If audio and video are out of sync in XSplit Broadcaster, identify the specific pair of sources and determine which one is early or late before changing a delay. Then make a small, source-specific adjustment and check it in a local recording; what you hear in monitoring alone does not prove that the recording or stream is aligned.
The right control depends on how the signal entered XSplit. A separately added audio source, audio attached to a camera or capture card, and a microphone or system device captured through Audio settings can have different controls. There is no universal offset that corrects every setup.
Identify which sources are out of sync
Start with a visible event that has a corresponding sound: a spoken word, a clap, a door closing, or a sharp change in a game. Note whether the mismatch is between a picture and its own audio, or between that picture and another audio source. For example, a webcam image may be late relative to a USB microphone, while game audio may be late relative to a capture-card picture. Those are different diagnosis paths.
Check one pair at a time. If there are several cameras, microphones, and desktop audio in the scene, temporarily simplify the scene or mute unrelated sources while you identify the mismatch. Avoid changing several offsets together: if the result improves, you would not know which adjustment helped, and if it worsens, you would have to undo more than one change.
Write down the source names and the symptom in plain terms: “mic leads webcam”, “camera audio follows its picture”, or “game sound comes after captured video”. Also note whether the gap seems steady or changes during playback. A stable gap points towards a timing adjustment; a gap that grows or appears alongside stuttering calls for checks beyond a single offset.
If the stream is a continuous music or news presentation, use a test section with a clear visual cue and sound, rather than relying on the overall impression of the programme. A voiceover over a still image may not reveal video timing at all. For a channel built around repeating clips, the production workflow matters too; see the advice on building a rolling local weather and traffic loop for a separate look at organising a continuous programme.
Determine which source is early or late
“Out of sync” does not say which way to move a control. If a speaker’s lips move before the voice is heard, the picture is early relative to the sound. If the voice arrives while the mouth is still about to move, the sound is early relative to the picture. Use a clear transient such as a hand clap to make the order easier to see and hear.
For a capture card, compare the direct source, if available, with the capture-card feed. A card or its processing path can introduce latency, but the amount depends on the actual device and setup. Do not copy a value from another creator’s configuration. XSplit’s camera and capture-card support guide describes source-specific configuration, and its available options can differ by device.
There are two common ways to compensate. You can delay an early signal so it meets a later one, or choose a control on a late signal that moves it earlier, if that control and source permit it. The practical target is alignment in the output you intend to use, not matching a guessed number or making the preview feel right.
If you cannot tell which signal leads, do not start entering offsets. Make a recording with a clear cue and replay it slowly enough to identify the order. A short note or sketch of the cue’s picture and sound can help, especially when several devices are involved.
Test with a local recording
Make a local recording before changing settings. It gives you a file to review and keeps the diagnosis focused on what XSplit actually outputs, rather than only the sound reaching your headphones. XSplit’s company-authored workshop on setting video and audio delays on camera sources specifically advises checking that microphone and webcam audio are in sync when reviewing a recording.
Record the same scene and cue you used to identify the problem. Include the camera or capture-card picture, the relevant microphone or system audio, and enough material to notice whether a delay stays stable. Then play the file back and compare the start of the sound with the corresponding visual event. Headphones may help you distinguish the mix, but they do not fix timing or establish that a stream is in sync.
If the local recording is aligned but the live result appears wrong, first check whether you are comparing the same sources and route. A live platform’s playback may include its own delivery delay; that is different from audio and video being out of sync with each other. Test the output that matters to you rather than treating a viewer’s later arrival at the stream as proof of an XSplit sync fault.
Keep an untouched recording if you are testing several changes. Change one relevant setting, make another short recording, and compare the cue. This makes it easier to return to a known state and avoids relying on memory for whether a change helped.
Adjust separately added audio with Offset (ms)
If a microphone or other audio device was added as its own source, open that source’s properties and look for Offset (ms). Use it to correct the timing of that audio source against the camera or capture feed. The XSplit audio-device guide documents source properties and routing; labels and placement can vary with the version you use.
Make a modest change in the direction indicated by your recording, then record and replay the same cue. If the sound was ahead of the picture, delaying the audio may help. If it was behind, an audio delay is unlikely to be the answer; inspect whether the video source has an offset or whether the microphone entered through a different capture path. Treat the playback as the test, not the numerical value itself.
When the microphone is not a separately added source but is selected in XSplit’s Audio settings, inspect that device’s Delay control instead. The settings guide explains the audio device configuration. Check that the selected device is the one you intend to capture before changing its delay; a correct delay applied to the wrong input will not repair the signal you are evaluating.
