If game audio is missing from a YouTube livestream archive or rerun, first check whether OBS captured the game audio in the output you are troubleshooting. In OBS Studio 30.1 or later, you can capture audio through a Game Capture or Window Capture source, or add an Application Audio Capture source on supported Windows versions. For a local recording intended to play in a standard video player, put all audio you need on track 1. YouTube’s published encoder guidance does not specify how its archives select audio tracks, so OBS’s Twitch VOD Track setting is not a proven fix for a YouTube archive.
First identify which audio output is missing it
“VOD rerun” can mean different things. A YouTube livestream archive is created by YouTube from the stream it receives; a local OBS recording is a separate file; and a prerecorded video replayed as a live stream is another output path. The OBS settings below explain how to capture game audio and how to configure local recordings. They do not establish how YouTube’s archive chooses among OBS audio tracks.
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- Missing during the live stream: check the game’s capture source and OBS audio mixer before the stream is sent.
- Present live but missing in the YouTube archive: OBS’s reviewed guides do not document YouTube archive track selection. Do not assume a Twitch-specific VOD option controls this.
- Missing in a local recording: check which audio tracks contain the game and which track your player is playing.
Capture the game audio in OBS
OBS documents two direct capture approaches. Choose one that fits your OBS version and Windows setup, then verify that game audio registers in the OBS mixer.
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Option 1: Include audio in Game Capture or Window Capture
- In OBS Studio 30.1 or later, select the existing Game Capture or Window Capture source, or add one for the game.
- Open the source’s properties and enable Capture Audio (BETA).
- Apply the change, play audio in the game, and check that the source’s audio meter moves in the OBS mixer.
Option 2: Add Application Audio Capture
OBS’s Application Audio Capture source is documented for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11.
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- In the OBS Sources panel, add an Application Audio Capture (BETA) source.
- In its properties, select the game’s window. OBS recommends matching by type for most applications; matching by executable name can help when a window title changes.
- Play game audio and confirm that the source’s meter moves in the OBS mixer.
- If you are using Application Audio Capture, go to Settings → Audio and disable the global Desktop Audio source if it is duplicating the game and causing echo. This advice is specific to this capture setup, not a general requirement for every OBS scene.
Set up tracks for a local OBS recording
A source can be audible in OBS yet absent from the track a recording player uses. For a local recording that should play with all its sound in a standard video player, route every audio source you need to track 1 and enable track 1 for recording.
- In the OBS audio mixer, open Advanced Audio Properties and check track 1 for each source you want in the recording.
- Open Settings → Output, select the recording output settings, and make sure track 1 is enabled.
- Record a short test, open it in the player you intend to use, and confirm that the game and other required audio are present.
The OBS Project’s Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide, published 2023-07-14, warns that standard video players play only one audio track at a time. Additional tracks can help when you plan to edit the recording, but do not assume they will automatically mix together during ordinary playback.
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Why Twitch VOD Track is not a YouTube fix
OBS’s VOD Track guide describes separating audio sent to a Twitch live stream from audio sent to a Twitch VOD. Its default example uses track 1 for the live feed and track 2 for the VOD feed. That is Twitch-specific documentation; it does not establish a way to choose the audio in a YouTube archive. YouTube Help’s encoder setup page confirms that OBS can broadcast gameplay, but does not explain archive audio-track selection.
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- The game meter does not move in OBS: confirm the correct game window is selected and that the chosen capture method is supported by your OBS version and operating system. Try the other documented capture method where available.
- The game appears twice or echoes: if you use Application Audio Capture, disable global Desktop Audio in Settings → Audio when it is also capturing the game.
- The local recording has no game sound in a standard player: check that the game source is assigned to track 1 and that track 1 is enabled in Settings → Output.
- The recording has separate tracks, but playback includes only one: standard players generally play one audio track at a time. Put all audio needed for direct playback on track 1, or use an editor to mix or select tracks.
- Application capture does not work with the game: OBS documents a conditional workaround using VB-CABLE. Route the game application through VB-CABLE, then add an OBS Audio Input Capture source using the cable output. This is a fallback for incompatible application audio, not a necessary part of every setup.
- The live stream has audio, but the YouTube archive does not: the OBS and YouTube guidance described here does not settle how YouTube handles archive audio tracks. Verify the audio in the stream and in a short test archive; do not apply Twitch VOD Track instructions as though they were a YouTube setting.
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