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If OBS’s audio meter is not moving, start at the source and trace the signal through your device and operating-system routing into OBS. If the meter moves but YouTube is silent, check OBS’s mute, fader, output routing and recording before changing the source. This guide follows that path so you can isolate missing, doubled, quiet, distorted or one-sided audio before a radio stream goes live.
Trace the audio signal from its source to OBS
Work through the chain in order: playback or input device, operating-system or application routing, OBS source, OBS mixer, then the encoded stream and YouTube. First note your operating system and OBS version; capture-source options differ by platform and release.
1. Confirm that audio exists at the origin
- Play music or another representative audio source and check the player’s selected output device and volume.
- Check the operating system’s output-device settings and, where available, its application volume mixer. Make sure the application is routed to the device you intend OBS to capture.
- If you use a physical mixer or audio interface, check its input gain and master or output path. Follow the signal from the device onward rather than assuming the computer is receiving it.
2. Confirm the OBS source and its device
- In the scene you plan to use, make sure the intended audio source is present, enabled and configured for the actual device.
- Open the source’s properties and select the intended endpoint explicitly if “Default” might resolve to another device.
- OBS documents scene-level Audio Input Capture and Audio Output Capture for selecting a particular device on Windows and macOS. On Linux, its documented capture sources use ALSA or PulseAudio instead. See OBS’s Audio Sources guide.
3. Use the mixer meter to locate the break
Play audio and watch the OBS mixer. A stationary meter points first to the source being disabled, the wrong device being selected, or audio being routed somewhere OBS cannot capture. If the meter moves, OBS is receiving a signal: check mute, fader, channel assignment, monitoring and output or track routing instead of repeatedly changing the capture source. The mixer provides meter, fader, mute and monitoring controls; its movement confirms that a signal reaches OBS, not that it reaches YouTube correctly.
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No meter movement in OBS
- Confirm the source is active in the current scene and its properties point to the device actually producing the sound.
- Recheck the application’s output selection, operating-system routing and volume, plus any physical mixer or interface controls.
- If the source is meant to capture a specific application, check that the selected application is running and that your capture method supports it.
Echo or doubled music
Check for the same endpoint being captured twice: once as a scene-level source and again under Settings > Audio. Disable one route. OBS warns that selecting the same device in both places can cause echo. The same principle applies when capturing an application separately while global Desktop Audio also captures its output.
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Meter moves, but the stream is silent
- Check whether the source or mixer is muted and whether its fader is turned down.
- Use OBS monitoring and make a short recording, then listen to that recording. If it is silent too, investigate OBS routing or output settings; if it is audible, continue to a YouTube test and inspect the selected output or track.
- Do not treat sound from the desktop player as proof that OBS is capturing or sending that sound.
Audio comes through only one side
Watch the meter’s left and right bars and check the source’s channel layout. If only one bar responds, the signal may be reaching just one stereo channel. Test both sides through headphones. For a genuinely mono source, OBS’s Advanced Audio option to downmix to mono can send it to both channels; use it only when mono is appropriate, not to conceal a faulty stereo route.
Audio is quiet, distorted or pumping
Check the physical device controls, operating-system level and application volume before adjusting the OBS fader or adding filters. Clipping can sound distorted, and reducing a later fader does not repair distortion already present upstream. For background music, OBS advises keeping the meter in the green zone, but meter colors are not a calibrated loudness or LUFS target.
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Choose the capture method for your operating system
Windows: capture all desktop sound or one application
For Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11, OBS documents Application Audio Capture as a way to capture an application selectively. Add that source, choose the application or window, and check the mixer meter. If the application’s window title changes, matching by executable name may keep the capture attached. When capturing apps separately, disable global Desktop Audio if it would capture the same sound again. Capture behavior and menu labels can vary by OBS release; the OBS application-audio guide was dated July 12, 2023.
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macOS: select an input or output capture source
OBS lists Audio Input Capture and Audio Output Capture as available on macOS. Choose the source that matches the signal you need and select its intended device. Do not assume Windows-specific per-application capture instructions apply to your setup; if a source is absent or behaves differently, check the documentation for your installed OBS release.
Linux: use the documented ALSA or PulseAudio sources
OBS’s Audio Sources documentation identifies ALSA and PulseAudio capture sources for Linux; the Windows/macOS Audio Input/Output Capture source is not available there. Device setup depends on the distribution and audio system. If the source does not appear or the meter remains still, identify your distribution, audio server and OBS version before choosing a more specific fix.
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Monitor the OBS path, then test YouTube
Listen to the signal inside OBS
Open Edit > Advanced Audio Properties to review Audio Monitoring and the configured monitoring device. Compare the original playback with what OBS sends to monitoring. Monitoring helps locate a capture or routing fault, but a successful monitor check alone does not prove that the encoded stream is configured correctly.
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Record and review a representative segment
Make a short recording using the setup you plan to stream and listen to it before going live. Include representative music, speech or other planned material. A recording lets you distinguish successful local playback from a problem in the OBS output path. YouTube also advises testing before a live stream and checking stream health and messages during the event. Its guidance says, “Make sure to test before you start your live stream.” See YouTube’s live encoder settings and recommendations.
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Check YouTube’s audio encoding guidance
YouTube’s current RTMP/RTMPS guidance lists AAC or MP3 audio. For stereo, it recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps; its listed 5.1 recommendations are 48 kHz and 384 kbps. For an ordinary stereo radio stream, verify that OBS is outputting stereo rather than 5.1 by mistake. These are YouTube’s stated recommendations on a current page accessed in 2026; recheck the page when configuring an encoder because platform guidance can change.
Use filters only after the route works
A filter cannot restore a disabled source, correct a wrong device or create a missing route. Once the signal reaches OBS, choose a filter for the specific issue:
- Gain: boost a quiet signal after checking levels at its source and in the operating system.
- Compressor: keep levels below a threshold or reduce one source when another is active.
- Expander: reduce background sound when the wanted signal is present.
- Invert Polarity: investigate phase-cancellation problems when combining signals.
OBS describes these filters in its Filters guide. Listen to the result after each change; processing is not a substitute for fixing device selection, routing or clipping at the source.
OBS audio troubleshooting checklist
| Symptom | First checks |
|---|---|
| No OBS meter movement | Source active in the scene; selected device; source properties; OS and application routing. |
| Meter moves, but stream is silent | Mute and fader; monitoring and recording playback; OBS output or track selection; a representative YouTube test. |
| Echo or doubled music | Duplicate global Desktop Audio and scene capture, or duplicate application and desktop routes. |
| One-sided audio | Left/right meter bars and channel assignment; mono downmix only when appropriate. |
| Distortion or pumping | Device, operating-system and application levels; clipping; then fader or compressor settings. |
| Desktop audio works, but OBS misses one app | Application output and capture compatibility; on supported Windows versions, Application Audio Capture or the documented virtual-cable workaround. |
Copyright and stream readiness
Correct audio routing does not establish that you have permission to broadcast the music. Check the rights and licenses for the material you plan to use, and review YouTube’s applicable rules before streaming. The audio-routing guidance cited here does not determine whether particular music is authorized or how YouTube will assess a channel’s content.
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