How to Record Audio in OBS: Step-by-Step Setup Guide

OBS Studio is a powerful recording tool, but its audio settings are spread across multiple menus. Skipping any one of them can result in silent recordings, distorted audio, or a microphone and desktop sound locked together on a single uneditable track. You will learn every audio setting that matters in this guide. It explains system audio options, mixer controls, recording tracks, output formats, and monitoring settings.

What You Need Before You Start

Before opening OBS, confirm you have the following in place:

• OBS Studio (current stable version) installed on Windows, macOS, or Linux

• A microphone or audio interface connected and recognized by your operating system. The Hollyland LARK MAX 2 is a wireless mic that outputs at 48 kHz / 32-bit Float with AI Noise Cancellation and requires no additional drivers, so OBS picks it up without extra configuration.

• Headphones for monitoring your audio during recording without creating feedback

• A short test clip ready to verify levels before committing to a full session

Understanding OBS Audio Sources

OBS routes audio through two default source types. Understanding the difference upfront prevents confusion when configuring filters, levels, and track routing later.

Keeping these sources separate gives you much more control. You can adjust filters, volume, and routing for each source independently. This becomes very important when recording multiple tracks for editing later.

Step 1: Configure Global Audio Settings

Open Settings → Audio in OBS. This panel controls your baseline audio behavior across all scenes and profiles.

Note: These are persistent global defaults. Changes here affect every scene and recording profile in OBS, not just the current one.

1. Set Sample Rate to 48 kHz. This matches the standard for modern microphones, USB audio interfaces, and most video editing platforms. Use 44.1 kHz only if your specific workflow requires it.

2. Set Channels to Stereo. This is correct for most setups. Switch to Mono only if you are recording with a single-element microphone and want the audio centered on both channels in playback.

3. Assign Desktop Audio Device. Select “Default” to follow your system’s active playback device, or pin it to a specific device to keep the assignment fixed regardless of system changes.

4. Assign Mic/Auxiliary Audio Device. Open the dropdown and select your connected microphone. If it does not appear, confirm the device is recognized in your OS audio settings before reopening OBS.

5. Click Apply, then OK.

Note: If your recording has no audio, this screen is where to look first. A missing or incorrect Mic/Auxiliary Audio device assignment is the leading cause of silent OBS recordings.

Step 2: Set Up and Balance Audio Sources in the Mixer

After configuring global settings, check the Audio Mixer panel at the bottom of the main OBS window. This is where you monitor live levels and make real-time adjustments.

1. Verify your sources are visible. You should see at least “Desktop Audio” and “Mic/Aux” listed. If your microphone is missing, click the + button in the Sources panel, select Audio Input Capture, and assign your device manually.

2. Check mute states. Each source has a speaker icon. A crossed-out icon means the source is muted. Click it to unmute.

3. Watch your levels during a test. Speak into your microphone and monitor the meter for the mic source. Target a peak range of -12 dB to -6 dB to preserve headroom and avoid clipping.

4. Use the faders to balance levels. Drag the volume slider under each source to adjust its relative level without touching hardware input gain.

5. Add filters if needed. Click the three vertical dots button in the mixer, select Filters, and click the “+” button to add filters. 

A Noise Suppression filter (RNNoise works well for most setups).

A Gain filter to correct a low or hot signal covers the majority of basic recording scenarios.

Note: Whenever possible, address excessive gain at the hardware level first, on your microphone or interface, before relying on the Gain filter inside OBS.

Step 3: Configure Recording Audio Output Settings

Go to Settings → Output and select the Recording tab. Before adjusting anything, change the Output Mode at the top of the page from Simple to Advanced. Simple Mode hides most audio-specific controls.

1. Set Recording Format to MKV. If OBS crashes mid-session, an MKV file is recoverable, while an MP4 written by OBS is not. 

After recording, use File → Remux Recordings to convert to MP4 with no quality loss.

2. Choose your Audio Encoder. Select AAC for broad compatibility with editing software and streaming platforms. Choose FLAC or PCM (uncompressed) if your project requires lossless audio for professional post-production.

3. Set Audio Bitrate per track. In Advanced Output Mode, select Audio next to the Recording tab. Each track has an independent Audio Bitrate dropdown menu. Use this table as a reference:

4. Click Apply, then OK.

Pro Tip: In Advanced Output Mode, streaming and recording are handled as completely separate outputs. You can record at 320 kbps AAC while simultaneously streaming at a lower bitrate without any conflict between the two.

