If a media file plays in OBS but viewers can’t hear it on YouTube, first watch the meter for that specific source in OBS’s Audio Mixer. No movement points to playback or source capture; a moving meter means audio has reached that meter stage, so check mute, fader, filters, track routing, and then the encoder and YouTube preview.
Trace the audio signal in order
Follow the signal from the media source to the YouTube player: media playback and source properties → OBS source meter → mute, fader, filters and monitoring → stream-track output → encoder → YouTube Live Control Room. At each stage, find the first place where sound is missing. That narrows the problem more quickly than repeatedly changing unrelated settings.
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A moving OBS meter confirms audio is reaching that meter stage; it does not prove that the stream output includes it. OBS places the input meter after filters but before the fader, so a meter can move even if a fader or later routing setting prevents viewers from hearing the source. OBS explains what its audio mixer indicators show.
Check media playback and the source type
Built-in Media Source
Make sure the source is in the active scene, visible or active as intended, and that playback has started. Open its properties and verify the file path and playback behavior. The built-in Media Source supports video formats including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF, and WebM, and audio formats including MP3, AAC, OGG, and WAV. Its properties include options such as Loop, Restart playback when source becomes active, and Close file when inactive. Check whether those settings match how you expect the file to play.
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VLC Video source
VLC Video is a different source type: VLC must be installed, and the source has an Audio Track selector that defaults to track 1. If a playlist item or file contains multiple audio tracks, select the intended one. Do not look for this VLC-specific selector in the built-in Media Source. See the OBS media sources guide (dated January 11, 2022).
Application, desktop, or device audio
If the sound comes from an application or audio device rather than directly from a media source, confirm that the intended capture source is active in the scene and that it captures the correct application or device. OBS says desktop audio and microphone devices are captured by default in a typical setup, but if the wrong device is selected or the mixer meter does not move, check Settings → Audio. Device capture varies by operating system; Linux’s Audio Capture Device guidance differs from the Windows and macOS approaches, so follow the instructions for your platform.
If you add an Audio Input/Output Capture source for a device that is also selected globally in Settings → Audio, OBS warns that the duplicate capture can cause echo. When capturing the device directly as a scene source, disable the duplicate global device if appropriate. For device setup details, see OBS’s audio sources guide.
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Watch the media source’s mixer meter
Play the media and look for its own entry in the Audio Mixer; don’t rely only on the desktop-audio meter. If the source has no meter movement, OBS is not receiving audio at that measurement point. First confirm that playback has started—before a file produces sound, the meter may be idle—then check the active scene, selected file or playlist item, source type, and any required VLC installation.
OBS’s technical guide notes that the input indicator is after filters and before the fader. An absent indicator means no audio is reaching that measurement point, but it may simply mean no audio is available yet. The mixer technical details explain the indicator’s position in the signal path.
If the source meter moves, continue downstream rather than replacing the media file. If it does not, return to playback and source configuration, and check that you are looking at the meter for the actual media source rather than a different audio input.
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If the meter moves, check mute, fader, filters, and routing
Mute and fader
Check that the source is not muted and that its fader is not turned down. A moving meter alone does not rule out either problem: OBS measures the input before the fader.
Filters
Because the meter is after filters, a filter can affect the signal before it reaches the meter. If the meter behaves unexpectedly or sound is absent, temporarily disable source filters one at a time to identify whether one is suppressing audio.
Audio monitoring
In Edit → Advanced Audio Properties (or from the mixer’s gear menu, depending on the installed OBS version), inspect the source’s monitoring setting. Configure the monitoring device in OBS settings, then listen through that device. Existing headphones or speakers connected as the configured monitor are sufficient; buying headphones does not fix a routing problem.
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Monitoring answers whether the source can be heard through OBS’s monitor path. It does not show that the source is assigned to the live stream output. OBS’s Audio Mixer Guide describes mute, monitoring, and mixer controls.
Track assignment and stream output
In Advanced Audio Properties, check which audio tracks are enabled for the source. Then verify that the track assigned to the stream in the applicable OBS output settings matches. Menu labels and options can change between OBS releases; check the installed version, and don’t assume that Settings → Output recording-track selections are the same as the active streaming track.
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Use a local test to separate OBS from YouTube
- Play the media in the scene you plan to stream. Check the media source’s mixer meter and the source’s mute, fader, filter, monitoring, and track settings.
- Make a short OBS test recording or local archive. Listen to the resulting file, not just the monitoring output. OBS recommends checking mixer meters and making a test before going live in its Quick Start Guide.
- Interpret the result. If the local recording is silent, continue troubleshooting OBS source playback and routing. If the recording has sound but the live stream does not, inspect the streaming track and encoder output, then check YouTube’s Live Control Room.
- Preview and monitor the live event. YouTube advises checking the stream directly in the encoder, comparing it with a local archive, and previewing the live event. See YouTube’s live-stream troubleshooting guidance and streaming tips.
Read the YouTube Live Control Room audio warning
If OBS and the local recording both contain audio but the YouTube preview is silent, check the Live Control Room’s stream health and the actual error reported for the event. YouTube’s live-stream error guidance identifies several possible audio ingestion problems:
- No audio stream: the encoder is sending no audio; some encoders have an option to enable audio.
- Multiple audio streams: multiple audio streams can cause ingestion problems.
- Unsupported audio codec: YouTube’s guidance lists AAC or MP3 in its codec recommendations.
- Sample-rate or bitrate warning: the relevant audio error examples refer to a 44.1 kHz sample rate and 128 Kbps audio bitrate.
Treat the current dashboard message and the protocol selected for the event as the authority. YouTube’s codec and audio-setting recommendations, as well as interface labels, can change; do not treat the figures above as a universal guarantee that every stream configuration will work. If the encoder output and local archive are healthy but the Live Control Room preview remains silent, investigate encoder output, stream health, outbound network, and YouTube delivery rather than repeatedly changing media-source properties.
Quick diagnosis by where sound disappears
| What you observe | Most useful next checks |
|---|---|
| No meter movement on the media source | Confirm playback has started, the source is in the active scene, the intended file or playlist item is selected, and the source type is configured correctly. For VLC Video, confirm VLC is installed and check its Audio Track selector. |
| Meter moves, but OBS monitoring is silent | Check the monitoring choice and configured monitoring device in Advanced Audio Properties and OBS settings; test the monitor path. |
| Meter and monitoring work, but the local recording is silent | Check mute, fader, filters, per-source track boxes, and the recording track. Do not assume recording-track settings determine the stream track. |
| Local recording has sound, but the YouTube preview does not | Verify the streaming track and encoder output, then inspect Live Control Room stream health and audio errors. |
| Live Control Room reports an audio ingestion error | Use the specific warning to check whether the encoder is sending audio, the number of audio streams, codec, sample rate, or bitrate. |
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