There is no universal OBS audio sync offset for a continuous YouTube stream. First check the stream viewers actually receive and identify whether audio or video is early. Adjust the affected OBS source: use Sync Offset when audio needs timing adjustment, or a video delay such as Render Delay when the image is early and needs to catch up with the audio.
First identify what is out of sync
This guide addresses an OBS live broadcast to YouTube, including a stream that plays videos continuously. The exact playback, capture and audio-routing chain can vary, so a setting that works for one setup is not a reliable starting value for another.
- Check the actual YouTube playback, not only the OBS preview. Use a clear, repeatable cue such as a visible clap paired with its sound.
- Decide which event happens first. If the sound comes before the visible event, audio is early. If the visible event comes before the sound, video is early.
- Make the adjustment to the source that needs to wait, then check YouTube playback again.
OBS’s monitor and YouTube’s public playback may not be equivalent if a broadcast delay is configured. YouTube documents monitor-stream settings separately from the stream shown to viewers (LiveBroadcasts API reference).
Choose the right OBS control
Audio is early: delay the audio source
In the OBS audio mixer, open the affected source’s menu and choose Advanced Audio Properties. Adjust that source’s Sync Offset in milliseconds, then test again in the public YouTube playback. The OBS source API describes this as an audio sync offset (OBS Studio source reference API).
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Change the value in measured increments rather than copying a number from another setup. The right amount depends on the particular source and signal path; no universal offset is established.
Video is early: delay the image
If the picture leads the sound, delaying the audio would move it in the wrong direction. Add a video delay filter to the source whose image needs to wait. OBS’s Render Delay filter delays the source image and is documented as useful for synchronizing a webcam image with microphone audio (OBS Project Render Delay Filter, dated January 12, 2022).
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Apply and test the delay on the relevant image source, then recheck the public stream. Do not assume a delay on one source fixes every video source in a scene.
Optional: use a measurement dock
The community project obs-audio-video-sync-dock describes a measurement approach: positive latency indicates audio is lagged and video is early; negative latency indicates audio is early and video is lagged. Treat this as the project’s own guidance, not an independently verified result or a guarantee of compatibility with every OBS setup. Its documentation points to audio Sync Offset or video delay filters depending on which side is early.
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Separate source sync from YouTube viewer latency
An OBS source offset changes the timing relationship between a source’s audio and the rest of the composition. YouTube live latency is different: it is the delay from capture to playback for viewers. If audio and video stay synchronized with each other but the entire stream reaches viewers late, changing a source offset is not the right first fix.
YouTube explains that lower latency reduces the player’s read-ahead buffer, which supports quicker interaction but leaves less protection against encoder or player problems and can increase buffering. Network congestion can add delay even when a connection can sustain the stream’s average bitrate. For streams without audience interaction, YouTube recommends normal latency for the lowest viewer buffering among the choices it describes (Understand live streaming latency).
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RTMP and HLS are not interchangeable for latency
YouTube says HLS has higher latency than RTMP because HLS sends video in segments rather than as a continuous stream. Its HLS guidance specifies segment durations of 1–4 seconds and says shorter segments can reduce latency; ultra-low latency is unavailable with HLS. The guide lists OBS among encoders that support HLS output, but that is not a recommendation for a particular OBS configuration (Set up an HLS stream).
Latency modes and broadcast delay
YouTube’s LiveBroadcasts API lists normal, low and ultra-low latency preferences. It notes that low latency may affect smoothness; ultra-low latency reduces viewer delay further but does not support closed captions or resolutions above 1080p. The API also describes an explicit broadcast delay associated with monitor-stream settings and says it cannot be updated after a broadcast reaches testing or live state (LiveBroadcasts API reference). These options concern delivery and monitoring, not the correct source-level audio offset.
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Troubleshoot a persistent mismatch
- The correction makes sync worse: Recheck which signal leads in the actual YouTube playback. Undo the adjustment and delay the other side if needed.
- OBS looks right, but viewers hear a mismatch: Test the public playback directly. If a monitor stream or broadcast delay is configured, account for the difference between the monitor and viewer feed.
- Audio and video are aligned, but the stream arrives late: Inspect YouTube latency mode, network conditions and whether the stream uses RTMP or HLS. A source sync offset does not remove end-to-end delivery delay.
- Playback buffers or feels unstable at lower latency: YouTube’s smaller read-ahead buffer is more exposed to encoder, player and network issues. Consider whether faster interaction is worth that trade-off.
- The mismatch appears only in a continuous video sequence: Check the actual output across the transition as well as within a clip. The correct fix depends on the source chain; the available evidence does not establish a universal fault or offset for sequential video playback.
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