If audio starts in sync but gradually falls behind or moves ahead during a long XSplit Broadcaster stream, first identify whether the drift affects every audio source or only one. Then distinguish a growing offset from a fixed offset, check the relevant global or per-source delay control, and compare a local recording with the outgoing stream. XSplit documents controls for adjusting audio capture delay and source offsets, but no single setting is established as a universal cure for drift in every 24/7 setup.
First work out what is actually out of sync
Before changing settings, establish how the problem behaves. Compare the beginning of a recording or stream with a later section, using a clear cue such as a spoken word, clap, or other visible event with an audible sound. Note the approximate offset at each point and which inputs are affected: microphone, system sound, camera audio, or all of them.
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- Fixed offset: the audio is already early or late near the start and stays about as far off later. A relevant capture delay or source offset may be appropriate.
- Growing drift: audio begins close to sync but becomes increasingly early or late. A one-time offset may make the beginning look right without correcting the accumulation, so investigate the device, sample-rate compatibility, long-run output, system load, and version-specific behavior.
- One source only: focus on that input’s source properties rather than delaying every audio device.
- Every source: inspect global audio settings and determine whether the local recording and the stream both show the problem.
This comparison is a practical diagnostic method, not a test protocol validated by XSplit for 24-hour streams.
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Do not use Stream Delay to correct an input-level audio offset. Stream Delay holds back delivery to viewers; it does not change the timing relationship between captured audio and video. XSplit also notes that transport and transcoding affect the delay viewers experience, so the configured delay is not necessarily the exact end-to-end delay. See XSplit’s Output Plugin Properties and Setting Up Stream Delay.
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Check global audio settings in XSplit
Verify the selected devices and capture delays
- Open Tools > Settings > Audio.
- Check that the selected System Sound and Microphone inputs are the devices you intend to use. If a device was replaced, reconnected, or assigned differently, confirm XSplit is not capturing from an unintended input.
- Review the capture-delay controls for the relevant global device. Change only the control that matches the affected input, then compare the beginning and a later portion of the output again.
- Check Audio Preview if useful for confirming that the intended device is active. Preview can help identify the input, but judge sync from an actual recording or stream as well.
XSplit describes the Audio tab as the place to select capture devices and set audio capture delay. Its Settings documentation also covers Audio Mixing Sample Rate.
Check Audio Mixing Sample Rate for compatibility
Compare the configured Audio Mixing Sample Rate with the needs of the selected device and your output or recording workflow. XSplit documents this control for matching specific output sources and for legacy devices that cannot accommodate 48 kHz. That is a compatibility setting, not a documented guaranteed fix for gradual drift. If you test a different rate, change one setting at a time and record whether the same source drifts in a local recording and in the stream.
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Correct a single source without shifting everything else
Audio Device source
If only one separately added audio input is out of sync, open that Audio Device source’s properties and inspect Offset (ms). Confirm its Audio Output routing—Stream Only or System Sound—matches your intended setup. Adjust the source offset only when the evidence points to that source; applying a global delay to fix one input can put other audio out of sync. XSplit explains the source-specific offset in its Audio Device documentation.
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For camera or capture-card audio that is misaligned with its video, check that source’s own Offset (ms) setting and device configuration. XSplit documents this offset as a way to correct sync between the camera video and audio for that source. The available device options depend on the device; see Camera/Capture Card.
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Check the actual output during a long run
Look at the recorded or streamed output, not just the stage preview. XSplit says it prioritizes livestreaming and recording over the stage preview, so a preview frame-rate dip alone does not establish that the outgoing stream is dropping frames. If the output or recording does show frame drops, check CPU and GPU use, competing processes, processing and encoding settings, and network conditions for a livestream. XSplit’s FPS troubleshooting guide covers those checks. Dropped frames are worth investigating, but XSplit does not identify them as the explanation for every case of gradual audio drift.
Check XSplit release notes for your installed build
Audio delay controls have changed across releases, and dated fixes do not by themselves show that a particular build caused your problem. Compare your installed version with the notes relevant to it before following instructions written for an older interface.
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- The May 2025 release notes say global-device delay could be set directly in the Audio Mixer.
- The July 2025 release notes include a fix involving delay values that could not be retrieved for newly added audio devices.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| What you observe | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Audio is off by about the same amount from the start onward. | Determine whether one source or all inputs are affected. | Use the affected device’s capture delay or its source Offset (ms), as appropriate; verify the result in the output. |
| One Audio Device source is out of sync. | Its Offset (ms) and Stream Only/System Sound routing. | Adjust that source rather than applying a global delay. |
| Camera audio and camera video disagree. | The camera/capture-card source’s Offset (ms) and device configuration. | Adjust the offset for that camera/capture source and recheck its output. |
| Sync worsens as the run continues. | Whether the issue appears in a local recording, device and sample-rate compatibility, output behavior, system load, and the installed XSplit build. | Test one relevant change at a time. A fixed offset alone may not address an offset that accumulates. |
| The preview stutters, but the recording or stream looks smooth. | Actual output rather than stage preview performance. | Do not treat a preview-only dip as proof of an output sync failure. |
| Only viewers report a delay, while local audio and video remain aligned. | Stream Delay, transport, and transcoding. | Investigate viewer delivery delay separately from capture sync. |
What to send XSplit support if drift continues
If the offset still accumulates after you have isolated the affected path and checked the relevant controls, collect evidence that makes the problem reproducible. XSplit’s Settings page notes that system-information logging is available for troubleshooting.
- Your XSplit Broadcaster build number.
- The affected audio device and its connection path, plus whether it is configured as a global device or source.
- The audio mode, Audio Mixing Sample Rate, and relevant capture delay or source offset values.
- Whether a local recording shows the same drift as the outgoing stream, with approximate offsets near the beginning and later in the run.
- A log archive and a concise description of what changed between test runs.
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