6 Best Ways to Fix OBS Desktop Audio Not Working

Lately, some users have complained that desktop audio won’t work in OBS. If you too are facing a similar problem, here are the 6 best fixes.

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free piece of software designed to stream and record audio and video on Windows or Mac. Using it you can record the screen, capture the computer’s internal audio, and do a lot more. But when this ultimate tool, integrated with streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch gives issues such as OBS mic not working, OBS sound not working, and OBS desktop audio not working, things get difficult.

If you are encountering any of the above-mentioned issues, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. In this troubleshooting guide, we will explain the 6 best ways to solve OBS mic not working, OBS not picking up the mic, OBS sound not working, and OBS desktop audio not working.

Reasons for OBS Audio not Working

There are different reasons for OBS not picking or detecting desktop audio, or the desktop audio has stopped working. But the most common ones among them are listed below:

1. Issues with OBS audio settings
2. Corrupt speaker settings or inappropriately configures headset
3. Outdated audio driver
4. Audio software interferes with OBS
5. OBS is no mute

Now, you know what could be the reasons for OBS not picking up game audio or OBS sound not working. Let’s learn the solutions and fix OBS Mic not working issues.

6 Best Ways to Fix OBS Desktop Audio & Other OBS related Issues

Note: You don’t need to follow the fixes in the order explained. You can follow them as you wish and find a workable solution for you to fix the OBS desktop audio not working.

Check sound settings

Sometimes when there is an issue with the speaker or headset, then you could face OBS audio not working issues. To fix this problem, you will need to reconfigure the settings. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window
2. Type control > ok
   
3. Click the down arrow next to View by and select Small icons.
   
4. Select Sound option.
   
5. In the new window that opens, right-click the space and select Show Disabled Devices.
   
6. Now under the Playback tab select the Speaker or headset you are using and click Set Default.
   
7. Thereafter click Properties > Levels tab > make sure the device is not muted > increase the volume by moving the slider.
   
8. Hit Advanced tab > uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device.
   
9. Click Apply > OK to save changes.
10. Afterward, click the audio device you will use (Set as default) > Configure
    
11. Select Stereo from the menu and click Next. Test the speaker. Doing so will configure the speaker
    

Once the above steps are followed, launch OBS and check if the desktop audio is detected or not. If not, move to the next step to solve the OBS audio not working issue.

Uninstall unwanted programs

Alongside using OBS if you use other audio related programs then chances are they conflicting with OBS. Hence, to fix desktop audio not working properly we suggest uninstallting such programs.

Note:  According to some users Razer Synapse and Realtek Gaming Software also conflict with OBS.

Try getting rid of such programs that might interfere with the audio. If doing so helps fix OBS not picking up mic, or OBS audio not working keep those programs uninstalled.

Update audio driver

When using OBS or any other software if you often face audio issues, chances are your audio driver is outdated. This means you need to update the sound card driver.

You can get the correct driver update manually or automatically.

Manually updating Audio Driver

To update audio drivers manually head to the manufacturer’s website and download the compatible driver. For this, you need to have information about the operating system, audio driver. Failing to gather all this information might make you download the incorrect driver. Hence, when using the manual method be very careful.

Automatically updating Audio Driver

If you think you cannot get all this information or you are not that tech-savvy, you can update the sound card automatically using Smart Driver Care.

Smart Driver Care is one of the best driver updating utilities for Windows and it finds the correct and latest driver update automatically. Using its free version, you can update each driver individually. However, if you have its Pro version, you can update all the outdated & corrupt drivers at once by clicking Update All.

Click Here to Download Smart Driver Care

To use Smart Driver Care, follow the steps below:

1. Download and install the latest version of Smart Driver Care
2. Run Smart Driver Care > Scan Now
   
3. Wait for the scan to finish
4. Afterward, update the audio driver by either clicking Update driver or Update All based on the version of the product you are using.
   

Note: Smart Driver Care comes with a 60- day money-back guarantee this means in case you face any problem while using the product your money is safe.

Unmute OBS

If OBS is muted in the background (Volume mixer) then you won’t hear audio on the desktop. Therefore, check the Volume Mixer and ensure it is not muted. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. In the Taskbar next to the system clock, look for the volume icon.
2. Right-click and select Open Volume Mixer from the context menu.
   
3. Under OBS click the speaker icon and unmute it.
4. Now, check the OBS Sound not working issue should be fixed.

Edit OBS audio settings

If you have done everything and still OBS fails to pick up mic and audio on desktop, check the audio settings in OBS. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Open OBS
2. Click File > Settings
   
3. In the left pane look for Audio and select it
4. Select Stereo
   
5. Scroll down and look for Global Audio Device. Here select the device and Mic you are using for audio on the desktop.
   
6. After making these changes, run OBS the desktop audio not working problem should not be fixed.

In case the issue persists, then we will have to reinstall OBS.

Reinstall OBS

Even after applying the above fixes if OBS audio and mic is not working, try reinstalling it. To do so, follow the steps below:

1. Head to Apps & Features
2. Look for OBS > Uninstall
3. Follow on-screen instructions and that’s it.
4. To reinstall visit the official site and download the latest version.

Fixed – OBS desktop audio not working

We hope after using the fixes explained above you have got the answer for the question, how to fix desktop audio not working properly on OBS. To update drivers and avoid facing issues caused due to outdated drivers use Smart Driver Care.

Do let us know which fix worked the best for you in the comments section. In case you tried something else that helped please share the same with us. It will help us learn the alternate way to fix OBS mic not working or OBS desktop audio not working.

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