If OBS is not capturing your radio station’s audio, follow the signal from the player or input device through your operating system and OBS, then verify the recording or YouTube test. The key first check is the OBS mixer meter: no movement usually points to the source, device or routing; a moving meter means OBS is receiving audio, so check its output settings and the YouTube path next.
Trace the audio from its source to YouTube
Work through the chain in order rather than changing several OBS settings at once. Start the music or other representative audio you intend to broadcast. Check each stage before moving to the next.
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- Confirm audio at the origin. Check that the player or application is playing, its volume is up, and it is set to the intended output device. Check the operating system’s output selection and application mixer as well. If you use a physical mixer or audio interface, verify its input gain and master/output path. OBS recommends starting at the device and following the signal onward (OBS audio mixer guide).
- Check the OBS source in the active scene. Confirm that the intended audio source exists in the scene currently being streamed and is not disabled. Open its properties and select the actual device instead of assuming “Default” refers to the right endpoint. OBS documents scene-level Audio Input/Output Capture for selecting a particular device; availability varies by operating system (OBS audio sources).
- Watch the mixer meter. Keep the audio playing and look for movement on the source’s meter. If it stays still, check source activation, device selection and operating-system or application routing. If it moves, OBS is receiving some signal: investigate mute, fader, channel assignment, monitoring, output track and the YouTube test rather than repeatedly changing the capture device (OBS audio mixer guide).
- Listen to OBS’s output. Use Audio Monitoring through Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and the configured monitoring device. Compare the sound heard at the original device with the sound OBS receives. Hearing a desktop player correctly does not confirm that OBS is capturing that same output.
- Record and review a representative test. Make a short recording using the planned scene and audio, then listen back. YouTube recommends testing with audio and motion like the planned stream and checking stream health and messages during the event (YouTube Help: encoder settings and live streaming). A recording helps distinguish successful local playback or monitoring from a problem in the encoded or routed output.
Choose the right capture source for your operating system
OBS source options differ by platform and release. If the steps below do not match your interface, note your operating system and OBS version before troubleshooting further.
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Windows: capture an application or a device
OBS documents Application Audio Capture for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. Add the application source and select the window. If its title changes, matching by executable name can keep capture associated with the application. When capturing an application separately, disable global Desktop Audio to avoid capturing the same sound twice. Some applications may not work with Application Audio Capture; OBS documents routing the affected app through VB-CABLE and adding the cable output as an Audio Input Capture source as a targeted workaround, not a universal requirement (OBS Application Audio Capture guide).
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macOS: use the documented device capture source
OBS lists Audio Input/Output Capture as available on macOS. Select the intended device in the source properties. Do not assume Windows-specific per-application capture instructions apply to your macOS setup (OBS audio sources).
Linux: use ALSA or PulseAudio capture
OBS documents ALSA and PulseAudio capture sources for Linux; the Windows/macOS Audio Input/Output Capture source is not listed as available there. Device setup depends on the distribution and audio system, so include those details if the source still receives no signal (OBS audio sources).
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Fix echo and duplicated music
If viewers hear an echo or doubled signal, look for two OBS routes capturing the same endpoint. For example, the device may be added as a scene-level source while also enabled under Settings > Audio. Disable one route and test again. OBS warns that selecting the same device in both places can cause echo (OBS audio sources).
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe same principle applies when capturing Windows applications individually: if an application source and global Desktop Audio both include the same playback, disable the global capture or otherwise remove the duplicate path. Change one route at a time so you can identify which capture is reaching the mixer (OBS Application Audio Capture guide).
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Check stereo, levels and processing
One-sided sound: inspect left and right
A stereo meter displays left and right separately. If only the first bar moves, the signal may reach viewers on the left channel only. Check the source’s channel layout and listen through both sides of headphones. OBS says mono is heard in both channels and offers Downmix to Mono in Advanced Audio when mono is appropriate (OBS audio mixer guide).
Quiet, distorted or uneven sound: set levels before adding filters
Check physical controls, application volume and operating-system levels before adjusting the OBS fader. Clipping can sound distorted; reduce levels where they are too high rather than trying to repair the result downstream. For background music, OBS’s mixer guide places the signal in the green meter zone, but meter colors are not a calibrated loudness or LUFS target (OBS audio mixer guide).
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Use a filter only when its job matches the problem. OBS lists Gain for boosting a quiet source, Compressor for keeping levels below a threshold or ducking one source when another is active, Expander for reducing background sound, and Invert Polarity for phase-cancellation issues. None fixes a wrong device, disabled source or missing route (OBS audio filters guide).
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For RTMP/RTMPS delivery, YouTube’s current encoder guidance accepts AAC or MP3 audio. It recommends 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps for stereo; the listed 5.1 recommendations are 48 kHz and 384 kbps. For a typical stereo radio stream, verify that OBS is configured for stereo rather than 5.1 by mistake. Platform recommendations can change, so consult YouTube’s current guidance when setting up the encoder (YouTube Help: encoder settings and live streaming).
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Before going live, test with audio and motion representative of the planned broadcast. Check the recording or YouTube test playback and monitor YouTube’s stream-health messages. YouTube’s guidance says: “Make sure to test before you start your live stream” (YouTube Help: encoder settings and live streaming).
Use the symptom to choose your next check
| Symptom | First checks |
|---|---|
| No movement on the OBS meter | Confirm the source is active; check its selected device and properties; verify operating-system and application output routing. |
| Meter moves, but the stream is silent | Check mute and fader, monitoring and recording playback, OBS output/track selection, then make a representative YouTube test. |
| Echo or doubled music | Look for duplicate global Desktop Audio, scene-level device capture or overlapping application and desktop routes; remove one duplicate. |
| Audio comes through only one side | Inspect both meter bars and the channel assignment; use mono/downmix only if the source should be mono. |
| Audio is distorted or pumps in level | Check device and operating-system levels for clipping before changing the OBS fader; then consider whether compression is appropriate. |
| Desktop audio works but one app is missing in OBS | Verify that app’s output and capture compatibility. On supported Windows versions, try Application Audio Capture; for an incompatible app, OBS documents a VB-CABLE routing workaround. |
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What to include if the audio still fails
If the signal does not reach the OBS mixer or the test remains silent, record the details that narrow down the fault: your operating system and version, OBS version, source type, selected device, whether the mixer meter moves, and what happens in the OBS recording or YouTube test. For Linux, include the distribution and audio system. The exact cause cannot be determined from the symptom alone; these details help distinguish a capture-source issue from an output or platform problem.
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Audio routing does not establish whether the music is licensed for a YouTube broadcast. Check that you have the necessary rights and review YouTube’s applicable copyright rules before streaming music.
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