OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free open source application that allows you to stream audio and video to your favorite social media platforms. You’ve got it installed and you’re excited to start streaming. But what if you don’t know how to add an audio source?
If you don’t know anything about this, you’ve come to the right place. OBS is a great tool for mixing different audio sources. In this article, we’ll cover how to add a generic audio source and also how to use your Discord server to capture audio directly into OBS.
How to add an audio source in OBS
To use OBS correctly, you’ll need to know how to add different audio sources. Different microphones and so on are important to get the right sound. Fortunately, this is not a difficult process. To learn how to do it, follow these instructions.
- Open the OBS application.

- Connect your audio interface. Navigate to “Audio Mixer” and then “Microphone/Aux.”

- Click the “Gear” icon to open it and from the drop-down menu, select “Properties.” Click on the audio interface you are using and close the window.

- Tap the “Gear” icon again and choose “Advanced Audio Properties.”

- Make sure “mono” is selected for “Mic/Aux”.

- In the “Sources” menu, click the “+” button. Here you can add your new audio source.

- Select “Audio Input Capture” from the source menu, choose “Add Existing” and press “OK.”

How to add Discord as an audio source in OBS
It’s a great idea to capture your audio stream from your Discord server. You can add this audio to other projects or save it for future use.
Before you can add Discord as an audio source in OBS, you’ll first need to check which device your Discord audio is going to. To learn how to do this, follow the steps below.
- Launch Discord.

- Navigate to your Discord “Settings” by clicking the “Gear” icon.

- Tap “Voice & Video.”

- Take note of the name of the output device.
Now you will need to add that device to your OBS scene. Here’s how to do it.
- Open the obs application.

- Navigate to the “Sources” panel and click the “+” icon. To add a new one, click “Audio Output Capture.”

- In the new pop-up window, type a descriptive name in the “Create new” section, such as “Discord Audio.”

- Click OK.” In the next window, select this new device.

Discord will now be selected as a new audio source in OBS.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best audio settings for OBS recordings?
This is a difficult question to answer considering that everyone’s hearing is different. It will depend on exactly what you are looking for in terms of sound. Generally, there are some default settings that you can change to improve your audio settings.
1. Go to the OBS “Output” menu.
2. Select the “Audio” tab.
3. Change the “Audio Bit Rate” of track 1 to “320”.
4. Tap the “Audio” icon in the left side panel menu.
5. Look at “Sample Rate” and make sure it is set to the same frequency as your microphone.
It is best to use a trial and error method when making adjustments to your audio settings.
OBS does not record audio from my desktop. That I have to do?
This can be a common problem among new OBS users. The solution is usually quite simple. There are a few things you need to check for your desktop audio to work properly. Try some of these suggestions.
A common cause of this is that your volume mixer is set to silent. Here’s how to check it.
1. At the bottom right of the screen, click the “Speaker” icon.
2. Select “Open Volume Mixer”.
3. Make sure “OBS” is set to 100 and is not muted.
Another culprit could be that you selected “push to talk/push to mute.” Follow these steps to check if it is selected.
1. In the upper left corner of the screen, click “File.”
2. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings”.
3. Tap “Audio” in the left side panel menu.
4. Under “Hotkeys,” make sure the “Desktop Audio” box is not selected.
If there are hotkeys set to mute desktop audio, you may have accidentally pressed them. By having this option disabled, you will not have this problem again.
Adding an audio source to OBS is a simple process
To stream the best audio and video to your favorite social media platform, it may be necessary to add additional audio sources. OBS makes this quite simple. Simply add your audio device to your computer and add it to the OBS audio sources list. The same can be done with Discord by adding it to the list of audio devices.