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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To prevent OBS audio clipping in a 24/7 YouTube stream, lower excessive gain at its source, use a compressor for unpredictable spikes, and place a limiter last in the source’s filter chain as a final ceiling. Then record representative content—including its loudest moments—and listen back before relying on the stream. A low OBS fader alone cannot fix distortion that has already occurred earlier in the signal chain.
What clipping is—and where to look first
Clipping is distortion caused when the delivered digital signal exceeds its maximum level. OBS identifies 0 dBFS as the digital full-scale ceiling: its internal floating-point processing can exceed that level, but the stream or recording output must remain below it to avoid clipping. The problem can arise before the signal reaches OBS, inside OBS processing, or in the final mix.
Trace the signal in order rather than immediately turning down the stream output:
- Source: Check the microphone’s gain control, mixer channel or master level, or audio interface controls. Listen to the source as early in the chain as practical.
- Operating system and application: Check input levels and any application-specific volume controls that affect what OBS receives.
- OBS source and filters: Inspect the source’s input indicator and fader, then review filters that may change its level.
- Final output: Check the main output meter and listen to a recording. A clean-looking meter does not replace listening.
OBS’s input-level indicator is before the source fader but after source filters. If you suspect the capture input is already too hot, temporarily disable source filters and check the indicator again. Compare what you hear before OBS with what you hear after it; a low fader cannot undo distortion introduced at the microphone, interface, mixer, or another earlier stage.
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Set practical levels and leave headroom
Correct excessive gain as early in the chain as practical, beginning at the device and then checking operating-system and application controls before refining the OBS fader. This helps keep an already-distorted input from being mistaken for a problem the fader can repair.
OBS documentation describes −20 dBFS as an alignment level and −9 dBFS as a permitted maximum in the context of meter conventions and safety margins. These are technical metering explanations, not a universal target for every source or a YouTube loudness specification. Use OBS’s mixer colors as a starting point: its guide places speech toward the lower red range, voice in the upper yellow range, and background music or effects in green. Sources that appear similar on a meter can still sound different in perceived loudness, so judge the balance by listening.
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Use a compressor for spikes and a limiter for the ceiling
A compressor and limiter serve different roles. Put a compressor near the beginning of the relevant source’s filter chain to reduce louder sections more generally. Put a limiter last to help stop the processed signal from exceeding a set threshold. Neither replaces a clean input signal or a listening check.
Compressor: control occasional loud sections
In OBS, select the relevant source in the Audio Mixer, open its filters, and add the Compressor filter. The compressor reduces the source when it crosses its threshold and returns it toward its prior level as the sound falls. Its controls include ratio, threshold, attack, release, and output gain. Set them against the actual source rather than assuming one preset suits every microphone or recording. In particular, output gain can raise the level entering later processing, so recheck the downstream peaks after changing it.
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If desktop audio or music competes with speech, OBS documents compressor sidechain/ducking as a way to lower the desktop source while the microphone is active. For that specific ducking use, OBS suggests a starting point of ratio 32:1, threshold −36 dB, attack 100 ms, release 600 ms, 0 dB output gain, and the microphone as the sidechain source. These are suggested ducking values, not general compressor or limiter settings; listen for abrupt or distracting changes.
Limiter: set a final peak ceiling
In the relevant source’s filters, add the Limiter filter and place it last in the chain. OBS describes the limiter as a fast, high-ratio compressor intended to prevent a signal from exceeding its threshold. Its documented defaults are a −6.00 dB threshold and 60 ms release. These are defaults, not guaranteed ideal values for every source. Adjust only after testing the loudest realistic material, and listen for pumping or audible distortion. The documentation defines the controls but does not prescribe one threshold for all streams.
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| Filter | Main job | Typical place in chain | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Reduces louder sections when they cross a threshold | Near the beginning | Threshold, ratio, attack, release, and the level produced by output gain |
| Limiter | Provides a final ceiling against peaks | Last | Threshold, release, remaining headroom, and audible artifacts |
Check channel routing as well as level
Clipping is not the only reason audio can seem wrong on a long-running stream. OBS defaults to stereo. Its mixer guide explains that a mono source is heard in both left and right channels, while a stereo source follows its channel assignment. If only one stereo meter is active, viewers may hear the source on only that side. If the source should be centered, check OBS’s advanced mixer audio options for Downmix to Mono.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Record and listen before depending on the stream
OBS recommends making a normal session recording and listening before going live. Test with representative content: the loudest expected voice, alerts, music, gameplay, or other sources, along with the scenes and filters used in the continuous stream.
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- Start a local recording in OBS using the scenes and audio routing intended for the stream.
- Include the loudest expected sections and any transition, alert, or source change that could alter levels.
- Listen to the recording, not just the meters. Check for distortion, abrupt volume changes, pumping, missing channels, and sources that overwhelm one another.
- Change one relevant gain or filter setting at a time, then record and listen again.
- Repeat the check after changing a source, scene, filter, device, or gain setting.
OBS’s peak-hold marker retains the loudest recent level for 20 seconds, which can help reveal a brief peak you missed. OBS documents automatic reconnect as an Advanced setting for stream continuity; reconnecting does not prevent audio clipping. The reviewed OBS documentation does not define a required 24/7 monitoring interval or a built-in remote audio-alert schedule. Arrange an operational way to notice if a source disappears or becomes unexpectedly loud, and treat any monitoring cadence as your own recommendation rather than an OBS requirement.
Troubleshoot clipping and other audio problems
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Distortion remains when the OBS fader is low | The signal may already be distorted at the source, interface, mixer, operating-system input, or application level. | Trace the chain from the physical source forward. Reduce gain at the earliest hot stage, then listen before and after OBS. Temporarily disable source filters when checking whether the input indicator is hot before filter processing. |
| Peaks remain after adding a compressor | The compressor reduces louder sections but is not a final output ceiling, or its settings and downstream gain are not suited to the source. | Recheck the compressor controls and output gain. Add a limiter last in the relevant chain, then record and listen to the loudest realistic material. |
| The limiter causes pumping or audible distortion | The threshold or release may not suit the source, or the signal may be too hot earlier in the chain. | Reduce excessive upstream gain first. Adjust the limiter based on representative audio rather than assuming the documented defaults are ideal, and listen again. |
| Audio is audible on only one side | A stereo source may be assigned to one channel rather than centered. | Check the source’s channel assignment and OBS advanced mixer audio options; use Downmix to Mono if appropriate for the source. |
| Audio balance changes unexpectedly between scenes or content | A source, scene, filter, or gain setting may differ, or the tested material did not include the loudest content. | Record the actual scenes and sources in use, including their loudest sections. Recheck after changing any relevant device, scene, filter, or gain setting. |
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