For a camera whose picture and attached audio disagree, check the camera or capture-card source properties and its own Offset (ms) option. Also verify which audio input is selected for that source. Device-specific controls differ, so follow the options shown for the actual device rather than assuming every camera has an identical panel.
Keep a brief record of the original setting and each tested value. There is no prescribed universal figure in XSplit’s guidance, and a value that works for one camera, interface, or capture route may not work for another. If you switch hardware or change how audio is added, revisit the test rather than carrying an old correction forward automatically.
Check Stream Only versus System Sound routing
An audio source’s route can change what you hear without changing the stream mix in the same way. Check whether the source is set to Stream Only or System Sound, and confirm that the setting matches your intention. If you monitor a source locally but it is not being sent to the stream, the monitoring experience is not evidence that viewers receive that same mix.
Likewise, if a sound is routed through system audio, it may return through speakers or headphones and be captured again, depending on your device arrangement. That can make a signal seem doubled or confusing to diagnose. Use headphones where practical and verify the actual routing, but do not treat headphone monitoring as proof of the recording’s sync.
For desktop or game sound, check whether XSplit is capturing the intended playback device, then examine the Audio settings Delay if that captured signal needs to arrive later. For a separately added microphone, the source’s Offset may be the more relevant control. The distinction is useful: Offset belongs to a source-level sync correction, while Delay in Audio settings concerns capture of the selected system or microphone device.
If the monitor sounds right but the recording does not, inspect both the route and the recording before changing values again. A routing mismatch can make you adjust the wrong signal. The XSplit guide on common audio and video issues is useful for distinguishing device and performance problems from a simple timing correction.
Re-test the output that matters
After each adjustment, repeat the same local recording and cue. Compare the same pair of sources, at the same point, and change only one control at a time. If the result improves but remains slightly off, continue in small increments. If it gets worse, restore the previous value before testing another control.
Then test the actual destination. If your use is a recording, review the saved file from beginning to end. If your use is a live broadcast, make a private or otherwise appropriate test and inspect the received output, while allowing for platform delivery delay. Do not infer output sync from the preview or from what an operator hears locally.
When the mismatch grows over time, appears intermittently, or comes with stuttering, check Windows playback and recording device selections and look at system load. XSplit identifies resource limits as a possible cause of poor frame rate or stuttering, but that does not establish that load explains every sync problem. Check the machine and capture path rather than using a fixed offset to hide an unstable fault.
If the capture device is unavailable rather than merely late, that is a different problem. XSplit suggests closing other applications that may be using the device, refreshing the source, and reconnecting it. These steps address availability, not synchronization; once the device is available, return to a recording-based timing test.
For a 24/7 channel, make the sync check part of preparing each programme, particularly after changing capture hardware, audio routing, or a scene. A stable recording is a useful checkpoint, but it is not a guarantee that every later stream configuration will remain aligned. If you are planning a prerecorded continuous broadcast, the considerations in hosting a prerecorded YouTube livestream on AWS and running a 24/7 stream on a Windows VPS cover separate operating choices; sync still needs to be checked in the chosen output.
Once your file and routing are correct, the next concern for an always-on channel is keeping the broadcast running without leaving your own computer on overnight. StreamNeo takes the uploaded video and runs it as a YouTube live stream, so the computer used to prepare it can be switched off; it does not replace checking the file’s timing or routing before you go live.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Why is my audio out of sync with video in XSplit?
First identify which two sources disagree and whether audio or picture arrives first. Then check how the audio was added, since a separate audio source, camera-attached audio, and an Audio settings device can use different controls. Confirm the result in a local recording.
Should I change Offset (ms) or Delay?
Use a source’s Offset (ms) when correcting a separately added audio source or a camera/capture-card source, as appropriate to the mismatch. Use Audio settings Delay when the selected microphone or system-sound device needs to be captured later. The source path determines which control is relevant.
Will headphones tell me if my stream is synced?
Headphones can help you monitor the audio mix and hear whether a cue is clear, but they do not prove that the saved recording or received stream is aligned. Review a local recording, then inspect the broadcast output you care about. Monitoring alone is not a sync test.
What if the delay keeps changing?
A changing gap is less likely to be solved reliably by one fixed offset. Check selected Windows audio devices, capture-device behaviour, and whether stuttering or performance strain accompanies the problem. Retest with a recording after addressing any instability.