OBS can send one audio mix to your Twitch live stream and a different mix to its VOD. Connect your Twitch account, enable Twitch VOD Track in Output, then assign each audio source to the tracks it should use.
The key detail is that track 2 does not automatically remove music: it is the VOD feed, and you choose which sources reach it in Advanced Audio Properties. This Twitch-specific routing is separate from recording multiple tracks for editing later.
What Twitch VOD Track changes
A live stream and its saved VOD do not have to contain the same audio. OBS’s Twitch VOD Track feature routes a distinct audio feed to the VOD while your live broadcast continues with its own mix. That is useful when, for example, you want a music source audible to live viewers but absent from the replay.
In the documented default arrangement, track 1 carries the live feed and track 2 carries the VOD feed. Think of the track checkboxes as source-to-destination choices: a source checked for track 1 is available to the live mix, while checking it for track 2 sends it to the VOD mix. You must decide which boxes each source needs.
This feature affects Twitch’s live and VOD audio routing. It does not change audio on other platforms, and it does not by itself produce a set of independently editable local recording tracks. If your aim is to keep game, voice and music separately adjustable in an editor, use OBS’s recording-track settings as a related but distinct workflow.
That distinction matters if you also publish an edited copy elsewhere. For an ordinary video file, the OBS guide to multiple audio track recording notes that standard players play only one audio track at a time. A file intended to play without editing should therefore have a complete mix on track 1, rather than relying on a viewer’s player to select another track.
Connect OBS to your Twitch account
Start by connecting the account in OBS. Open Settings → Stream, select Twitch as the service if needed, and use Connect Account to authorise OBS. The Twitch VOD Track option depends on the Twitch connection and its custom encoder settings; if the account is not connected, the relevant controls may not appear as described.
Connecting the account is not the same as selecting the audio sources. It establishes the Twitch integration; source routing is configured later in Advanced Audio Properties. Before changing the mix, note what is currently audible on stream so you can verify that the live sound remains intact after the setup.
OBS documents this sequence in its Twitch VOD Track Guide. Interface wording and placement can vary between versions, so if a control is not where expected, check the current guide and your installed OBS version rather than assuming the feature is missing.
Enable custom encoder settings
Open Settings → Output. In the streaming output settings, enable Enable Custom Encoder Settings. OBS exposes the Twitch VOD Track control after this prerequisite is enabled; look for the option in the same Output area.
This prerequisite is easy to overlook because the account can be connected while the VOD-track control remains unavailable. Check the Output settings before troubleshooting track assignments. If you have changed output mode or encoder choices, confirm you are looking at the streaming controls rather than the recording settings: they serve different jobs.
Do not change unrelated encoder or bitrate settings just to enable audio routing. The purpose here is to expose the VOD-track option, not to alter video quality or network use. If you are separately diagnosing a stream that stutters, assess the connection and stream configuration on their own; the guide to checking YouTube RTMP packet loss on JioFiber is relevant to that different platform and problem, not a Twitch audio-routing fix.
Turn on Twitch VOD Track
Once custom encoder settings are enabled, switch on Twitch VOD Track. With this active, OBS uses its Twitch arrangement in which track 1 is the live mix and track 2 is the VOD mix by default. This establishes the destinations; it does not decide whether your microphone, game or music belongs in either destination.
It helps to write down the intended result before opening the mixer. For instance, a game source and microphone may belong on both tracks, while background music belongs on the live track only. A microphone deliberately omitted from a VOD would need the reverse choice only if you still wanted it live. The settings are source-specific, so plan each one rather than relying on a global “remove music” switch.
Do not interpret track 2 as an automatic exclusion rule. It is the VOD track, and whatever sources you assign to it become the VOD mix. The official Twitch VOD Track documentation describes the separate feed; use Advanced Audio Properties to shape that feed intentionally.
Assign sources in Advanced Audio Properties
In the Audio Mixer dock, click the gear icon and choose Advanced Audio Properties. You can also open the panel through the Edit menu. Each visible audio source has track checkboxes. Select the boxes that correspond to the outputs where that source should be heard.
A practical assignment could look like this:
| Audio source | Track 1: live | Track 2: Twitch VOD | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | On | On | Keep your commentary in both versions |
| Game audio | On | On | Keep gameplay sound in both versions |
| Background music | On | Off | Let live viewers hear it, omit it from the VOD |
Use the exact source names shown in your mixer. “Music” might be a media source, an application capture source, or audio arriving through Desktop Audio, depending on how you built the scene. If several sounds are combined into one source, OBS cannot route them independently through these checkboxes; first make sure they are separate sources if they need different destinations.
After changing assignments, read across each source row rather than down a track column alone. This catches common errors such as leaving the microphone off the live track or leaving a music source checked on track 2. Keep a record of the intended arrangement if you switch scenes or sources often, because a newly added source will need its own assignment.
