The Tool Desk
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Choose the right capture method
Decide whether you need all desktop audio—system sounds and sound from every app—or audio from one application. The available built-in options depend on your operating system and, on macOS, its version and OBS version.
- All desktop audio: Start by checking OBS’s global Desktop Audio device. On supported systems, a scene-specific audio output source is another option.
- One application: Windows has an Application Audio Capture source in supported Windows versions. macOS 13 Ventura and later can capture all desktop audio or a selected app with OBS Studio 30 and later.
- Older macOS or an app OBS cannot capture directly: Software audio routing may be needed as a fallback.
- Linux: OBS lists ALSA and PulseAudio capture sources; the specific setup depends on the system’s audio configuration.
Capture all desktop audio
Windows
- Play audio from any application.
- In OBS, watch the Desktop Audio meter in the Audio Mixer. If it moves, OBS is capturing the selected desktop output already.
- If it does not move, open Settings → Audio and set the Desktop Audio device to the output you are using. Apply the change and check the meter again.
- If you prefer to capture an output only in a particular scene, add an Audio Output Capture source in that scene and select the relevant device.
Do not capture the same output through both the global Desktop Audio setting and an Audio Output Capture source. Disable the corresponding global device when using the scene source; otherwise the audio may be duplicated and sound like an echo.
macOS
On macOS 13 Ventura or later, OBS Studio 30 or later includes a macOS Audio Capture source for all desktop audio or a selected application. OBS’s macOS Screen Capture source also captures audio on macOS 13 and later. OBS documents Screen Capture-based audio for OBS 28 and 29 on macOS 13 or later.
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- In the Sources dock, click + and add macOS Audio Capture or macOS Screen Capture.
- Choose whether to capture all desktop audio or a particular application, where that choice is available in the selected source.
- Play sound and confirm the source’s meter moves in the Audio Mixer.
For older macOS versions, OBS says additional software is needed for desktop audio capture. Its guidance describes a VB-CABLE setup and also names Loopback and Sound Siphon as routing options. These are third-party software choices, not requirements for the built-in macOS 13-and-later path.
Linux
OBS’s source availability guidance marks Audio Input/Output Capture unavailable on Linux and directs users to ALSA or PulseAudio audio capture sources. Select the source family that matches the audio system available on your distribution, then verify its meter while audio is playing. The official guidance cited here does not provide a distribution-specific desktop-routing walkthrough, so exact source labels and setup can vary.
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Capture audio from one application
Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11
- In the Sources dock, click + and add Application Audio Capture. Give the source a descriptive name.
- Select the window or application producing the sound.
- Choose the matching preference. OBS recommends matching by type for most apps. If an app’s window title changes—for example, as a browser tab or music track changes—matching by executable name can keep capture attached as the title changes.
- Play audio from the chosen app and confirm the source meter responds.
OBS 30.1 and later also offers a Capture Audio (BETA) option on Window Capture or Game Capture sources. If you use an application or scene source, disable the matching global Desktop Audio device to avoid capturing the same sound twice.
If Windows Application Audio Capture misses the app
Some application audio paths may not work with Application Audio Capture. OBS documents routing the app through VB-CABLE as a fallback:
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- Install and configure VB-CABLE according to its current setup guidance.
- In Windows Volume Mixer, assign the application’s output to CABLE Input.
- In OBS, add an Audio Input Capture source and select the cable’s output device.
- Play audio and check that the source meter moves. Avoid separately capturing the same sound through global Desktop Audio.
This is a software-routing workaround. It is not a requirement to buy a physical audio cable or interface.
Verify the capture before recording or streaming
- Play the exact audio you intend to capture.
- Watch the meter for the relevant device or source in the Audio Mixer. If it stays still, check that the right source is selected and that the application is producing sound.
- Make a short test recording, then listen to it. Check that the audio is present, not duplicated, and at a usable level.
- Only after the test sounds right should you start an important recording or stream. OBS recommends testing for a few minutes rather than jumping straight into a first stream or recording.
Troubleshoot silent, missing, or doubled audio
- No meter movement: Confirm that audio is playing, then open Settings → Audio and select the output device actually in use. For a scene or application source, confirm the intended device, window, or app is selected.
- The wrong app is captured: Revisit the Application Audio Capture selection. If the app’s title changes, try matching by executable name rather than a changing window title.
- Application Audio Capture does not hear a Windows app: Try OBS’s documented VB-CABLE routing fallback, assigning the app to CABLE Input in Volume Mixer and capturing the cable output in OBS.
- Audio echoes or sounds doubled: Look for duplicate capture paths. Disable global Desktop Audio when the same device or app is already captured by a scene or application source.
- macOS desktop audio is unavailable: Check that the system is macOS 13 or later and that the OBS source is supported by your OBS version. Older macOS workflows may require additional routing software.
- Linux source names do not match these instructions: OBS’s guidance points to ALSA and PulseAudio sources, but distribution and audio-system configuration affect the exact setup.
- Sound appears in the mixer but not in the recording: Make and listen to a test recording before going live. Check that the source is active in the intended scene and that you are not testing a different source than the one you configured.
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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