Record Multiple Audio Tracks in OBS Studio

Recording multiple audio tracks simultaneously in OBS Studio allows you to separate your microphone, gameplay, voice chat, and music into independent channels. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step process to configure your recording settings, isolate your audio sources, and assign them to dedicated tracks for easier editing in post-production.

Step 1: Enable Multiple Audio Tracks in Output Settings

Before assigning audio sources, you must configure OBS Studio to record more than one track.

  1. Open OBS Studio and click Settings in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select the Output tab from the left sidebar.
  3. Change the Output Mode dropdown at the top from Simple to Advanced.
  4. Click on the Recording tab.
  5. Choose a Container Format (like mkv, mp4, or mov) that supports multiple audio tracks.
  6. Under the Audio Track section, check the boxes for the number of individual tracks you want to record (e.g., check boxes 1, 2, and 3).
  7. Click Apply.

Step 2: Add and Organize Your Audio Sources

Next, ensure all the audio devices you want to record are added to your OBS mixer.

  1. Go to Settings > Audio.
  2. Under Global Audio Devices, assign your primary devices (for example, set Desktop Audio to your headphones and Mic/Auxiliary Audio to your microphone).
  3. If you want to separate specific application audio (like Discord or Spotify), add them in your Sources dock by clicking the + icon and selecting Application Audio Capture (BETA).

Step 3: Assign Audio Sources to Dedicated Tracks

Once your audio sources are active in the Audio Mixer, you must route them to their respective tracks.

  1. Look at the Audio Mixer panel on the main OBS screen.
  2. Click the three dots (gear icon) next to any audio source and select Advanced Audio Properties.
  3. A window will appear showing all your active audio sources and a grid of numbered checkboxes (1 through 6) on the right side.
  4. Uncheck all boxes and map your sources systematically. For example:
    • Track 1 (Master Mix): Check box 1 for all sources. This is useful for streaming or quick viewing where you want all audio combined.
    • Track 2 (Microphone): Check box 2 only for your Microphone source.
    • Track 3 (Game/System Audio): Check box 3 only for your Desktop Audio source.
    • Track 4 (Voice Chat): Check box 4 only for your Discord/communication source.
  5. Click Close when finished.

Step 4: Test Your Recording

To ensure your settings are correct, record a short clip while speaking and playing game audio. Open the recorded file in a video editing software that supports multi-track audio (such as DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Sony Vegas). You will see your audio sources split into separate, editable timelines.