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Check a 24/7 Gurbani stream at three points: before it reaches OBS, through OBS Audio Monitoring, and on the YouTube stream a viewer actually hears. OBS’s mixer is useful for spotting peaks, but an active meter alone cannot confirm balanced, clean playback. There is no established Gurbani-specific loudness target in the cited guidance; focus on clean headroom, consistent passages, and regular listening checks.
Use three checks, not just the OBS meter
Each check catches a different problem. The source check finds issues before encoding; OBS monitoring checks what enters the encoder; YouTube playback confirms what reaches viewers. YouTube also recommends continuously monitoring audio and video quality in its Streaming tips.
- At the source: Listen at the media player, mixer, or audio interface before the signal reaches OBS.
- In OBS: Watch the mixer meter and listen through Audio Monitoring.
- On YouTube: Check the Live Control Room preview before starting, then listen to the public watch page during the broadcast, preferably from another device.
YouTube’s stream-health indicators help assess delivery, but the cited documentation does not describe them as loudness meters. A healthy delivery status does not establish that the audio sounds balanced or clean.
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Check levels in OBS and at YouTube
- Listen to the source before opening OBS. Play the audio through its player or mixer and listen for distortion, low level, hum, or channel imbalance. If the sound is already wrong here, an OBS output fader cannot repair the upstream cause.
- Watch OBS’s main mixer bar during representative content. Its colored bar is a peak programme meter, and the peak-hold marker helps reveal recent loud passages. Look for sudden peaks and clipping risk; do not treat a meter that moves without entering red as proof the mix sounds right. OBS explains the meter’s operation in its audio mixer documentation and technical notes on the mixer.
- Distinguish the VU-style indicator from the peak bar. The black VU-style indicator represents RMS integrated over 300 ms. It is not a standards-based integrated loudness reading and does not replace the peak meter.
- Listen through OBS Audio Monitoring. Send the monitored audio to headphones or another monitor output. Check both stereo channels, listening for clipping, hum, sudden jumps, quiet passages, and imbalance. If only one channel is active, inspect channel routing; viewers receive stereo channels as assigned. OBS recommends listening early in the device chain and again once audio reaches OBS.
- Check the YouTube preview before going live. Use the Live Control Room preview to hear and inspect the stream before starting the broadcast, as YouTube recommends in its streaming guidance.
- Listen to the public stream while live. Use a separate viewer device when possible and listen at a moderate volume. This tests the viewer-facing path rather than only the local encoder signal. If viewers report poor sound, YouTube advises checking the stream in the encoder and the local archive; see its live-stream troubleshooting guidance.
Understand what the measurements mean
Peak level: watch for clipping
Peak level, commonly shown in dBFS, helps identify clipping risk. In digital audio, 0 dBFS is the maximum representable level; a final output that reaches or exceeds it can distort. OBS’s meter has a permitted maximum zone and an operating margin, but those details do not define a target level for Gurbani programming.
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Average loudness: judge passages over time
A peak reading and perceived loudness answer different questions. A vocal passage can have safe-looking peaks yet sound quieter than another section. Compare representative passages by listening, and use a loudness measurement over time if you need a more objective comparison.
Integrated loudness and true peak: use a suitable meter
ITU-R BS.1770-5 specifies an algorithm for programme loudness and a method for indicating true-peak level. OBS’s standard mixer meter is a sample-peak meter, not a complete BS.1770 loudness and true-peak analyzer. If those measurements matter to your workflow, use a tool that explicitly provides them; the Loudness Dock plugin listing describes momentary, short-term, and integrated loudness, loudness range (LRA), and true peak. The listing identifies OBS Studio 28.0 or later; confirm current compatibility and download from the publisher’s page.
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Choose complementary monitoring tools
| Check or tool | What it tells you | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| OBS standard mixer meter | Sample-peak activity and recent peaks | Integrated programme loudness, true peak, or how the public stream sounds |
| OBS Audio Monitoring with headphones or a monitor output | What reaches OBS, heard directly; useful for channel balance, noise, and audible changes | Whether YouTube playback matches the local monitored signal |
| An appropriate loudness meter, such as the Loudness Dock plugin | Additional loudness-over-time and true-peak readings, as described by the plugin listing | Whether the viewer-facing YouTube stream sounds right |
| Live Control Room preview and public stream playback | Preview and listener-facing checks of YouTube delivery | A substitute for a dedicated integrated-loudness or true-peak analyzer |
These checks are complementary, not interchangeable. Closed-back monitoring headphones are an optional aid for listening; they do not replace meter checks or playback from YouTube.
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Check a continuous stream over time
A 24/7 stream can change after the initial check. A file may end, a loop may contain a silent gap or abrupt seam, or the next track may have a different level. Listen to transitions before relying on a playlist, then periodically confirm that audio remains present and balanced at the viewer end. StreamNeo’s 24/7 stream audio guide discusses loudness, silence floor, loop seams, and checking the signal that leaves the stream.
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- Listen to the loudest and quietest representative passages.
- Check the beginning and end of each recording and the transition where the playlist loops.
- Confirm audio is still present on the public stream after the broadcast has been running.
- If the public stream sounds wrong, compare it with OBS monitoring and the local recording to narrow down where the problem occurs.
Do not assume there is a Gurbani loudness target
The cited OBS, YouTube, and ITU material does not establish a Gurbani-specific loudness value or an official YouTube live-stream target. Do not treat a single LUFS number as a religious-programming requirement. Set levels to avoid clipping, preserve clean sound, keep transitions reasonably balanced, and verify playback on YouTube. YouTube’s advice to monitor quality is operational guidance, not a numeric loudness specification.
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