When your Twitch broadcast sounds right but the replay loses your microphone, start with the track that OBS sends to the VOD. Your microphone can be working in the mixer and still be missing from that track. A local recording adds another check because it saves the tracks selected under Recording.
Set up one mix for the live show and one for the replay. If you edit highlights, also save individual sources as separate tracks in the local file. The example below keeps voice, game audio, and alerts in all the finished mixes. An original intro cue plays live and stays out of the replay and local edit.
Decide what belongs in each output
A track is a mix of the sources you assign to it. Several sources can share a track, and one source can appear on several tracks. OBS can send separate mixes to a Twitch broadcast and its saved VOD. Local recording can save multiple tracks in the same file. See the OBS Twitch VOD Track guide and multiple audio track recording guide.
For this example, assign sources as follows in Advanced Audio Properties. Each “Yes” is a checked box in the source’s row.
| Source | 1 · Live mix | 2 · Replay mix | 3 · Voice only | 4 · Game only | 5 · Alerts only |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — |
| Game | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| Alerts | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| Intro cue | Yes | — | — | — | — |
Send track 1 to the live broadcast and track 2 to the Twitch VOD. Save tracks 2 through 5 in the local recording. Track 2 gives you a complete mix you can listen to immediately, and tracks 3 through 5 let you adjust the individual sources in an editor. If you want your local file to preserve the live intro as well, include track 1 in the recording selection and select the desired track when you review the file.
For a replay with the same mix as the broadcast, the default live audio may be sufficient. The separate VOD track is useful when a source belongs in only one mix. Use audio you have permission to broadcast. Track assignment controls which mix carries a sound. Twitch’s rules for music still apply to the live broadcast. See Twitch’s Community Guidelines.
Separate the sources before assigning tracks
Start with the scenes you’ll actually use. Speak into the microphone, make a sound in the game, trigger a test alert, and play the cue. Do each on its own. Watch which meters move in the Audio Mixer. If the cue moves both its own meter and Desktop Audio, the same sound can reach the replay through Desktop Audio even when the cue’s track 2 box is unchecked.
Give the game and cue separate sources so you can route them independently. OBS documents application-specific audio capture on supported Windows versions. Some Game Capture and Window Capture setups can also include the application’s sound. If you capture an application separately, check whether global Desktop Audio is also picking it up. Before disabling the global source, make sure you have a replacement for any game or alert that relies on it. OBS’s guide covers the Windows controls and the duplicate-capture issue. See the OBS Application Audio Capture guide.
Check every scene where the alert should play. If the intro scene and the game scene use different audio sources for the same sound, test both. An audible cue in your headphones confirms that you can hear it locally. Check the actual output before assuming viewers receive it.
Set the live, replay, and recording tracks
Write down your current working audio settings so you can restore them after the test. These steps assume OBS Studio is sending directly to Twitch.
- In Settings → Stream, select Twitch and connect your account. Open Settings → Output and choose Advanced output mode so you can select the recording tracks. See the OBS advanced recording guide.
- In the Streaming section, set the live Audio Track to 1. Enable Twitch VOD Track and select 2. If you use Simple mode for a stream-only setup, OBS documents the VOD checkbox under custom encoder settings. Check the selected service if the option is missing. A relay may have its own rules for forwarding a separate Twitch VOD mix. See the OBS Twitch VOD Track guide.
- Open Advanced Audio Properties from the mixer. Match each source’s checkboxes to the table. Then open the Recording section in Output settings and enable tracks 2, 3, 4, and 5. Use a format that supports multiple tracks, such as MKV. See the OBS recording formats guide.
- Before streaming, check that Twitch is set to store past broadcasts if you want a VOD to review. Check your publication settings too. You can review a saved broadcast in Video Producer. See Twitch’s on-demand video guide.
The source checkboxes and the output selectors work together. Checking track 4 next to your game puts the game in that mix. Enabling track 4 under Recording saves that mix in the file. You need both settings to hear the isolated game in your editor.
Test each output by listening to it
Run a short test on a familiar scene. Say “microphone,” make a clear game sound, trigger one alert, and play the intro cue briefly. Switch scenes and repeat the sounds that should work there. Keep the sequence spaced out so an echo or missing source is easy to recognize.
- Live player. Ask someone to listen on Twitch or use a separate device with headphones. All four sounds should be present. Keep the player’s audio out of the computer output OBS captures.
- Saved VOD. After the test ends, open the same moments in Video Producer. Voice, game, and alert should be audible. The intro cue should be absent. If no VOD appears, check whether storage was enabled before the test.
- Local recording. Listen to the complete replay mix, then select each isolated track in a player that supports track selection or import the file into your editor. Many players play one track at a time. Hearing only voice on the voice track is the expected result. See the OBS multiple audio track recording guide.
If you also send the show to YouTube, check what that audience receives separately. This track plan describes the OBS outputs selected here. Your second destination may receive a different feed from your encoder or relay. Pinicon’s Twitch and YouTube simulcast trial guide.
Trace a missing or doubled sound
| What you hear | First check | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone is clear live and missing from the VOD | Which track Twitch VOD Track is set to and whether the mic is assigned to it | Match the selector and source checkbox, then save another short test |
| Intro cue still plays in the replay | Whether Desktop Audio or another capture also picks up the cue | Play the cue alone and look for a second meter. Route the sources independently |
| Game audio sounds doubled live | Whether desktop capture and application capture both include the game | Keep one capture path and test the scenes that used the other |
| Local playback sounds like voice alone | Which track the player selected | Switch to the complete mix before changing source settings |
| The editor has the complete mix but no isolated game track | Whether track 4 was enabled in Recording and assigned to Game | Check both settings and record a short sample. Confirm the editor exposes the tracks |
| There is no VOD to check | Whether past broadcast storage was enabled before going live | Enable it before the next test and review the new broadcast in Video Producer |
When one source fails, change one assignment and repeat the same listening sequence. Keep a short reference recording and note what you heard live and in the VOD. Those checks give you a baseline after you add an alert, switch a capture source, or change your recording format.