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In OBS, open Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and set the desired monitoring mode for each audio source. Use Monitor Off to send the source to stream output without local monitoring, Monitor Only to hear it locally without sending it to stream output, or Monitor and Output to do both. Then select the monitoring device in OBS audio settings and test the complete route before leaving a children’s video stream unattended. Monitoring settings control audio routing; they do not make a stream 24/7 or guarantee uptime. OBS Project’s Audio Mixer Guide describes these controls and recommends listening at the device and in OBS.
Choose the right monitoring mode for each source
Audio Monitoring is set per source in Edit > Advanced Audio Properties. The choice depends on two questions: should an operator hear the sound on the local monitoring device, and should viewers receive it through the stream output?
| Mode | Hear locally? | Included in stream output? | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor Off | No | Yes, if the source is otherwise routed to the stream | For programme audio that should go to viewers but does not need local playback. |
| Monitor Only | Yes | No | For checking a source locally without including it in the stream mix. |
| Monitor and Output | Yes | Yes | For programme audio an operator needs to hear while it is also sent to viewers. |
Monitoring is not a substitute for checking the stream mix. Confirm the source is present in the OBS mixer and routed as intended. Menu wording and device behavior can vary by OBS version and operating system, so verify the result on the machine you will use.
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Set up and verify monitoring
- Identify the audio sources. In the intended scene, note which sources provide music, narration, sound effects, or other audio. Confirm each appears in the OBS mixer.
- Check for duplicate capture. If a device is added as an Audio Input Capture or Audio Output Capture source in a scene, check whether that same device is also selected in Settings > Audio. OBS warns that capturing a device both globally and as a scene-specific source can cause echo. If using the scene-specific capture, disable the duplicate global device. See OBS Project’s Audio Sources guide.
- Choose a mode for each source. Open Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and select Monitor Off, Monitor Only, or Monitor and Output according to the table above.
- Select and test the monitoring device. In OBS audio settings, choose the intended monitoring device, connect the headphones or speakers, and play the source. OBS describes the mixer’s monitor control as playing that source through the configured monitoring device. A wired pair of headphones for audio monitoring is one practical way to listen privately; OBS does not require a particular model.
- Check meters and listen. Confirm the meters move when sound is present and that the signal does not reach clipping. Do not rely on meter appearance alone: OBS notes that sources that look similarly loud on meters may not sound equally loud to viewers.
- Make a test recording and play it back. Record a representative section using the intended scene and routing. Listen to the recording to check what the stream mix contains, then separately confirm that local monitoring is audible as intended. OBS recommends making and playing back a test recording before going live; meters alone cannot confirm audible playback.
Avoid echo, feedback, and clipped audio
Echo or hollow, doubled sound
First check whether the same device is captured in both Settings > Audio and a scene-specific capture source; OBS identifies that duplicate capture as a possible cause of echo. Also inspect the routing to ensure the monitoring output is not being captured again as another OBS input. Change one route at a time and repeat the test recording.
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Monitoring is silent
- Confirm the source is active and its mixer meter moves when audio plays.
- Check that the source’s Audio Monitoring mode is not set to Monitor Off if you expect to hear it locally.
- Confirm the intended device is selected in OBS audio settings, connected, and able to play sound.
- Play the source again and test both the monitoring device and a recording; the two checks distinguish local-monitoring problems from stream-output routing problems.
Audio clips or sounds harsh
OBS defines 0 dBFS as the digital maximum and warns that recorded or streamed audio above 0 dBFS can clip. Keep the output below that ceiling. The OBS Audio Mixer Technical Details guide labels -20 dBFS (OBS Project, 2022) as the Alignment Level and -9 dBFS (OBS Project, 2022) as the Permitted Maximum Level. These are technical meter-reference values, not universal programme loudness targets for every children’s video. The guide also explains that its permitted-maximum figure includes margins related to meter reading and signal-chain alignment.
Meters move, but the result still sounds wrong
Listen to both the monitoring device and the test recording. OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide describes meter colors as broad zones: green for background music and effects, yellow for speech or other content depending on the mix, and red as close to clipping. Those colors cannot establish that two sources will sound equally loud to viewers, so make the listening check with representative content.
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What audio monitoring does—and does not—do for a 24/7 stream
Monitoring lets an operator hear selected sources through a configured local device. It does not provide stream uptime, automatic restart, or failover. OBS’s audio guidance does not define a special 24/7 monitoring preset or guarantee continuous streaming. The OBS Audio/Video Formats Guide discusses resilient local recording formats, not a 24/7 stream-uptime configuration. Hardware, operating system, OBS version, routing, and restart requirements differ, so test the final setup on the actual machine before relying on it unattended.
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