Your capture card is plugged in, OBS is open, and video looks perfect. Then you check the audio mixer, and nothing shows up at all. That issue annoys plenty of streamers and content creators using capture devices. Fortunately, two solid fixes usually solve everything without wasting much time. Most people fix it with the first method in only minutes. This guide explains both methods, audio monitoring settings, plus sync issues. It also covers sample rate problems that pop up later.
Before You Begin: Quick Requirements
Before changing any OBS settings, double-check that everything is connected correctly. Even one missing step can stop the whole setup from working.
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Capture card is connected and recognized. The device should appear in Windows Device Manager or macOS System Information with drivers installed. Elgato, AVerMedia, and similar cards typically require their companion software or a driver download.
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The source device is actively outputting audio over HDMI. Play audio on the console, camera, or PC you are capturing. A silent source produces no signal regardless of OBS settings.
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OBS is open with a Scene selected. Your Video Capture Device source should already be visible in the Sources panel before you begin.
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You know which input device name your capture card uses. Check Windows Sound settings or macOS Audio MIDI Setup to find the exact name (for example, “Elgato HD60 S Audio” or “USB Audio Device”).
Method 1: Enable Audio Directly Within the Video Capture Device Source (Most Common Fix)
This is the setting most users overlook. The Video Capture Device source in OBS has a built-in audio output mode that is often disabled by default. Changing it takes about 30 seconds and resolves the issue for the majority of users.
Step 1: Open Your Video Capture Device Source Properties
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Locate your capture card source in the Sources panel at the bottom of the OBS window.
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Right-click the source and select Properties. (If you have not added the source yet, click the + icon, choose Video Capture Device, name it, and click OK to open Properties.)
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In the Device dropdown at the top of the Properties window, confirm your capture card is selected and not a webcam or another input device.
Step 2: Change the Audio Output Mode
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Scroll down in the Properties window until you find the Audio Output Mode dropdown.
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By default, this is often set to Capture audio only or a disabled state, which routes audio internally without feeding it to the OBS mixer.
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Change the setting to Output desktop audio (DirectSound) on Windows, or the equivalent audio output option on macOS.
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This tells OBS to send the capture card’s audio signal into the main audio pipeline, so it appears in the mixer and gets recorded or streamed.
Note: On some systems or capture card drivers, the option shown may be labeled slightly differently. If you see “Output to desktop audio” or a similar phrase, that is the correct selection.
Step 3 – Confirm Signal in the OBS Audio Mixer
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Click OK to close the Properties window.
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Look at the Audio Mixer panel at the bottom of the OBS main window. You should see a new channel or an active channel for your capture card.
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Play audio from your source device, like a game, a tone, or anything audible.
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Watch the level meters on that channel. If they are moving, audio is flowing correctly into OBS.
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If the meters stay flat and show no signal, proceed to Method 2.
Method 2: Add a Separate Audio Input Capture Source for the Capture Card
Some capture cards register audio and video as two entirely separate system devices. In these cases, the Video Capture Device source handles only the video signal, and you need a dedicated audio source to pull in the sound. This is the correct approach when Method 1 produces no signal.
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In the Sources panel, click the + icon.
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Select Audio Input Capture from the list.
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Name the source something recognizable, such as “Capture Card Audio,” and click OK.
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In the Device dropdown, look for your capture card’s audio device. It may appear as “Elgato HD60 S Audio,” “AVerMedia Live Gamer Audio,” or “USB Audio Device” depending on your hardware and OS.
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Select the correct device and click OK.
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Return to the Audio Mixer and play audio from your source device. The new Audio Input Capture channel should show active meters.
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If you are using both a Video Capture Device source and this new Audio Input Capture source, make sure the Video Capture Device audio is muted, or its Audio Output Mode is not duplicating the signal to avoid hearing both at once.
How to Monitor Capture Card Audio in OBS (Hear It Through Your Headphones)
Completing Method 1 or Method 2 ensures audio is being captured and recorded — but you still will not hear it live through headphones unless you enable audio monitoring. This is an OBS monitoring configuration issue, not a source problem.
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In the Audio Mixer, locate the channel for your capture card audio.
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Click the three vertical dots icon on that channel.
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Select Advanced Audio Properties.
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Find the Audio Monitoring dropdown for your capture card channel.
