A Twitch VOD track lets you choose which audio sources are included in the recording Twitch saves, separately from what viewers hear live. In Streamlabs Desktop, enable it in Output settings and assign sources to the selected VOD track in Advanced Audio Options.
This is a Twitch destination setting, not the same thing as recording separate editable audio tracks to your own computer. The distinction matters: excluding music from a Twitch VOD does not by itself create a local recording with separate music, microphone and game audio stems.
What the Twitch VOD track changes
A live mix and a VOD mix can serve different purposes. You might want viewers to hear background music during a broadcast, for example, while leaving that music out of the video Twitch keeps afterwards. The VOD track setting gives you a way to choose which audio sources feed that Twitch VOD output.
It does not mute a source for the live audience. It also does not alter the source itself or create a separate file on your computer. Instead, it determines whether each audio source is included in the VOD track you select. Streamlabs describes the feature as a way to exclude specific sources from Twitch VODs. Its official Twitch VOD Track instructions document the setting and source assignments.
Keep the destination in mind. Streamlabs says this feature is not currently available for multistream. Do not assume that enabling it will create different saved audio mixes for every destination in a multistream setup. If your broadcast is headed to Twitch through a supported Twitch setup, use the Twitch VOD controls; for other destinations, check that platform’s own recording and audio options.
The term “track” can cause confusion because Streamlabs also offers local multi-track recording. That feature puts audio on separate tracks in a recording file for editing later. The Twitch VOD track instead controls the audio mix delivered for a Twitch VOD. One setting cannot stand in for the other.
If your immediate aim is a continuous prerecorded programme rather than interactive streaming, the production question may be different: our guide to streaming prerecorded videos to YouTube Live from a computer covers that separate workflow. It does not change the Twitch-specific controls described here.
Check that Twitch is the destination
Before changing audio assignments, confirm which platform or platforms your Streamlabs Desktop session is set to use. The Twitch VOD option is relevant to Twitch. If you use Dual Output, verify that Twitch is one of the destinations. If you are multistreaming, do not treat the VOD track control as a general-purpose way to change the saved audio mix across destinations; Streamlabs’ documentation says the feature is not currently available for multistream.
This check is especially useful if you have reused a scene collection or output setup. A mixer can show the same sources whether the selected destination is Twitch, another platform or more than one destination. Seeing a microphone and music source in the mixer does not tell you which platform’s VOD rules will apply. Establish the destination first, then set up the Twitch output.
If your intended audience is on YouTube, Twitch VOD configuration will not change what YouTube saves. Consider the destination’s own live and archive controls instead. For a prerecorded channel, you may also want to decide whether the source should be unlisted or otherwise access-controlled; this is a separate choice from audio routing, as explained in using unlisted videos for a 24/7 YouTube lecture stream.
Enable Twitch VOD in Output settings
Open Settings > Output in Streamlabs Desktop. The exact option shown depends on whether Output mode is set to Simple or Advanced.
In Simple mode, first enable Advanced encoder settings. This exposes the Twitch VOD control; then turn on Twitch VOD. In Advanced mode, find and enable Twitch VOD directly. These are two paths to the same Twitch-specific output feature, not separate modes for live and recorded audio.
After changing the setting, take a moment to confirm it remains enabled before going into the mixer. If the option is absent, check the selected platform and output mode, then consult Streamlabs’ current documentation: interface labels and availability can change. Avoid changing unrelated encoder settings to solve an audio-assignment problem. The VOD switch enables the output; source inclusion is handled separately.
The feature’s option in Output does not automatically mean every source should be included or excluded. Think of it as opening the route for a VOD mix. You still have to select which track the VOD uses and decide source by source whether its audio belongs there.
Choose the VOD track
Streamlabs’ documented default for the Twitch VOD track is Track 2. You can change the selected track. The default is a starting configuration, not a recommendation that Track 2 must always be used, and it does not describe the number of local recording tracks in your file.
Open Advanced Audio Options using the gear above the audio mixer. The audio-source rows and track checkboxes are where you set whether each source feeds the selected VOD track. For each source, check the VOD track if it should be heard in the VOD; uncheck it if you want it excluded. For instance, you may keep a microphone included while leaving a music source out, if that matches your intended VOD mix.
Make a small assignment plan before clicking. Write down the sources you want in the Twitch VOD and the ones you do not. Then compare that plan against the mixer names: a desktop-audio source may contain more than one sound, while a dedicated application or capture source may be easier to isolate. If a source combines sounds you need to treat differently, the VOD track cannot separate those sounds after they have already been combined into one source. You would need to route them separately upstream or accept the combined result.
Track numbers can be easy to misread when local recording is also configured. Check the VOD track selection and its checkboxes in Advanced Audio Options rather than inferring behaviour from a local recording track list. A source assigned to local Track 2 is not necessarily included in the Twitch VOD just because the number matches. They are separate output configurations.
