In OBS, set the monitoring device in Settings > Audio > Advanced, then choose the appropriate mode for each source in Edit > Advanced Audio Properties. If viewers should hear the microphone or ASMR track, select the mode that lets you monitor it while keeping it in the output mix.
Monitoring sends a local listen-back to your chosen device; it does not by itself determine whether the sound reaches YouTube. For a continuous ASMR stream, use headphones or another playback route that cannot feed back into the microphone, check for duplicate capture, and test a representative recording before leaving the channel running.
Choose where you will listen
Open OBS Settings > Audio and look for Advanced > Monitoring Device. Choose the headphones or other listening output that you actually intend to use. The exact device names depend on your computer and connected audio equipment, so do not assume that a device labelled “Default” is the one you want.
The monitoring device is where OBS plays the local monitor feed. It is distinct from the microphone or other source being monitored, and distinct from the audio output sent to viewers. OBS’s audio mixer guide explains monitoring as playback through the configured monitoring device. A meter moving beside a source is not the same as hearing that source through this route.
If you use headphones, connect them before choosing the device and confirm that they appear in OBS. Then play or speak into the source briefly and listen for it. When you change devices, check the setting again: operating system changes or connecting new equipment can leave OBS pointing at an output you are not wearing or listening to.
For ASMR, private listening matters because even quiet playback can be picked up by a sensitive microphone. Headphones are a practical way to hear the feed without directing it into the room. You do not need a particular brand or style for OBS monitoring; the relevant question is whether the sound reaches the microphone again.
If your goal is a long stream rather than a short desktop session, also consider how much of the setup relies on your computer staying on. A 24/7 stream on a Chromebook raises a different operational question from where OBS sends a local monitor feed, but both decisions affect how you prepare a channel for continuous use.
Find Advanced Audio Properties
In the OBS main window, use Edit > Advanced Audio Properties. The dialog shows audio sources and routing controls, including a Audio Monitoring column. Find the source you want to hear locally: for example, a microphone, a captured audio input, or an ASMR sound source.
The source names may not be descriptive if you have added several similar devices. Before changing a mode, identify the source by speaking softly or making a brief test sound while watching the mixer. If you are unsure which row corresponds to the live microphone, change only one setting at a time and verify the result rather than altering several rows together.
OBS menu wording can vary by version. Confirm the current labels in the dialog you have open; the key distinction is between no monitor feed, a monitor feed that is muted from output, and a monitor feed that remains in output. OBS documents source and mixer behaviour in its audio sources guide. Keep a note of the source and mode you use, especially if the scene collection has several scenes that share audio inputs.
The monitoring control is per source. That means you can listen to the microphone without necessarily monitoring every other audio source, and a source that is not monitored can still be included in the audience mix. Set only the sources you need to hear. Monitoring every source can make it harder to identify which sound is causing a problem and can create a distracting local mix.
Choose the mode by destination
The mode names describe where audio goes, not whether a source is “working”. In particular, Monitor Only (mute output) lets you hear a source locally while removing it from the output mix. Do not select it for a microphone or sound that your viewers are meant to hear.
| OBS monitoring mode | What you hear locally | What viewers receive | Suitable use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitor Off | No monitor feed from that source | The source may still be in the output mix | When you do not need local listen-back |
| Monitor Only (mute output) | The source is played through the monitoring device | The source is muted from output | Only when the source should not be heard by viewers |
| Monitoring Enabled | The source is played through the monitoring device | The source remains in output | When both you and viewers should hear it |
For a live ASMR microphone that belongs in the broadcast, choose Monitoring Enabled. This lets you check the audio locally while keeping it available to the stream output. If your dialog uses slightly different labels, choose the mode with that outcome rather than relying on a remembered label from another OBS release.
Use Monitor Off when you do not need to hear the source in your headphones. That does not automatically mute the audience: monitoring and output routing are separate. Conversely, Monitor Only (mute output) is not a safe test setting for a source that needs to remain in the broadcast, because you may hear it clearly while viewers hear nothing from that source.
Think about the sound destination as two separate questions: should the creator hear this source, and should the audience hear it? Set the monitor mode for the first question, then verify output routing for the second. This distinction is useful when you have a live microphone, a quiet ambient bed, and system audio in the same scene.
Keep the source in the audience mix
After choosing the monitor mode, check that the source is actually included in the audio output used by the stream. If you use OBS audio tracks, confirm that the microphone or ASMR sound is assigned to the track being sent to YouTube. A source can appear in the mixer and be audible in your headphones while being absent from the stream’s selected output track.
Do a short test recording in OBS and play it back. This checks the produced mix rather than only the local monitor feed. Listen for the microphone, any intended background audio, and the balance between them. The recording need not be a finished programme; it should use the same scene and audio routing you plan to broadcast.
A frequent source of confusion is capturing one device twice: once as a global device in Settings > Audio, and again as an audio input source in a scene. OBS warns that capturing the same device through both routes can cause echo. Review the global audio devices and the scene’s sources, then remove or disable an unintended duplicate route. The OBS audio sources documentation is a useful reference when checking how a source has been added.
