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Use OBS Studio when you need editable game and microphone audio on different tracks. Add the game as a video source, capture its audio with Application Audio Capture or the newer game-capture audio option, add the microphone as a separate Audio Input Capture source, then assign each source to its own recording track. Keep a combined mix on track 1 when the file must play correctly in basic media players.
What “separate audio” means in a recording
There are two related but different parts of the setup:
- Sources are the inputs OBS receives, such as the game window, the game’s application audio and your microphone.
- Tracks are the audio mixes OBS writes into the recorded video file.
Adding the game and microphone as separate sources does not automatically create separate tracks. You must route those sources to different tracks in Advanced Audio Properties and then enable those tracks for recording. In an editor, you can then lower, mute or process the commentary without changing the game sound.
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Most ordinary video players play only one audio track at a time. For broad playback compatibility, assign both sources to track 1 as a combined mix and also assign them to their individual tracks. Your editor can use the isolated tracks, while a basic player still hears both sounds.
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What you need before starting
- A Windows 10 installation updated to version 2004 or later, or Windows 11, for OBS per-application audio capture.
- OBS Studio. Its per-application audio feature is documented from OBS Studio 28 onward; the “Capture Audio (BETA)” option for Game Capture and Window Capture is available in OBS 30.1 or later.
- A running game for the initial source selection if you choose a specific game window.
- A microphone or headset input visible to Windows. A new USB microphone is optional; any supported input device that appears in Windows can be selected.
- An editor that can display multiple audio tracks if you want to adjust them independently after recording.
You do not need to purchase a special microphone, capture card or paid recording application for this workflow. OBS can use an existing headset microphone or another input device that Windows exposes. New hardware may improve convenience or sound quality, but it is not a requirement for separating the tracks.
Set up OBS to capture game and microphone audio separately
1. Run OBS’s configuration wizard
Install and open OBS Studio. The first-run Auto-Configuration Wizard asks whether you primarily want to stream or record. Choose the recording-oriented option and allow OBS to estimate settings for your hardware. You can change the output settings later, but the wizard provides a sensible starting point for encoder and resolution choices.
2. Add the game video
In the Sources dock, select + and choose Game Capture. Game Capture is the Windows source intended for 3D games. Select the mode that matches your game:
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- Capture specific window lets you choose one running game. Start the game first, because it must be running when you select the window.
- Capture foreground window with hotkey allows you to switch the captured game using a keyboard shortcut.
If Game Capture does not work with a particular title, try the corresponding Window Capture mode and follow OBS’s capture troubleshooting guidance. Do not assume a blank preview means the audio setup is wrong; video capture and audio capture are separate checks.
3. Capture the game’s audio
Choose one of these methods, depending on your OBS version and the game:
Option A: enable audio on Game Capture or Window Capture
In OBS 30.1 or later, open the properties of the Game Capture or Window Capture source and enable Capture Audio (BETA). This associates the captured window with its application audio.
Option B: add Application Audio Capture
In the Sources dock, choose + and select Application Audio Capture (BETA). Select the game window or application. OBS documents this per-application source for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11, with the feature available from OBS Studio 28 onward.
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Use only one direct method for the game’s sound. If you enable Capture Audio on the game source and also add an Application Audio Capture source for the same game, you can record the sound twice and create an echo or increased volume.
4. Add the microphone as its own source
In Sources, select + and choose Audio Input Capture. Name it clearly, such as “Commentary mic,” then choose your microphone from the device list. OBS captures the input while this source is active in the scene.
Speak and watch the Audio Mixer. The microphone meter should move independently from the game meter. If you use several scenes, add the microphone source to each scene where commentary is required, or create a scene collection with a consistent audio layout.
5. Prevent duplicate audio and echo
When you use Application Audio Capture, disable the global desktop capture that would otherwise collect the same game sound. Open Settings → Audio and set the global Desktop Audio device to Disabled if that desktop source is duplicating the application source.
