The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing OBS Studio Audio Settings for Streaming and Recording

Master the 2025 OBS Studio audio configuration to ensure professional-quality streaming and recording sound—clean voice, balanced desktop audio, and zero clipping.

Choosing Audio Sources

Start by identifying the types of audio you want to capture in your stream or recording. OBS Studio supports multiple audio source types:

Microphone: Your voice input through USB/XLR microphones.
Desktop Audio: Game audio, music, or any output sound from your PC.
Audio Input Capture: Additional microphones or line-in sources.
Audio Output Capture: Capture audio from specific applications (new in OBS 30+).

Add your device: click in Sources and choose the input/output capture type.

Verify drivers and OS recognition first (Windows Sound panel / macOS Audio MIDI Setup) to avoid “device not available” issues.

Configuring Audio Devices

Go to Settings → Audio to configure your global audio devices:

Sample Rate: Choose 48 kHz for professional-grade audio (match your interface/mic settings).
Channels: Use Stereo unless you rely on a multi-channel interface and advanced routing.
Global Devices: Disable unused Mic/Aux channels to keep your mixer clean and avoid echo/phase issues.

Tip: You can override global devices per scene with dedicated Audio Input/Output Capture sources—handy for scene-specific control.

Microphone & Desktop Audio Settings

Microphone Settings

Set your mic device under Settings → Audio → Mic/Auxiliary Audio (prefer a specific device, not “Default”).
Use the Audio Mixer to set gain—aim for average peaks around -12 dB, never hitting red.
Right-click your mic → Advanced Audio Properties for track assignment & monitoring options.
If using sync offset, enter it in ms (e.g., 200 ms delay to align with video).

Desktop Audio

Choose your playback device under Desktop Audio in settings.
Balance game/music versus voice in the mixer; keep desktop peaks lower than mic for intelligibility.
Use per-scene desktop sources to selectively include/exclude app audio.

Audio Monitoring

Set to Monitor and Output if you need in-ear monitoring. Otherwise keep Monitor Off to prevent feedback/comb filtering.

Audio Filters & Fine Tuning

Essential Filters

Noise Suppression — reduce ambient fan/room noise.
Noise Gate — close the mic when you’re silent.
Compressor — control peaks, add presence.
Limiter — brickwall to avoid clipping.

How to Add Filters

Right-click your mic or source.
Select Filters.
Click to add a filter.
Tune each filter; start from presets, then ear-test.

Suggested Noise Gate Values (2025 baseline)

Close: -30 dB

Open: -15 dB

Attack: 10 ms

Hold: 200 ms

Release: 150 ms

Adjust to room noise and mic distance. If words get chopped, raise Hold/Release or lower Close threshold.

Watch out: If your compressor is doing heavy lifting (over 6–8 dB gain reduction), lower mic gain or move closer to the mic and re-tune.

Recheck Monitoring Jump to Summary

Summary

To ensure your OBS Studio audio is ready for professional use in 2025, follow these steps:

Identify and add the correct audio sources.
Configure sample rate and channels globally and per source.
Fine-tune microphone (peaks ≈ -12 dB) and desktop audio balance.
Apply filters (Noise Suppression → Gate → Compressor → Limiter).
Use Advanced Audio Properties for tracks/monitoring/sync offset.
Continuously test and monitor with short recordings before going live.

Pro tip: Save your setup as a Profile and Scene Collection. If Windows re-enumerates devices after updates, you can recover fast.