How to enable desktop audio on obs
If you’re an OBS user who’s been struggling to capture desktop audio in your recordings or streams, you’ve come to the right place. Ensuring that your audience can hear the sound from your computer is crucial for providing a professional and engaging experience. Luckily, enabling desktop audio on OBS is relatively simple, and this guide will walk you through the process step by step.
Step 1: Launch OBS on your computer and navigate to the “Sources” panel, usually located at the bottom of the screen. Here, you’ll find a list of all the sources currently active in your OBS project.
Step 2: Right-click anywhere in the “Sources” panel and select the “Add” option. This will open a drop-down menu where you can choose the type of source you want to add.
Step 3: From the drop-down menu, select “Audio Output Capture.” A new window will appear asking you to input a name for this source. Feel free to give it a descriptive title, such as “Desktop Audio.”
Step 4: After naming your source, click on the “OK” button. OBS will then display a list of all the audio devices connected to your computer.
Note: If you’re using multiple sound devices, make sure to select the correct audio device from the drop-down menu. Otherwise, you might encounter audio-related issues.
Step 5: Once you’ve selected the correct audio device, click the “OK” button again to add the source to your OBS project. OBS will now capture the sound playing on your computer, whether it be from the web, applications, or games.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully enabled desktop audio on OBS. From now on, your recordings or streams will include all the necessary sounds from your computer, allowing your viewers to fully appreciate and enjoy your content. Remember to always test your audio settings before going live to ensure everything is working as intended. Happy streaming!
Understanding the Importance of Desktop Audio
When setting up a stream, having crisp and clear audio is crucial to providing an enjoyable experience for your viewers. One important aspect of audio that often goes overlooked is desktop audio. In this article, we will delve into what desktop audio is and why it is important for your stream.
What is Desktop Audio?
Desktop audio, also known as system audio, refers to any sound that is produced by your computer, excluding any external microphones or other audio sources. This can include game audio, music, or any other sound that is playing directly from your computer.
Utilizing desktop audio is key, as it allows your viewers to fully immerse themselves in your stream’s content. Whether you are live streaming a video game or hosting a webinar, having desktop audio ensures that your viewers can hear all the in-game sounds, background music, or any other audio cues that are crucial to the content you are providing.
The Benefits of Desktop Audio
Enhanced User Experience: Incorporating desktop audio into your stream adds depth and richness to the overall experience. Viewers are more likely to stay engaged and entertained when they can fully immerse themselves in the soundscape of your content.
Smoother Transitions: Including desktop audio allows for seamless transitions between scenes when streaming. Whether you are switching from one game to another or moving from one segment of a webinar to another, having consistent desktop audio ensures there are no abrupt sound changes that can disrupt the flow of your stream.
Better Communication: Desktop audio also plays a vital role in communication during streams or online meetings. By enabling desktop audio, you can ensure that your viewers or participants can clearly hear any external sounds, such as alert notifications or participant voices, which are an integral part of interaction.
The importance of desktop audio should not be underestimated when it comes to providing an enjoyable and immersive streaming experience. By incorporating desktop audio into your stream, you can enhance user engagement, enable smoother transitions, and facilitate better communication. So don’t overlook this important aspect and make sure to enable desktop audio in your stream for the best results!
Setting Up OBS for Desktop Audio
When working with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), you may want to include desktop audio in your recordings or live streams. With desktop audio enabled, you can capture and broadcast sounds from your computer, such as game audio or system sounds, alongside your video feed.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to set up OBS for desktop audio:
- Launch OBS on your computer.
- In the main OBS window, locate the “Mixer” section at the bottom.
- Make sure the speaker icon next to your desktop audio source is not muted. If it is, click on it to unmute it.
- Go to the “Settings” menu in OBS by clicking on “File” and selecting “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- In the left sidebar of the Settings window, click on “Audio.”
- Under the “Audio Monitoring Device” section, select the audio device that corresponds to your desktop audio source. This is usually your main speakers or headphones.
- Then, under the “Audio Output Mode” section, make sure “Advanced” is selected.
- Navigate to the “Recording” tab, and select your desired recording format and quality settings.
- Click “Apply” to save your changes, then click “OK” to close the Settings window.
- You now have desktop audio set up in OBS. To test it, click on “Start Recording” or “Start Streaming” in the OBS main window, and make sure you can hear the audio from your desktop source in your recordings or live streams.
