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If your vMix YouTube stream loses sound just after a playlist change, first check the affected input’s audio button and Automatically Mix Audio (Follow) setting. Follow can turn an input’s audio on or off depending on whether that input is live. But the symptom alone does not confirm that Follow is the cause: determine whether you are using a List input or the separate Playlist feature, and compare the stream with a local recording before changing settings.
Start with the audio state of the input that went silent
- Open the Audio Mixer and find the affected input.
- Confirm its audio button is enabled. Follow cannot make an input audible if that button is off.
- Inspect Automatically Mix Audio, also called Follow and shown with green/orange arrows. vMix documents that this setting changes an input’s audio state according to whether that input is in the live output. See the vMix explanation of audio turning off when switching between inputs.
- If you need the input’s audio to stay active even while it is not live, disable Automatically Mix Audio for that input and leave its audio button on. Test another change while watching the input’s audio meter.
This is the first check when sound disappears in step with a live-input change, not a guaranteed fix. The vMix article is dated March 31, 2020; control labels can vary by installed release, so confirm them in your version.
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Identify whether you use a List input or the Playlist feature
vMix has two distinct workflows that can look like “the playlist changed.” A List input contains a sequence of video or audio files, while the separate Playlist feature automates switching among inputs. The vMix 26 help archive documents List inputs and Auto Next; Auto Next controls automatic advancement and is enabled by default. Its training catalog also lists separate tutorials for Playlist, List Input, and audio routing.
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- If the Playlist switched to another input: check the new live input’s audio button and Follow setting. Do not assume that changing files inside one List and switching between inputs are the same event.
References: vMix 26 List guide and the vMix training videos catalog.
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Compare YouTube playback with a local recording
Make a short test recording that includes the transition, then compare its audio with the YouTube stream. This separates a source or mixer problem from an issue in the audio mix selected for streaming.
- Both recording and stream are silent: inspect the source item’s audio track and the input’s mixer state, including whether its audio button is on and Follow is changing its state.
- The recording has sound but the stream does not: inspect which audio mix is selected for streaming and whether the affected input is included in that mix. vMix documents Master as the default mix for recording, streaming, and external output; auxiliary buses can be selected separately. See the vMix 26 Audio Mixer guide.
If only one playlist item is silent, inspect that file
If other items play with sound and only one does not, focus on that media file rather than treating the issue as a general transition fault. Check that it contains an audio track and that the file’s audio format is supported. vMix notes that certain video files and DVDs may require an AC3 (Dolby Digital) decoder for audio; this is a format-specific possibility, not the default explanation for sound disappearing after every change. See vMix’s guidance for files and DVDs with no audio.
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Use the microphone-cabling fix only when the symptoms fit
A balanced-microphone/unbalanced-computer-input mismatch is a different issue from Follow changing an input’s audio state. Consider this branch only when your local recording sounds good but YouTube audio is low, distorted, or muted. vMix suggests using a computer audio interface that supports XLR, or as a short-term adjustment using Separate Mono and lowering the right audio level to zero. Those remedies are specific to the described cabling mismatch; they are not general fixes for playlist transitions. See vMix’s article on low, muted, or missing Facebook/YouTube stream audio.
Troubleshoot by what you observe
| Observation | Check next |
|---|---|
| Sound disappears as the live input changes. | Check that input’s audio button and Automatically Mix Audio (Follow). |
| A List input advances to a new file. | Confirm this is a List workflow; inspect the new file’s audio track and format. |
| The local recording and YouTube stream both lack sound. | Inspect the source item and the input’s mixer state. |
| The recording has sound but YouTube does not. | Check the selected streaming mix and whether the input is included. If audio is also low or distorted, investigate cabling. |
| Only one particular file has no sound. | Check for an audio track and a decodable format; certain files or DVDs may need AC3 decoding. |
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