The checkboxes are routing choices, not a substitute for listening. A source can be assigned correctly and still be silent because the source itself is muted, inactive, or not capturing the intended application. Confirm both that the source appears in the mixer and that its meter responds when sound is produced.
Exclude music from the VOD, not from the live show
To keep music live but out of the Twitch VOD, keep the music source checked on track 1 and clear its checkbox on track 2. Leave the microphone and game sources checked on both tracks if they should remain audible in the saved VOD. This is the explicit source assignment that makes the difference; enabling Twitch VOD Track alone does not remove any source.
If your music is captured as part of Desktop Audio together with other sounds, clearing Desktop Audio from track 2 removes all audio bundled into that source, not just music. Separate the music from the other audio before routing if you need to retain game or browser sound in the VOD. OBS’s Application Audio Capture guide describes application-specific capture options and their operating-system requirements; check it if you are deciding how to isolate an application.
Application capture is not available in every setup, and overlapping capture methods can create echo. OBS advises disabling global Desktop Audio when using Application Audio Capture sources to avoid capturing the same sound twice. If a particular application is incompatible, OBS documents VB-Cable as a possible workaround; treat that as a setup-specific option, not a required component of Twitch VOD Track.
The same care applies to browser music, alerts and voice chat. Assign each source according to whether it should reach the live audience, the VOD, or both. Test a source at a time rather than changing several checkboxes at once: that makes it easier to identify the cause if the VOD is missing more than intended.
Keep local recordings separate from Twitch routing
If you also record locally for later editing, configure that separately in Settings → Output. OBS supports recording audio on tracks 3–6 for post-production separation, and you must enable the recording tracks you want there as well as assigning sources to them in Advanced Audio Properties. The Twitch live/VOD pair and those local recording tracks are related uses of OBS tracks, but they are not interchangeable goals.
For example, an editor may want microphone, game and music on distinct recording tracks to balance them later. That does not mean those sources should be removed from Twitch’s live mix or VOD mix. Choose the destination checkboxes to match the live/VOD plan, then enable the local recording tracks needed for editing.
There is a playback trade-off. If a local recording will be sent to someone or uploaded without passing through an editor, ensure track 1 contains the complete intended mix. Ordinary players often play one track rather than combining several, so a file with voice only on one track and game only on another may sound incomplete to a recipient. The OBS multiple-track recording guide explains that limitation and the track setup.
This distinction is also useful if you maintain a prerecorded loop or continuous channel. A file prepared for playback is a different workflow from live capture; the FFmpeg guide to streaming MP4 files to YouTube Live discusses that separate kind of source. Twitch VOD Track should not be treated as a general-purpose audio separator for every output or platform.
Test the live mix and the saved VOD
Before relying on the arrangement, test it with a short session. First play a sound through each source and watch the mixer meters. Then listen to the live stream using the intended microphone, game and music combination. Confirm that the sound you expect live is present; do not infer this only from the checkboxes.
After the broadcast, inspect the resulting Twitch VOD and check the same sources. In the example above, the microphone and game should remain, while the music should be absent. If the VOD lacks speech or game audio, return to Advanced Audio Properties and inspect track 2 for those sources. If music is still present, identify every source through which it is captured; the same music can enter through more than one route.
Keep the first test simple. Avoid changing scene sources, audio capture methods and track assignments at the same time, because that makes a faulty route harder to trace. Once the basic separation works, test the normal scenes and transitions you actually use. OBS documentation describes the configuration, but it cannot guarantee that every operating-system, application and source combination behaves identically.
If you are running a scheduled or long broadcast, include this check in the setup routine rather than assuming an old scene still behaves as intended. A changed source name, a new capture method, or a scene that uses a different audio source can alter what reaches a destination. The continuous-stream recovery guide covers a separate operational concern: checking how a stream recovers if it drops, rather than how its audio is routed.
For creators whose main task is an always-on YouTube channel made from a prepared video file, an OBS workflow may not fit the publishing job. StreamNeo removes the need to leave your computer running for that specific YouTube file-to-live-stream task, but it does not configure audio tracks or route audio for other platforms.
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 Twitch VOD Track remove music automatically?
No. Track 2 is the VOD feed, but you must assign every source in Advanced Audio Properties. To keep music live and omit it from the VOD, include its source on track 1 and leave it off track 2.
What are tracks 1 and 2 used for?
In OBS’s Twitch VOD Track setup, track 1 is the live feed and track 2 is the VOD feed by default. Tracks 3–6 can be used for local recording separation when enabled in Output and assigned to sources.
Is Twitch VOD Track the same as recording separate audio for editing?
No. Twitch VOD Track routes separate audio to Twitch’s live stream and VOD. Local multi-track recording is configured for an editor, and the tracks you want to record must be enabled in Output.
Will this change audio on another streaming platform?
No. This routing is for Twitch’s live and VOD audio. Do not assume it changes the audio sent to another platform; configure and check that platform’s own workflow separately.