If you run a music or ambience bed alongside speech, make sure each source has an intentional role. A microphone might need both monitoring and output, while a background track may be in the audience mix but not monitored locally. For a looped music source, this guide to continuous YouTube radio playback covers the playback problem separately from OBS’s monitoring controls.
Do not use your headphones as proof that YouTube receives the same sound. They confirm the local monitor path, not necessarily the selected output track, encoder input, or YouTube preview. Verify those separately during a private or otherwise suitable test before treating the scene as ready.
Prevent feedback over a long session
Feedback occurs when playback from a speaker or other output is picked up again by the microphone and re-enters the signal path. In an ASMR setup, a sensitive microphone and low-level sounds make it especially important to avoid an open speaker near the mic. Use headphones for monitoring, or turn off monitoring if you do not need local listen-back. Keep the playback device and microphone physically separate where possible, but do not assume distance alone will prevent pickup.
The more important safeguard is to check the complete route, not just the volume. Confirm that OBS monitors to the intended headphones rather than room speakers. Check the operating system’s selected playback output as well. If you switch from headphones to speakers during preparation, recheck the monitoring device before going live.
A duplicate device capture can sound like echo even when the monitoring device is correct. Inspect the OBS mixer and scene sources for repeated capture of the same microphone or input. If the recording contains a doubled voice, compare the sources and disable one route at a time until the duplicate is identified. Do not compensate by muting a source that viewers need; fix the unintended route instead.
For continuous broadcasts, also decide whether you need to hear the monitor feed throughout the night. Leaving a feed on is useful if someone is actively supervising, but it can become distracting and may increase the chance that a changed output route goes unnoticed. If there is no one listening, the setting still needs to be safe: monitoring should not rely on loudspeaker playback that can reach the mic. A setup that works only while you are present is not a robust unattended setup.
StreamNeo can remove the specific burden of keeping your own computer running for an uploaded-file channel: you upload the video and provide the YouTube stream key, while the broadcast continues with the computer off. That does not replace choosing or checking the audio in the source file, and it is YouTube-only. If you are deciding between a local continuous setup and a hosted approach, compare the operational trade-offs in this streaming software versus cloud streaming overview.
Test levels before you leave it running
Begin with a short local check. Listen at the microphone or audio device, then listen to the signal as it reaches OBS. Watch the mixer meter while speaking or making the quiet sounds that will actually appear in the ASMR programme. The meter can show activity, but it cannot tell you whether the sound is comfortable, clear, or free of unwanted room noise. Record a representative passage and review it with headphones before going live.
During playback, listen for clipping, hum, room noise, abrupt changes, a second copy of the source, or silence where a source should be. Check the beginning and end of a loop as well as a typical middle section. If your stream includes long quiet periods, test those too: a brief loud test alone will not tell you how the low-level material behaves over time.
YouTube recommends testing with audio and movement similar to the planned stream, checking the Live Control Room preview and stream health, and monitoring quality during the event. See YouTube’s encoder settings guidance and its live streaming tips. A test should exercise the actual stream path, not only a local recording, because the preview can reveal a routing or encoding issue that the local monitor cannot.
For a typical stereo live stream, YouTube’s encoder guidance lists AAC or MP3 audio, 44.1 kHz and 128 kbps stereo. These are encoder recommendations, not ASMR loudness targets or monitoring settings. Check the current official guidance for your stream and software versions; do not treat those values as proof that a recording will sound good.
Once live, check the preview and stream health, and listen to the broadcast from a separate device if practical. Keep that device’s sound muted or use headphones placed away from the live microphone to avoid creating a second playback route. Recheck after changing scenes, devices, or audio settings. A successful preflight reduces avoidable surprises, but it cannot guarantee that no audio issue will occur during a long session.
For channel reliability, separate audio checks from connection checks. If the stream is buffering, the likely investigation is not the monitoring mode; this guide to buffering on a 24/7 ambience stream deals with the network side. A clear monitor mix and a stable delivery path are different requirements, and each needs its own test.
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FAQ
How do I monitor OBS audio while streaming?
Set the destination under Settings > Audio > Advanced > Monitoring Device, then open Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and select a monitoring mode for the source. To hear a source locally while viewers continue to receive it, use the mode that enables monitoring and retains output, typically labelled Monitoring Enabled.
How do I hear my microphone in OBS without making it echo?
Route monitoring to headphones rather than speakers, and confirm that OBS is not capturing the same microphone both globally and as a scene source. Record a short test and listen for doubling before going live. Headphones reduce one common feedback path, but they do not correct duplicate capture or every possible audio problem.
Why can viewers hear the audio when I cannot?
The source may be included in the stream output while its monitoring mode is off, so viewers receive it but your local device does not. Check Advanced Audio Properties for that source and confirm the selected monitoring device is available. Also check the Live Control Room preview rather than relying only on the OBS meter.
Why can I hear a source that viewers cannot?
You may have selected Monitor Only (mute output), which sends the source to your monitoring device while muting it from the output mix. Select the mode that preserves output if viewers should hear it, and verify the source’s assignment to the stream’s audio track with a test recording and stream preview.