First find out whether the sound is missing from the recording or stream, or only from your local monitoring. Watch the source’s Audio Mixer meter, then make a short test recording that includes the transition between episodes and play it back. That separates an audio-routing problem from a monitoring problem and helps you choose the right fix.
1. Find where the audio disappears
- Play the episode and watch its source meter in the OBS Audio Mixer. A moving meter shows that OBS is receiving audio, but it does not prove the recording, stream, or monitoring output contains it.
- Record a short sample that includes the end of one episode and the start of the next, then play it in a standard media player.
- If the sample has sound, concentrate on OBS monitoring and the selected monitoring device. If the sample is silent too, check the media item, its audio track, mute and volume state, and recording-track routing.
This test matters because OBS issue reports describe cases where meters moved and recordings appeared to contain audio even though local monitoring was silent. Those reports are examples, not evidence that the symptom is common or that one fix works for every setup. OBS issue #3806 · OBS issue #3410
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2. Check the source type and episode audio track
OBS has two source types commonly used for video playback: Media Source for an individual file, and VLC Video for a playlist. Their controls differ. OBS’s Media Sources documentation describes both.
If you use VLC Video
- Confirm VLC is installed. OBS documentation says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Open the VLC Video source’s properties and inspect the playlist order. Test the episode that goes silent by itself, then test it as the next item in the playlist. If it fails alone, investigate that file or its selected track; if it fails only after a transition, note that distinction for further diagnosis.
- Check the source’s Audio Track setting. OBS documents track 1 as the default; a file with multiple audio streams may need a different track selected. Make sure the episode actually contains the audio stream you expect.
If you use Media Source
- Open the source properties and confirm that it points to the intended local file. OBS Media Source supports individual video and audio files, including MP4, MKV, MOV, WebM, MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV.
- Test the file’s playback and visibility behavior. “Restart playback when source becomes active” is on by default. “Close file when inactive” unloads the file; OBS notes it may not appear briefly while loading again after it becomes active. These behaviors are worth checking, but the documentation does not establish either as a cause of missing audio.
If only one episode is affected, compare its audio-track selection and playback in isolation with a working episode. Do not assume a particular codec, VLC, or image embedded in a file is responsible without isolating the failure.
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3. Confirm recording tracks are routed correctly
- In the Audio Mixer, open the gear menu and choose Advanced Audio Properties. You can also open Advanced Audio Properties from the Edit menu.
- For the affected source, check the track assignment boxes and note which track is selected.
- Open Settings → Output and confirm that the same track is enabled for recording.
- Make another short recording and play it back. OBS’s Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide explains that standard video players play one audio track at a time. If you do not plan to edit the recording and want it to play normally in standard players, assign all audio sources to track 1.
Track assignment for recording is separate from what you hear through local monitoring. If the recording is silent, selecting “Monitor and Output” alone is not a repair for missing audio in the recording or stream.
4. If the recording has sound but monitoring is silent
- Check which monitoring device is selected in OBS audio settings. Confirm it is the device you are listening through.
- In Advanced Audio Properties, inspect the source’s Audio Monitoring mode and set the mode you intend to use.
- If appropriate for your setup, toggle monitoring off and back to the intended mode, then test again. One user report found this helped temporarily, but the issue later returned; treat it as a diagnostic step, not a guaranteed fix.
Historical OBS reports describe monitoring symptoms around scene changes or playlist transitions, including reports for OBS 25.0.8/26.0.0-rc1 and OBS 26.0.2. A separate report opened in 2025 describes monitoring trouble with looping audio-only MP3s that had album art in OBS 31.0.0. These are individual reports—not proof of a current universal OBS bug or that transitions, file artwork, or any one cause explains your case. Issue #3410 · Issue #3806 · Issue #11739
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5. Reproduce the transition and collect useful details
If the problem persists, make a small test playlist and compare playback of the affected episode alone with playback after the preceding item. Note whether the source is hidden or unloaded when scenes change, and whether the failure happens with every episode or only at a transition. Scene and playlist transitions have appeared in user reports, but those reports do not establish one current cause or fix.
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- Your operating system and exact OBS version.
- Whether the source is Media Source or VLC Video, and the affected media format.
- The playlist order and whether the affected file has multiple audio tracks.
- Whether the Mixer meter moves, and whether a test recording is silent or only local monitoring is silent.
- Whether the issue happens with the episode on its own, only after another episode, or after a scene change.
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