Now you can enhance your videos or streaming sessions by including desktop audio with OBS. Remember to adjust the audio levels in the OBS mixer to ensure a balanced audio mix.
Installing the Required Plugins
Before you can enable desktop audio on OBS, you need to install the necessary plugins. These plugins allow OBS to capture audio from your desktop and route it to your stream or recording.
Here’s how to install the required plugins:
Step 1: Open OBS Studio
Launch OBS Studio on your computer. If you don’t have it already, you can download it from the OBS website and follow the installation instructions.
Step 2: Go to the “Settings” Menu
In the top menu bar of OBS, click on “Settings” to open the settings menu.
Step 3: Navigate to the “Plugins” Section
In the left-hand sidebar of the settings menu, click on the “Plugins” option.
Step 4: Install the Required Plugins
In the plugins section, you will find a list of available plugins. Look for plugins that specifically mention desktop audio or audio capturing. Some commonly used plugins for enabling desktop audio include “pulseaudio” and “Virtual Audio Cable”. Choose the plugin(s) that best suit your needs and click on the “Install” button next to them. OBS will automatically download and install the selected plugins.
Once the plugins are installed, you will be able to enable desktop audio in OBS and capture audio from your desktop for your streams or recordings.
Configuring OBS Audio Settings
Setting up your audio correctly within OBS is essential to ensure that the desktop audio is enabled and functioning as desired. Follow the steps below to configure the OBS audio settings.
Step 1: Open OBS Studio
First, launch the OBS Studio application on your computer.
Step 2: Access Audio Settings
Click on the “Settings” option on the left-hand side navigation menu of OBS Studio. This will open the settings window.
Step 3: Navigate to Audio Settings
Within the settings window, click on the “Audio” tab located on the left-hand side.
Step 4: Configuring Audio Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Device | Select the appropriate audio device from the dropdown menu. Make sure to choose the device that represents your default desktop audio. |
| Desktop Audio | Verify that the “Desktop Audio” checkbox is checked to enable capturing audio from the desktop. Adjust the volume slider to control the audio volume. |
| Microphone/Auxiliary Audio | If you want to include your microphone or auxiliary audio, make sure the respective checkbox is checked and select the appropriate device from the dropdown menu. |
Once you have configured the audio settings as per your requirements, click on the “Apply” button to save the changes. You can now start using OBS with the desktop audio capture enabled.
Troubleshooting Desktop Audio Issues on OBS
If you are experiencing issues with the desktop audio in OBS, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve these problems.
1. Check your system’s audio settings.
Make sure that your system’s audio output is properly configured and set at an appropriate volume. Ensure that the correct audio device is selected as the default output, and adjust the volume levels if necessary.
2. Verify OBS audio settings.
Open OBS and go to the ‘Settings’ tab. Under the ‘Audio’ section, ensure that the correct desktop audio device is selected. You can click on the drop-down menu to view and select available audio devices.
3. Test your audio sources.
Create a new scene in OBS and add an audio source, such as a media file or browser source. Play the audio source and check if you can hear the sound. If not, try adding a different audio source to see if the issue is specific to a certain source or device.
4. Update OBS and your audio drivers.
Make sure that you are using the latest version of OBS. Updates often include bug fixes and improvements that can help resolve audio issues. Additionally, check for any available updates for your audio drivers and install them if necessary.
5. Restart your computer.
Sometimes, a simple restart can help resolve technical issues. Restart your computer and check if the desktop audio in OBS is working properly.
If none of these troubleshooting steps resolve the issue, you may want to seek further assistance from the OBS support forum or community. They may be able to offer additional guidance and solutions to help you get your desktop audio working in OBS.
Checking for Audio Device Compatibility
Before enabling desktop audio on OBS, it is important to ensure that your audio device is compatible with the software. Here are some steps to check for audio device compatibility:
- Make sure that your audio device is connected properly to your computer and turned on.
- Open the sound settings on your computer by right-clicking on the speaker icon in the system tray and selecting “Open Sound settings.”
- In the sound settings, go to the “Output” tab and check if your audio device is listed. If it is not listed, make sure that it is connected properly and try restarting your computer.
- If your audio device is listed, click on it to select it as the default device for audio output.
- Test the audio device by playing a sound or video file on your computer and checking if you can hear the audio through your device.
If you are unable to hear audio through your device or if it is not listed in the sound settings, it is possible that your audio device is not compatible with OBS. In this case, you may need to troubleshoot or consider using a different audio device that is compatible with OBS.
Harrison Clayton
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