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6. Assign sources to different tracks
In the Audio Mixer, open the gear menu and choose Advanced Audio Properties. Each source has checkboxes for the available tracks. A practical arrangement is:
| Source | Track 1 (compatibility mix) | Track 2 (game) | Track 3 (microphone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game/Application Audio | On | On | Off |
| Commentary microphone | On | Off | On |
Track 1 now contains both sounds, track 2 contains only the game and track 3 contains only the microphone. You can use different track numbers, but keep a written mapping so you know which track is which when importing the file into an editor.
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Do not confuse a muted mixer fader with an unassigned track. A source can be visible in the mixer yet absent from a saved track if its checkbox is clear. Conversely, assigning a source to several tracks intentionally duplicates that source into each selected mix. Use that behavior for the compatibility mix, not as a substitute for checking your routing.
7. Enable those tracks for recording
Open Settings → Output and switch to the recording section. Enable every track you intend to write, including the separate game and microphone tracks. Track assignment in Advanced Audio Properties controls routing; the Output settings determine which routed tracks are actually saved. If you forget this second step, a source may appear correctly in the mixer but be absent from the file.
8. Select a safe recording format
OBS recommends recording to MKV. If OBS or Windows stops unexpectedly, MKV reduces the chance that the entire recording becomes unusable. When you finish, use OBS’s remux function to create an MP4 if your editor or delivery workflow requires MP4. Remuxing changes the container; it does not combine your independently routed audio tracks.
Keep the original MKV until you have checked the remuxed file in your editor. If the editor accepts MKV directly, you can work from that file; if it requires MP4, remux after recording rather than changing the capture method solely for player convenience.
9. Make a short test recording
- Start the game and confirm that the game meter moves.
- Speak into the microphone and confirm that the microphone meter moves separately.
- Start recording, create several seconds of game sound and commentary, then stop.
- Open the test in your intended editor and verify that track 2 contains only game audio and track 3 contains only microphone audio.
- Play track 1 in a normal media player to confirm that the combined mix is audible.
Do this test after changing a game, scene, capture method or audio device. A two-minute check is faster than discovering after a long session that the microphone was muted or the wrong track was disabled. Test the quiet parts as well as loud gameplay: a meter that moves briefly does not prove that the desired source remains present for the whole session.
Editing the separate tracks
Import the recording into a multitrack editor and expand the audio streams if they are grouped under one video clip. Keep the game and microphone on separate timeline lanes. You can then:
- Lower the game during explanations without changing speech volume.
- Remove a cough or pause from the microphone while leaving game ambience intact.
- Apply noise reduction or compression to commentary only.
- Mute a licensed or unwanted game segment without deleting your voiceover.
If the editor shows only one audio stream, first confirm that the recording tracks were enabled in OBS Output settings. Also check that the editor supports multitrack audio in the selected container; a player that offers only one “audio” button may simply be choosing track 1 rather than proving that the other tracks are missing.
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When exporting a finished video, decide whether the audience needs selectable tracks or a universal mix. A platform or basic player may use only the first stream, so retain the combined track 1 unless your delivery format explicitly supports the separate streams. Keep the isolated tracks in the project or source file so you can make a revised mix later.
When Xbox Game Bar is enough
Windows 10 and Windows 11 include Xbox Game Bar for quick clips. Open its Capturing settings and choose All for audio to include system sound. Press Win+Alt+M to toggle the microphone, and press Win+Alt+R to start or stop recording. The resulting MP4 is saved in VideosCaptures.
Game Bar is useful when convenience matters more than post-production control. Microsoft’s documented controls cover including system audio and toggling the microphone, but they do not document assigning game audio and microphone to independently editable recording tracks. If you need isolated tracks, use OBS. If you only need a shareable clip with both sounds mixed together, Game Bar may be sufficient.
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|---|---|---|
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| Playback in a basic player without editing | OBS with both sources on track 1 | Many players play only one audio track. |
Troubleshoot missing or duplicated audio
The game meter does not move
- Confirm the game is running and that the selected application or window is the correct one.
- Check Windows app-volume routing and make sure the game is not muted.
- If you used Application Audio Capture, verify that the source is enabled in the current scene.
- Make a short recording and inspect it in the editor rather than relying only on a preview.
