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If audio disappears when OBS moves to the next cartoon episode, first find out whether it is missing from the recording or stream too, or only from OBS’s local monitoring. Watch the source’s mixer meter, make a short recording across the transition, and play it back. That result determines whether to check the media and track routing or the monitoring device and mode.
1. Check whether the recording is silent or only monitoring
- Play the playlist until the problem occurs and watch the source’s meter in the OBS Audio Mixer.
- Record a short sample that includes the end of one episode and the beginning of the next.
- Play the recording in a standard media player. If it has sound, the recording captured audio and the fault is likely in local monitoring or its playback device. If it is silent too, investigate the file, source settings, mute or volume state, and recording track assignment.
A moving meter alone does not confirm that viewers can hear the stream, and silent monitoring does not prove the recording or stream is silent. Test the output you care about before changing settings.
2. Check the source type and episode audio track
OBS has two relevant source types. Media Source plays an individual file; VLC Video can play a playlist and relies on VLC being installed. OBS’s Media Sources documentation, published January 11, 2022, says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Read OBS’s Media Sources documentation.
If the playlist uses VLC Video
- Open the source’s properties and check that the playlist contains the expected episodes in the intended order.
- Check the Audio Track selection. OBS documents track 1 as the default; confirm the episode actually has an audio stream on the selected track.
- Test the episode by itself, then test it as the next playlist item. If it is silent in both cases, focus on that file or track. If it works alone but fails only after the preceding episode, note the transition-specific behavior for further diagnosis.
- If VLC Video is not working as expected, confirm VLC is installed and its architecture matches OBS (64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS).
If the source is Media Source
- Open its properties and verify the selected file. OBS documents Media Source support for common formats including MP4, MKV, MOV, WebM, MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV.
- Check the playback and visibility options. “Restart playback when source becomes active” is on by default. “Close file when inactive” unloads the file; OBS notes that it may take a short time to show again when reactivated.
- Test the file’s audio and its behavior at the end of playback. These options describe playback and reloading behavior; they do not by themselves establish why audio is missing.
3. Confirm recording track assignment
OBS recording tracks are separate from a source’s selected audio track. Open Advanced Audio Properties from the mixer gear or the Edit menu, and check which recording track includes the source. Then open Settings → Output and confirm that track is enabled for recording.
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OBS’s Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide, published July 14, 2023, notes that a standard video player plays one audio track at a time. If you want to play the recording without editing it first, assign all audio sources to track 1. Read OBS’s multiple audio track recording guide.
4. If only OBS monitoring is silent
If the test recording has audio but you cannot hear the episode through OBS, check the monitoring device selected in OBS’s audio settings. Then open Advanced Audio Properties and inspect the source’s Audio Monitoring mode. Confirm the intended device is selected and that the source is not muted or at an inaudible level.
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You can toggle monitoring off and back to the intended mode as a diagnostic test. A user report says this temporarily restored sound, but the symptom returned on a later loop; it is not a guaranteed repair. Do not use “Monitor and Output” as a fix for audio missing from a recording or stream: first establish which output is silent.
5. Reproduce and describe the transition
Scene changes and playlist transitions have appeared in individual reports of monitoring failures, but those reports do not establish a single current OBS bug or a universal fix. For example, reports describe monitoring symptoms in OBS 25.0.8/26.0.0-rc1 and 26.0.2, and a separate Windows 11 report for OBS 31.0.0 describes a similar symptom with looping MP3s that had album art. These are reports by users in particular setups, not proof of prevalence or of a cause. Issue #3410, Issue #3806, Issue #11739.
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To narrow down your own case, test the same episode alone and after the previous one. Note whether hiding or switching scenes changes the result, and whether the problem affects every episode or just one transition. Do not assume a particular codec, VLC, album art, or OBS defect is responsible without evidence from the test.
6. Troubleshooting checklist
- The meter moves, but the test recording is silent: Check source mute and volume, the file’s audio stream and selected VLC Audio Track, and whether the source is assigned to an enabled recording track.
- The test recording has sound, but local monitoring is silent: Check OBS’s monitoring device and the source’s Audio Monitoring mode in Advanced Audio Properties.
- One episode fails even when played by itself: Verify that the file has an audio stream on the selected track; compare it with a known-working episode.
- Episodes work alone but a transition triggers silence: Repeat the short test around that transition and note scene visibility changes, source type, OBS version, and whether the recording or only monitoring is affected.
- VLC Video does not load or behaves unexpectedly: Confirm VLC is installed and that its 32-bit or 64-bit architecture matches OBS.
If the problem persists, gather the operating system, exact OBS version, source type (Media Source or VLC Video), media format, playlist order, whether the meter moves, whether the recording has audio, and whether the fault happens on every episode or only at transitions. Those details help distinguish the failure paths; they do not guarantee a particular resolution.
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