First find out where the loop runs: in YouTube or a browser, a media player such as VLC, or production software such as OBS. The right checks depend on that path. Note whether the mismatch is present from the start or grows over time, and whether it affects only that stream or other Windows apps too. No single Windows setting is established as a universal fix for audio drift in a looped YouTube stream.
1. Locate where the audio and video stop matching
Try the same stream in another browser or player if possible, and listen to another app. These checks help narrow the layer to investigate; they do not prove a cause by themselves.
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- Only the YouTube browser tab is affected: investigate browser playback first.
- It happens only while a loop or rebroadcast app is running: inspect that app’s media source and loop configuration.
- Other apps also have audio trouble: check Windows’ output device and physical connections.
- The offset is there immediately: note whether audio leads or trails video. If it grows over time, record when it starts and how it changes. This helps describe the symptom without assuming that either pattern has one particular cause.
2. If you are watching the loop in a browser
YouTube’s guidance for a green video player with sound recommends trying another browser; it also suggests turning off hardware acceleration in Chrome and updating the graphics driver. That guidance addresses a related playback symptom, not audio drift during looping specifically, so treat these as checks rather than guaranteed fixes. See YouTube’s green screen troubleshooting guidance.
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- If you use Chrome, try disabling hardware acceleration in the browser’s settings, then restart Chrome and test again. The setting’s exact location can vary by Chrome version.
- Check Windows Update or your graphics-device manufacturer’s support page for an applicable graphics driver update. Restart and retest after changing the driver.
3. If OBS is creating the loop
Inspect the source that plays the media, not just the overall OBS scene. OBS documents a loop option for its local Media Source and playlist looping for VLC Video. For video and audio files, OBS recommends Media Source or VLC Source; it also warns that many browser sources can significantly affect system resources. These are configuration checks, not proof that OBS is causing a particular sync problem.
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- In OBS, select the media source in the Sources list and open its properties.
- For a local file played by Media Source, confirm that the correct file is selected and inspect the Loop option.
- For VLC Video, inspect its playlist and loop setting. VLC must be installed; OBS notes that, when using 64-bit OBS, the installed VLC architecture must match.
- Test with one media source and a short section of the file. Compare sync at the beginning and after a loop boundary; note whether the offset changes.
For setup details, see OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation and Encoding Performance Troubleshooting.
4. Check Windows sound output
If sound is wrong outside the loop application too, confirm Windows is sending audio to the intended headphones, speakers, or other output device. Check that the device is connected securely and selected as the output. Microsoft’s general audio guidance applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11; it also offers the Get Help audio troubleshooter.
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- Open Windows sound settings and verify the selected output device.
- Reconnect or check the physical speaker or headphone connection, then test sound in another app.
- If the problem is broader than the YouTube stream, run Microsoft’s Windows audio troubleshooter.
5. If VLC is the player, test its audio options carefully
VideoLAN’s FAQ suggests trying another audio output plugin and checking audio desynchronization compensation when the input file is the source of the problem. First establish whether audio leads or lags; do not enter a fixed compensation value without measuring the direction and amount of the offset. A setting intended for a file-related problem may not address drift elsewhere in the playback chain. See the VLC media player FAQ.
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Audio, system, and player clocks can differ, and clock timing can drift. VideoLAN’s VLC 4.0 clock-architecture documentation describes the clock’s role in synchronizing audio and video, but this general explanation does not diagnose a particular YouTube, browser, OBS, or Windows setup. The practical next step is to identify which playback path is involved and whether the mismatch is app-specific or system-wide.
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For background, see VideoLAN’s VLC 4.0 clock architecture documentation.
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