Some application audio output is incompatible with Application Audio Capture. OBS documents a virtual-cable fallback for these cases.
Use a virtual cable when direct application capture fails
- Install and configure a virtual audio cable supported by your system.
- In the Windows Volume Mixer, route the affected game application to CABLE Input.
- In OBS, add Audio Input Capture and select CABLE Output.
- If you need to hear the routed sound locally, enable the device’s Listen option in Windows as described by OBS.
- Watch the new source meter and repeat the short-track test.
This workaround adds routing and monitoring steps and is not a guarantee for every application, so use it only when the direct source cannot capture the game.
The microphone is doubled or echoed
Look for the same physical microphone in both Settings → Audio and the scene’s Audio Input Capture source. Disable one path. Also check that a monitoring device is not feeding the microphone back into the recording.
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The recording has only one track
Reopen Advanced Audio Properties and confirm that the game and microphone are checked on different tracks. Then open Settings → Output and enable those track numbers for recording. Finally, test with an editor that can display multiple audio streams; some simple players expose only track 1.
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The game video is blank
Review the Game Capture mode, confirm that the intended game is running, and try Window Capture if appropriate. OBS’s capture troubleshooting guidance covers title-specific and graphics-related failures; there is no single fix that applies to every game. Continue to verify the audio meters separately, because a video-capture problem does not necessarily indicate an audio problem.
A reliable pre-session checklist
- Windows is version 10 (2004 or later) or Windows 11.
- The game source shows the intended window or fullscreen mode.
- Exactly one active path captures the game audio.
- The microphone appears as an Audio Input Capture source.
- Game and microphone meters move independently.
- Track 1 is enabled if ordinary-player compatibility matters.
- Separate game and microphone tracks are enabled in Output settings.
- The recording format is MKV unless your workflow specifically requires another container.
- A short test opens correctly in the target editor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I record game audio and microphone audio as separate files in OBS?
This setup is designed to keep both sources in one video file as separate selectable audio tracks. Track 2 can contain only the game and track 3 only the microphone, while track 1 can contain a combined mix. You can export the tracks separately later from a multitrack editor if your workflow requires separate files.
Why do I need both Advanced Audio Properties and Output settings?
Advanced Audio Properties decides which tracks each source feeds. Settings → Output decides which of those tracks OBS actually writes to the recording. Both steps are required; routing a source without enabling its track can leave that audio out of the file.
Should Desktop Audio be enabled when using Application Audio Capture?
Usually not for the same game audio. Disable the global Desktop Audio device when it would capture the game in addition to the application source. Two active paths can create doubled sound or an echo.
Why does my normal media player play only one track?
Many basic players select a single audio track rather than mixing every stream. Put both the game and microphone on track 1 as well as their isolated tracks. Your editor can still use tracks 2 and 3 independently.
Can Xbox Game Bar create separate editable game and microphone tracks?
Microsoft documents Game Bar’s All audio option and microphone toggle, but not independent recording-track assignment. Use Game Bar for a quick mixed clip and OBS when you need isolated tracks for editing.
What should I do if Application Audio Capture cannot hear my game?
Some application audio output is incompatible with that source. Use a virtual audio cable as a fallback: route the game to CABLE Input in Windows Volume Mixer, capture CABLE Output with OBS Audio Input Capture, enable Listen if you need local monitoring, and test the result.
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Do I need a USB microphone for this method?
No. Any microphone or headset input that appears as a Windows device can be selected as Audio Input Capture. A USB microphone is optional hardware, not a requirement for separate tracks.
How can I verify the setup before recording a long session?
Check that the game and microphone meters move independently, record a short sample, open it in the intended editor, and confirm that the game-only, microphone-only and combined tracks contain the expected audio. Repeat the check after changing scenes, games or devices.
The Bottom Line
For editable recordings, use OBS: capture the game and microphone as distinct sources, route them to separate tracks, enable those tracks in Output settings, and keep a combined track 1 for ordinary-player compatibility. Record to MKV, test a short sample, and use a virtual cable only when direct application capture fails. Xbox Game Bar remains a convenient option for quick mixed clips, but it does not document isolated game and microphone tracks.
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