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Choose one of the following options based on your use case:
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Option |
What It Does |
When to Use It |
|---|---|---|
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Monitor Only |
You hear the audio in headphones, but it is NOT sent to the recording or stream |
Testing and monitoring without affecting output |
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Monitor and Output |
You hear the audio, and it is recorded and streamed |
Live monitoring during a session — most common choice |
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Make sure your monitoring device is set correctly. Go to OBS Settings → Audio → Monitoring Device and select your headphones or audio interface.
Note: If your source device (console, camera) is also sending audio directly to your speakers or headset, enabling “Monitor and Output” will cause an echo. Use “Monitor Only” in that situation, or mute the direct audio feed from the source device.
Troubleshooting Common Capture Card Audio Problems in OBS
If you have worked through both methods and something still feels off, one of these four issues covers the overwhelming majority of remaining problems.
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Problem |
Likely Cause |
Fix |
|---|---|---|
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No audio signal in mixer |
Audio Output Mode not set, or wrong audio device selected |
Re-check Method 1 settings, or add the correct device via Method 2 |
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Meters active but no sound through headphones |
Audio Monitoring not enabled |
Enable “Monitor and Output” in Advanced Audio Settings |
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Audio out of sync with video |
Processing latency inside the capture card |
Add a positive sync offset (in milliseconds) in Advanced Audio Settings for that channel |
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Crackling or distorted audio |
Sample rate mismatch between OBS and the capture card |
Go to OBS Settings → Audio and set the sample rate to match your capture card (commonly 48 kHz) |
For sync offset, start at around 100ms and adjust up or down in 20ms increments while watching your recording playback until audio and video align.
Tips for Cleaner Capture Card Audio in OBS
Once the basic setup is working, a few small adjustments will noticeably improve your recordings and streams:
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Assign capture card audio to a dedicated track. In OBS recording settings, use Track 1 for your stream mix and Track 2 (or higher) for capture card audio only. This makes post-production editing much easier.
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Lower the capture card channel volume slightly if game audio is competing with or overwhelming your microphone.
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Set your sample rate to 48 kHz everywhere. Set it consistently in OBS, in your capture card software, and in Windows Sound settings to prevent crackling or drift.
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Keep the Audio Mixer visible while you do a test recording. Watch levels in real time before going live to catch balance issues early.
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For voice audio alongside your capture card, a wireless microphone like the Hollyland LARK MAX 2, which records at 48 kHz / 32-bit Float with AI Noise Cancellation, gives you clean, isolated voice audio that sits well in the mix without adding cable clutter to your setup.
FAQs
Q1: Why does my capture card show video but no audio in OBS?
Your capture card shows video but no audio because OBS often grabs only video by default. To fix it, open the Video Capture Device properties. Then change the audio mode to Capture audio only. You can also add an Audio Input Capture source, then set monitoring to Monitor and Output inside Advanced Audio Properties.
Q2: Should I use Audio Input Capture or Video Capture Device for capture card audio?
Start with the Video Capture Device audio output mode. It is simpler and works for most capture cards. Use Audio Input Capture as a fallback if your capture card registers as a separate audio device in your system, or if Method 1 produces no signal in the OBS mixer after setting the correct output mode.
Q3: How do I fix capture card audio that’s out of sync with video in OBS?
Go to the Audio Mixer, click the gear icon on your capture card channel, and open Advanced Audio Settings. Enter a positive or negative value in the Sync Offset field (in milliseconds). If the audio plays before the video, enter a positive Sync Offset value in OBS. That adds a small delay to the audio so everything lines up. If the audio plays after the video, a negative Sync Offset will not fix it. Instead, reduce the video delay, such as disabling buffering when appropriate, or add delay to the video instead.
Q4: Can I hear my capture card audio through headphones while recording in OBS?
Yes. In Advanced Audio Settings for the capture card channel, set the Audio Monitoring dropdown to “Monitor and Output.” Then go to OBS Settings → Audio → Monitoring Device and select your headphones. Be aware that if your source device is already sending audio to your headphones directly, this will create an echo.
Conclusion
Start with Method 1 by checking the Audio Output Mode in your Video Capture Device source settings. That fixes the problem for most people. If the audio mixer still shows nothing, try Method 2 and add a separate Audio Input Capture source for your capture card. After that, check the sync offset and match the sample rates to fix most remaining issues.