How to Record Multiple Audio Tracks in OBS

Recording mic and desktop audio on a single mixed track means you cannot adjust their volumes independently or remove one source in editing. Separate tracks solve this entirely. Here is how to set it up:

1. In Settings → Output → Recording, confirm you are in Advanced Output Mode.

2. Under the Recording section, check Track 1 and Track 2 (and any additional tracks you need, up to six total).

3. Go to Edit → Advanced Audio Properties in the menu bar.

4. In the Advanced Audio Properties window, each source shows checkboxes for Tracks 1 through 6. Assign your microphone to Track 1 and Desktop Audio to Track 2 by checking the corresponding boxes for each source.

5. Return to the Recording tab and confirm both tracks are checked.

When you import the resulting file into an editor like DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere Pro, each track appears as an independent audio lane you can adjust or mute without affecting the others.

Note: Multi-track audio recording is only supported in MKV and MP4 containers. Avoid the FLV format if you need separate audio tracks.

Monitor Your Audio While Recording

OBS audio monitoring lets you hear what is being captured through your headphones in real time. To configure it, go to Edit → Advanced Audio Properties and locate the Audio Monitoring column for each source.

Monitor Off: It is the default state. OBS captures the audio, but you do not hear it through your headphones. Use this for sources you already hear natively, such as game audio coming through your speakers.

Monitor Only (mute output): You hear the source through your headphones, but it is not sent to the recording. Useful for checking levels before a session without committing the signal to a file.

Monitor and Output: You hear the source in your headphones, and it is also recorded. Use this when you want real-time confirmation of exactly what OBS is capturing.

Warning: Do not use Monitor and Output with open speakers as your monitoring device. The audio feed from OBS will loop back into your microphone, creating echo or feedback in the recording. This setting is only safe to use with headphones.

Troubleshooting Common OBS Audio Recording Issues

• No audio in recording: The Mic/Auxiliary Audio device is unassigned or pointing to the wrong device in Settings → Audio; also check that the source is not muted in the Audio Mixer.

• Audio out of sync with video: Open Advanced Audio Properties and adjust the Sync Offset for the affected source; also confirm the sample rate in Settings → Audio matches the rate reported by your audio driver.

• Echo or feedback in the recording: Audio monitoring is set to Monitor and Output with speakers active; switch to Monitor Off or use headphones.

• Audio too quiet or clipping: Adjust the fader in the mixer; add a Gain filter; for clipping specifically, reduce input gain at the hardware level first.

• Desktop audio not recording: The Desktop Audio device in Settings → Audio must match the active playback device in your OS. If you changed your system default after setting up OBS, update the assignment in Settings → Audio to reflect the new device.

FAQs

Q1: Can OBS record audio only, without video?

Yes, OBS can record audio without adding any video sources. Create an empty scene and keep only your audio inputs active. Set the recording mode to Custom Output (FFmpeg) and turn off the video encoder. The saved file can then contain only audio, such as an MP3 or WAV file. OBS is mainly designed for streaming and video recording. A dedicated audio recorder may be a better option for audio-only projects.

Q2: What audio format is best for recording in OBS?

AAC at 192 to 320 kbps is the strongest general-purpose choice: wide compatibility with editing software, good quality, and manageable file sizes. If you are recording music or audio that will be processed extensively in post-production, use FLAC or PCM for lossless capture. Both are available in Advanced Output Mode.

Q3: Why is my OBS recording picking up all audio, including system sounds?

Desktop Audio is enabled by default in OBS global settings. To stop capturing system sound, open Settings → Audio and set the Desktop Audio device to Disabled. Alternatively, mute the Desktop Audio source directly in the Audio Mixer without permanently removing it from your scene setup.

Q4: How many audio tracks can OBS record simultaneously?

OBS supports up to 6 simultaneous audio tracks in Advanced Output Mode. Each track can be assigned to one or more sources using Advanced Audio Properties, letting you separate microphone, desktop audio, music, and additional inputs onto distinct lanes for independent editing in post.

Q5: Does audio quality differ between OBS streaming and recording?

Live streams and saved recordings usually need different audio settings. Streaming quality depends on the platform and internet upload speed. Lower bitrates like 128 to 160 kbps are common choices. They help prevent problems during live broadcasts. Recordings are saved directly on your computer's storage instead. This allows higher audio settings, such as 320 kbps. OBS lets you assign separate tracks for each output. You can stream with compressed audio while saving higher-quality recordings.

Conclusion

Getting clean audio in OBS requires four main adjustments. First, select your devices inside Settings > Audio. Next, balance each source using the Audio Mixer. Then adjust the encoder and bitrate through Settings > Output. And choose the right monitoring mode for your environment. Before any full session, run a 30-second test recording and confirm the levels in playback. For the cleanest input signal entering OBS, the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 transmits at 48 kHz / 32-bit Float with AI Noise Cancellation and requires no extra drivers.