Set OBS music levels by watching the mixer’s peak meter, keeping background music in the green as a starting point, and listening to a recording before you go live. There is no universal OBS fader number or YouTube Live LUFS target: the right setting depends on the source and gain staging, and clean peaks alone do not guarantee consistent perceived loudness.
What the OBS audio meter tells you
The moving colored bar in the OBS mixer is a peak meter: it shows peaks, not the integrated loudness of the music over a programme. OBS’s smaller black marker is a VU-style indicator based on RMS integrated over 300 ms; it is not a standards-grade integrated LUFS meter. OBS describes its current peak meter as sample-peak rather than oversampled true-peak measurement, so do not treat its reading as a complete loudness or true-peak analysis. OBS Audio Mixer Guide · Understanding the Mixer
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- Green: OBS recommends keeping background music and alert effects here as a visual starting point.
- Yellow: Speech generally belongs in the upper yellow range; that is not a music-loudness target.
- Red: Near clipping. Avoid peaks reaching this region.
OBS documents a Permitted Maximum Level marker of -9 dBFS as a margin in its meter guidance. Treat that as OBS guidance, not as a YouTube loudness requirement or a universal fader setting. OBS: Understanding the Mixer
The Tool Desk
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- Play representative music. Use the actual player, device, or application you intend to stream. Include both quieter and louder passages rather than judging from a single moment.
- Adjust the source first. Set the playback device or application level, then check operating-system volume controls if they affect the signal OBS receives. OBS recommends beginning at the device.
- Watch the OBS mixer. Keep background music in the green as a starting point, and reduce the source or OBS fader if peaks approach red. Use the fader for final balance after setting the source.
- Monitor what OBS receives. In OBS, use audio monitoring to listen to the incoming signal. Compare it with the source as early in the chain as practical. If it sounds distorted, harsh, or unbalanced, lower the source or fader and listen again.
- Record and review. Make a representative recording and listen back before the real broadcast. Check the opening, loudest sections, quieter passages, and transitions. OBS advises recording a session as you normally would and listening back before going live.
Use your ears alongside the meter: music with peaks in the green can still sound too quiet or uneven beside other material. The meter is a peak and balance guide, not a measurement of overall programme loudness.
#1 Best Overall
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Do not confuse OBS peaks with LUFS
LUFS describes programme loudness; the OBS moving bar reports peaks. A peak reading cannot be converted directly into a LUFS target. YouTube’s live encoder recommendations specify audio encoding parameters, but do not publish an integrated loudness target for live audio. YouTube Help: Live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
For standards context—not YouTube policy—the European Broadcasting Union’s 2023 EBU R 128 s2 recommends -23.0 LUFS for unchanged streaming. It describes -20.0 to -16.0 LUFS as an interim distribution range in a specific case where a broadcaster manages dynamic treatment. These recommendations should not be used as a rule that YouTube Live requires. EBU R 128
Rank #2
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Check stereo routing and live audio encoding
OBS uses stereo as its default channel configuration. Verify that the intended signal reaches both left and right channels. OBS notes that a mono source can be sent to both channels and provides a downmix option; check the routing if one side is silent or the signal is not behaving as intended. OBS Audio Mixer Guide
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YouTube’s current live encoder guidance lists AAC or MP3 audio, a 44.1 kHz sample rate for stereo, and 128 kbps for stereo. These are audio transport settings; they do not set how loud the music should sound. YouTube Help: Live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
Rank #3
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Keep an eye on a long-running stream
OBS peak hold retains the recent maximum for 20 seconds. Watch it during setup to catch a brief loud passage, and periodically listen to the live output during a continuous broadcast. OBS and YouTube do not define a special OBS level target for a 24/7 music stream, so use the same source-to-mixer checks and representative listening review rather than assuming a continuous stream needs a different meter number. OBS: Understanding the Mixer · OBS Audio Mixer Guide
Common audio-level problems and fixes
- The meter enters red or the recording distorts: Lower the playback source or OBS fader, then replay the loudest section and check the recording. A red-near-clipping peak is not fixed by choosing a different YouTube bitrate.
- The meter looks safe but the music sounds too quiet: Listen to the actual monitored and recorded signal. The peak meter does not measure integrated loudness, so adjust the source and final balance by listening rather than chasing a peak number.
- Only one stereo side carries the music: Check OBS channel configuration and routing, including whether a mono source should be sent to both channels or downmixed.
- The live sound differs from what you expected: Monitor what OBS receives and review a representative recording before going live; check the source and operating-system levels as well as the OBS fader.
- A loud section slips past during a long broadcast: Use peak hold during setup and periodically monitor the live output. The 20-second hold helps expose recent peaks, but it is not a substitute for listening.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- 10 channel mixer with USB and SPX digital effects
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