To keep game audio in an OBS livestream and its YouTube archive, first make sure OBS is actually capturing the game’s audio. For supported Windows systems, add an Application Audio Capture (BETA) source and select the game, or—in OBS Studio 30.1 or later—enable Capture Audio (BETA) on a Game Capture or Window Capture source. If the problem is only in a local recording, also check its audio track settings. YouTube’s reviewed encoder guidance does not establish how its archive handles separate audio tracks, so don’t assume OBS’s Twitch VOD Track setting fixes a YouTube replay.
First identify which audio output is missing
“VOD” can mean different things. A YouTube livestream archive is the replay YouTube makes of a broadcast; a local OBS recording is a file saved on your computer; and a prerecorded video replayed as a stream is another output path. The settings below can help capture game audio in OBS, but track advice for local recordings does not establish how YouTube processes an archive.
- Missing from the live broadcast: check whether OBS captures the game and whether its audio appears in the mixer.
- Missing from a local recording: check which tracks contain the game audio and which track is enabled for recording.
- Missing only from YouTube’s archive: verify the OBS capture first, then avoid applying Twitch-specific VOD instructions to YouTube. The reviewed YouTube encoder guidance does not explain archive audio-track selection.
Capture game audio in OBS
Option 1: Add Application Audio Capture
OBS documents per-application audio capture for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. In OBS, add an Application Audio Capture (BETA) source and select the game’s window. For most applications, matching by window type is recommended; if the game changes its window title, matching by executable name may help. Confirm the source is active and that game audio registers in the OBS audio mixer.
When using Application Audio Capture sources, OBS advises disabling the global Desktop Audio source at Settings → Audio to avoid echo. This recommendation applies to that capture configuration; it is not a blanket instruction for every OBS scene.
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Option 2: Capture audio through Game Capture or Window Capture
In OBS Studio 30.1 or later, edit or add a Game Capture or Window Capture source and enable Capture Audio (BETA). This captures audio through the game or window source rather than requiring a separately selected application-audio source. Check the mixer to ensure the source is receiving sound.
Set up audio tracks for a local OBS recording
If you are saving a local recording for direct playback in a standard video player, place every sound you need—including game audio—on track 1, then make sure track 1 is enabled in Settings → Output. The OBS Project’s Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide, published 2023-07-14, warns that standard video players play one audio track at a time. A game track placed only on another track may therefore seem absent in a player that is playing a different track.
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Separate tracks can be useful when you plan to edit the recording, because they let you handle sources independently. Do not assume separate tracks will automatically mix together during playback; for a file that should work without editing, include all required sources on track 1.
Use VB-CABLE only if normal application capture fails
If Application Audio Capture does not work with a particular game’s audio path, OBS documents a fallback: route that application through VB-CABLE, then add an OBS Audio Input Capture source using the cable output. Try OBS’s standard capture methods first; a virtual cable is not required for every game.
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Why Twitch VOD Track is not the YouTube fix
OBS’s VOD Track guide describes separating audio for a live Twitch stream and its Twitch VOD; it identifies track 1 as the live feed and track 2 as the VOD feed by default. That is Twitch-specific behavior. Do not treat the Twitch VOD Track setting as a control for a YouTube archive. YouTube’s encoder information confirms that OBS can broadcast gameplay, but the reviewed page does not document how YouTube selects audio tracks for archived streams.
Troubleshoot missing game audio
- Pin down the affected output. Check whether audio is missing in the live stream, YouTube archive, or local file. These are different outputs, and a local recording track setting does not establish YouTube archive behavior.
- Check the OBS mixer. If the game does not register there, confirm that the correct capture source is active and is targeting the game window or application.
- Try a supported capture method. On Windows 10 version 2004 or later or Windows 11, test Application Audio Capture. With OBS Studio 30.1 or later, you can instead enable Capture Audio (BETA) on Game Capture or Window Capture.
- Fix duplicate capture or echo. If Application Audio Capture is active alongside global Desktop Audio and you hear echo, disable Desktop Audio under Settings → Audio, as OBS recommends for this setup.
- For a local file, check track 1. Make sure game audio and any other audio you need are assigned to track 1, and enable that track in Settings → Output for recording.
- If application capture is incompatible, try the cable fallback. Route the game through VB-CABLE and add its output as an OBS Audio Input Capture source.
- If only the YouTube archive is affected, keep the platform distinction in view. The reviewed references do not establish YouTube’s archive track-selection behavior; Twitch VOD Track instructions are not evidence of a YouTube solution.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- The new generation of the artist's interface: Connect your mic to Scarlett's 4th Gen mic pres. Plug in your guitar. Fire up the included software. Start making your first big hit
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