Configure OBS Twitch VOD Track to Avoid Copyright

This article provides a straightforward, step-by-step guide on how to configure OBS Studio to output a separate audio track specifically for your Twitch VODs (Videos on Demand). By utilizing this built-in OBS feature, you can play music during your live broadcast for your active viewers while ensuring that the music is excluded from the saved VOD, protecting your channel from copyright strikes, muting, and DMCA claims.

Step 1: Enable the Twitch VOD Track in OBS Studio

To separate your audio, you must first enable the dedicated VOD track option within your OBS settings.

  1. Open OBS Studio and click on Settings in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select the Output tab from the left-hand menu.
  3. Change the Output Mode dropdown at the top from “Simple” to Advanced.
  4. Under the Streaming tab, locate the Audio Track and Twitch VOD Track options.
  5. Keep Audio Track set to 1 (this will be your live stream audio).
  6. Check the box next to Twitch VOD Track.
  7. Select Track 2 (or any track other than Track 1) to serve as your dedicated VOD audio track.
  8. Click Apply.

Step 2: Route Your Audio Sources

Once the track is enabled, you need to configure which audio sources go to your live stream and which go to your VOD.

  1. Locate the Audio Mixer dock on the main OBS Studio screen.
  2. Click the gear icon next to any of your audio sources, or right-click inside the mixer, and select Advanced Audio Properties.
  3. A grid of your audio sources and numbered tracks (1 through 6) will appear.
  4. Track 1 (Live Stream): Check the box for every single audio source you want your live audience to hear, including your microphone, game audio, alerts, and music.
  5. Track 2 (Twitch VOD): Check the boxes for your microphone, game audio, and alerts, but uncheck the box for your music source.

By unchecking the music source on Track 2, OBS will exclude that specific audio channel from the VOD recording sent to Twitch, while still broadcasting it live on Track 1.

Step 3: Test and Verify

Before committing to a long broadcast, perform a short test stream to verify the setup is correct.

  1. Start your stream and play your music source.
  2. Ensure live chat can hear the music.
  3. End the stream and navigate to your Twitch Video Producer dashboard.
  4. Listen to the VOD of your test stream. Your microphone and game audio should be clearly audible, while the music should be completely silent.