Exclude audio sources from the VOD mix
The useful question for each mixer source is not simply “is this on?” but “should viewers hear this in the live broadcast, the VOD, or both?” A source can be useful live and unwanted in an archived video. With Twitch VOD enabled, source checkboxes let you make that distinction for the chosen VOD track.
For example, if a music source is intended for the live atmosphere but not for the saved Twitch video, leave its VOD-track checkbox off while keeping the live route as intended. Keep the microphone assigned to the VOD track if you want the spoken content preserved. Confirm that any alert, browser, game or desktop-audio source is also deliberately included or excluded; do not assume the visible mixer level tells you its VOD assignment.
This is a routing choice, not a rights or policy decision. Excluding a source from the VOD does not establish that using it in the live broadcast is permitted, and inclusion does not guarantee that Twitch will keep or distribute a VOD in any particular way. Check current official platform guidance and the terms relevant to any audio you use.
Keep source names understandable. If “Desktop Audio” includes a browser, a media player and system alerts, it may be difficult to omit only one of those sounds using a single source checkbox. Separate them in your operating system or production setup before relying on per-source assignments. This takes more preparation, but makes the VOD outcome easier to predict.
For continuous channel operators, the same discipline applies even when the live programme is simple. A devotional stream might use a voice source, a music player and alert sounds. Decide separately which belong in the Twitch archive, then test the actual recording rather than relying on the scene layout. If you are comparing a file-based broadcast workflow for a different platform, our overview of options for streaming prerecorded videos to YouTube is relevant to that separate decision, not a substitute for Twitch’s VOD controls.
Keep local multi-track recording separate
If your goal is to edit the recording later and adjust the microphone and music independently, configure local multi-track recording as a second workflow. Streamlabs documents that setup under Settings > Output > Recording in Advanced mode, with source assignments in Advanced Audio Settings. Its multi-track recording guide explains the local workflow. Streamlabs says it supports up to six audio tracks in that documented workflow; this is a local recording capability, not the number of tracks available in a Twitch VOD.
The recording container matters for that local workflow. Streamlabs says FLV does not support multiple audio tracks and advises choosing MP4 or MKV for multi-track recording. Check the current guidance before choosing a format, and consider how you will recover or convert a recording if the application or computer stops unexpectedly. A format choice for your local file does not enable or disable the Twitch VOD mix.
| What you need | Configure | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Omit a selected source from a Twitch VOD | Twitch VOD under Output, then source assignments in Advanced Audio Options | The audio sources included in the Twitch VOD track |
| Preserve separate audio inputs for later editing | Local Recording tracks and Advanced Audio Settings | The audio tracks in a recording file on your computer |
If you need both outcomes, configure both independently and test each. A Twitch VOD can have its intended mix while the local file keeps separate inputs for editing. Conversely, a carefully prepared local multi-track file does not, on its own, change what Twitch stores. Streamlabs’ recording functionality overview provides further detail on the local recording controls.
Test the live mix and the VOD
Do not use mixer meters alone as proof that the saved VOD mix is right. Meters help show activity, but the practical check is to make a short test broadcast with the same destination, sources and assignments you plan to use, then inspect the resulting VOD if available. Listen for the microphone, any music you intended to retain, and sources you meant to omit.
Check the live experience separately. A source excluded from the VOD should still behave as intended for live viewers. Ask a trusted listener to confirm what they hear, or monitor the live output through a separate device where practical; avoid judging the stream only from the same computer that is producing it. Keep the test manageable, and do not use an important broadcast as the first time you verify the routing.
If the result is wrong, change one assignment at a time and repeat the check. Confirm that you are listening to the Twitch VOD rather than a local recording, since the two may have different source routing. Also verify that the destination is Twitch and the VOD option remains enabled. A source that is silent in the VOD may have been excluded intentionally, be routed through another source, or simply not have produced audio during the test.
Record your working configuration in a short note, especially if you switch between a single Twitch destination and other output arrangements. Before a later broadcast, check the destination, VOD enablement and source assignments again. A scene collection can be familiar while the output context has changed.
If the broader problem is leaving a channel running without keeping your own computer on, that is a different operating question from VOD audio routing. StreamNeo turns an uploaded video into a YouTube live stream, so the specific burden of leaving a computer running for that file-based broadcast is removed; it is not a VOD-track solution.
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
Does the Twitch VOD track change what live viewers hear?
The VOD track controls which sources are included in the Twitch VOD mix. It is intended to let you exclude selected sources from the saved VOD without treating that choice as a live mute. Test both outputs to make sure the live mix and archive behave as intended.
Is Track 2 required?
No. Track 2 is the documented default, and Streamlabs says you can change the selected VOD track. The source checkboxes in Advanced Audio Options determine which sources feed the track you select.
Does local multi-track recording change the Twitch VOD?
No. Local multi-track recording puts audio on separate tracks in a file for later editing; the Twitch VOD track controls the audio sent to Twitch’s VOD output. Configure them separately if you need both results.
Can I use Twitch VOD track with multistream?
Streamlabs says the Twitch VOD feature is not currently available for multistream. Check its current official guidance and confirm your selected destination before relying on the setting.