Fix OBS Studio Audio and Video Desync

Having your audio and video out of sync in OBS Studio can ruin the quality of your live streams and recordings. This guide provides direct, step-by-step solutions to resolve OBS audio desync issues, including adjusting sync offsets, matching sample rates across your system, toggling device timestamps, and reducing hardware lag to ensure your stream runs perfectly.

Step 1: Adjust the Audio Sync Offset

If your audio is consistently ahead of or behind your video by a set amount of time, you can easily correct this using OBS Studio’s built-in offset tool.

  1. Locate the Audio Mixer dock in OBS.
  2. Click the gear icon (or the three vertical dots) next to your active audio source (e.g., Mic/Aux or Desktop Audio) and select Advanced Audio Properties.
  3. Find your audio source in the list and locate the Sync Offset (ms) column.
  4. Enter a value in milliseconds to shift the audio:
    • Positive value (e.g., 200): Delays the audio (use this if the audio is playing before the video).
    • Negative value (e.g., -200): Speeds up the audio (use this if the audio is playing after the video).
  5. Close the window and test your recording to see if the sync is corrected.

Step 2: Match Audio Sample Rates

A mismatch in sample rates between your microphone, Windows operating system, and OBS Studio is the most common cause of audio drifting out of sync over time.

  1. Check OBS settings: Go to Settings > Audio and check the Sample Rate (usually 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz).
  2. Check Windows settings:
    • Press Windows Key + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter to open the Sound Control Panel.
    • Under the Playback tab, right-click your default device and select Properties.
    • Go to the Advanced tab and note the default format (e.g., 24-bit, 48000 Hz).
    • Repeat this process for your microphone under the Recording tab.
  3. Align the rates: Ensure that OBS, your playback device, and your recording device are all set to the exact same rate (either 44100 Hz / 44.1 kHz or 48000 Hz / 48 kHz).

Step 3: Toggle Device Timestamps

Sometimes, your computer’s hardware clock conflicts with OBS, causing the audio to gradually desync during long sessions.

  1. Go to the Audio Mixer in OBS.
  2. Click the gear icon next to your microphone or capture card and select Properties.
  3. Look for the Use Device Timestamps checkbox.
  4. If it is checked, uncheck it. If it is unchecked, check it.
  5. Test your stream. Different hardware devices react differently to this setting, so toggling it often resolves persistent drift.

Step 4: Fix GPU Overload and Render Lag

If your computer is struggling to render your game or video source, the video will lag behind the audio. This is a video lag issue masquerading as an audio sync issue.

  1. Run OBS as Administrator: Right-click the OBS Studio shortcut and select Run as administrator. This gives OBS GPU priority, preventing video frames from dropping.
  2. Enable Windows Game Mode: Go to Windows Settings > Gaming > Game Mode, and turn it On.
  3. Lower OBS Settings: If your GPU usage is at 100%, lower your output resolution (e.g., from 1080p to 720p) or reduce your frame rate from 60 FPS to 30 FPS.