary, testing another encoder: Troubleshoot live streaming issues.
OBS version-specific audio capture on macOS
OBS’s capture options depend on both OBS and macOS versions. OBS documents that OBS Studio 30 and later on macOS 13 (Ventura) and later can use a macOS Audio Capture Source for desktop audio or a single application. Its guide also describes a Screen Capture Source for OBS 28/29 on macOS 13 and later; if that source is hidden, its audio is removed. Check your installed versions before following a version-specific setup. See OBS’s macOS desktop audio capture guide.
These documented options mean older third-party virtual-audio-device instructions should not be treated as universally required for current OBS setups.
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When to seek service
If the Mac mini’s built-in speakers remain silent after checking the selected output and isolating connected devices, Apple says service may be needed. That guidance applies to a persistent built-in-speaker problem; it does not diagnose a YouTube playback or encoder issue. See Apple’s sound troubleshooting guidance.
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