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Freedom251 › Blog › audio sync

Wirecast YouTube Stream Audio Drifts Out of Sync During a Long Broadcast: How to Fix It

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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First check whether the audio-video gap is already present at the start of the broadcast or steadily grows over time. A nearly constant gap is a fixed offset that may be corrected with Wirecast’s source delay controls; a gap that accumulates calls for checking timestamps, source paths, system load and dropped frames. There is no single cause established for every long Wirecast stream to YouTube.

Measure the sync problem before changing settings

Watch or record the program output and note the approximate audio-video offset at the start, then at consistent intervals during a controlled test. Use a visible event with a clear sound, such as a clap, to compare the picture and audio. Check the program output rather than relying only on local source monitoring.

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  • Roughly the same gap throughout: treat it as a fixed offset. A source audio-delay or video-delay adjustment may correct it.
  • The gap grows as the broadcast continues: treat it as accumulating drift. Investigate timestamps, source timing and sustained performance; repeatedly adding an arbitrary static delay will not stop an error that keeps growing.
  • The local program recording is already out of sync: investigate the source chain and Wirecast output before attributing the symptom to YouTube.
  • The local program output looks synchronized but viewers report a problem: compare playback in a controlled environment and check delivery capacity and viewer-side decoding conditions.

This fixed-offset-versus-drift distinction is a diagnostic method based on the separate delay and timestamp controls described in Telestream’s Wirecast Windows User Guide; it does not identify the cause by itself.

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Trace the audio and video source paths

Write down where each signal enters Wirecast and whether the audio and video share a source or timing reference. For example, note whether audio comes from the camera, a USB device, a capture card, a Webstream, or a separate microphone. If the signals come from different devices, test a simpler configuration with one source path at a time where practical.

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Telestream’s version history records historical sync-related issues involving Webstream sources, USB devices, and multiple inputs. Those entries are reasons to isolate the relevant path, not proof that a particular device or source is defective in your setup.

Test timestamps for a Webstream source

For a Webstream source, open its source properties and compare the timestamp options Provided by source and Provided by Wirecast. Change one setting at a time, then run a controlled test long enough to see whether the measured gap stays fixed or grows.

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Telestream’s Windows guide explains that inaccurate source timestamps can leave audio and video out of sync. It also cautions that Wirecast-generated timestamps can arrive late under heavy system load. Neither option is universally correct: test each against the actual source and conditions.

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Correct a measured fixed offset in Wirecast

  1. Select the relevant source. Identify the input whose audio or video is early or late, using your source-path notes and program-output check.
  2. Open that source’s properties and locate its audio-delay or video-delay control. Telestream’s Windows guide describes adjusting these controls in increments as small as 1 ms.
  3. Adjust in measured increments. Move the early signal later, or the late signal earlier if the available control and signal path allow it. Make a small change, then check the program output again rather than making a large guess.
  4. Verify at more than one point. If the offset remains approximately constant and the output is synchronized, the adjustment addressed a fixed offset. If the gap continues to grow, return to timestamp, source and performance checks; a static delay does not correct accumulating drift.

Check sustained load, dropped frames and delivery capacity

Monitor Wirecast’s CPU usage and dropped-frame indicators during the period when the sync issue appears. Telestream says sustained system CPU usage greater than 60% increases the likelihood of dropped frames. That is a performance-risk threshold, not a diagnosis of audio drift on its own.

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Also check whether upload capacity or delivery conditions are being exceeded. Telestream’s FAQ recommends checking upload and delivery capacity and viewing the stream in a controlled local environment. If capacity is insufficient, it advises lowering the data rate and, if needed, the frame rate or frame size. Change one variable at a time and recheck both frame delivery and sync so you can tell which change helped.

Compare your Wirecast version with relevant fixes

Check the installed Wirecast version against Telestream’s version history, paying attention to fixes that match your input path. The history lists a Webstream-source audio/video sync issue fixed in Wirecast 15.0.3 (June 27, 2022), changes intended to improve sync drift between USB devices in version 14.3.2 (October 4, 2021), and a fix for reported sync issues with multiple inputs in an earlier release. These are historical release notes, not evidence that any one of those issues explains a current case. Update only through a version appropriate for your system and workflow, and retest the same source configuration afterward.

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If the drift persists, collect a useful support report

Preserve a short recording or timestamped observations showing how the offset changes during the stream. Include the operating system, Wirecast version, source models and signal paths, whether the audio and video share a clock, Webstream timestamp setting if applicable, and CPU and dropped-frame behavior. Note whether the local program recording is already out of sync before YouTube receives it. Telestream’s support FAQ recommends submitting support information to diagnose software problems; the reviewed material does not prescribe a sync-specific log recipe.

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