If your YouTube Live loop shows video but has no sound, trace the signal from the MP4 to OBS and then to YouTube: play the file outside OBS, check the active Media Source and its Audio Mixer meter, and read the Live Control Room’s health message. That identifies whether the audio is missing from the file, not reaching OBS, or being lost in the stream output.
1. Check whether the MP4 itself has sound
Play the exact MP4 you are using in a media player. Listen to the section that should be audible, and confirm the file contains an audio track. If the clip is silent or has no audio track, OBS cannot send sound from it; use a version that includes audio or add a separate audio source.
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MP4 is a supported format for an OBS Media Source, but a supported container does not guarantee that a particular file contains sound. OBS Media Sources documentation
2. Confirm the correct OBS Media Source is playing
- In OBS, select the scene being sent to YouTube Live.
- Check that the Media Source points to the intended local MP4 and that playback is running.
- If the video should repeat, check the source’s Loop property. Loop restarts playback when the file ends; it does not add an audio track or ensure that audio reaches YouTube.
If the wrong scene or file is active, the video you expect to hear may not be the media OBS is actually sending. OBS Media Sources documentation
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3. Use the OBS Audio Mixer to locate the break
While a known-audible part of the clip plays, watch the meter for the Media Source in the OBS Audio Mixer.
- The meter moves: OBS is receiving a signal from that source. Check its mute button and fader, then continue to YouTube’s stream health and a viewer-side test.
- The meter does not move: Recheck the file, the selected source and scene, and whether playback is running. If those are correct, investigate how OBS is decoding that media.
The mixer meter indicates source level; its controls include muting, volume adjustment and monitoring. OBS Audio Mixer Guide
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4. Distinguish monitoring silence from stream silence
Not hearing the clip through headphones or speakers does not by itself prove that YouTube viewers receive silence. OBS monitoring routes audio to a configured local listening device, separately from checking the audience-facing stream. If you need local monitoring, inspect the monitoring device and the source’s monitoring setting; separately verify the YouTube playback. Avoid routing monitored audio back into desktop capture if that causes the same sound to be captured twice. OBS Audio Mixer Guide
5. Read YouTube Live Control Room’s audio warning
If YouTube reports “Your encoder is sending no audio,” check that audio is enabled in the encoder if it has an audio checkbox, and that audio is actually part of the output sent to YouTube. YouTube’s guidance says the ingestion should have one audio stream; multiple audio streams can cause ingestion problems. YouTube Live streaming error messages
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Use the particular error shown for your ingestion setup rather than assuming the MP4’s internal audio codec is the same as the codec in OBS’s outgoing stream.
6. Check the outgoing audio format if OBS has a signal
YouTube’s encoder guidance lists AAC or MP3 as audio codecs. Its live-stream error guidance also flags unsupported codecs and incorrect sample-rate or bitrate settings. If OBS’s meter moves but YouTube reports no audio or an audio-settings problem, check OBS’s configured stream output against the specific Live Control Room warning. YouTube encoder settings guidance · YouTube Live streaming error messages
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Where does the audio disappear?
- The MP4 is silent: Replace it with a file containing the intended audio, or add a separate audio source.
- The MP4 plays with sound, but the OBS meter stays still: Check the source, scene, playback and media decoding.
- The OBS meter moves, but YouTube has no sound: Check mute and fader state, encoder audio output and the Live Control Room’s error message.
- You cannot hear local monitoring: Check the monitoring route, then verify the stream separately from YouTube’s viewer side.
7. Test the complete path before relying on the loop
Make a short test stream with audio. Check OBS’s signal while the clip plays, inspect the Live Control Room preview and listen to the actual YouTube playback. YouTube recommends testing with audio and monitoring sound and picture during a stream. Do not rely on a long-running loop until the viewer-side test confirms sound. YouTube encoder settings guidance · YouTube live streaming tips
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Quick Recap
Best Value
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