If you want to capture only certain apps or devices in OBS, add the sources you need rather than relying on a whole-desktop capture. If you also want separate tracks for editing, configure track assignment separately: choosing what enters OBS and deciding where it is recorded are two different steps.
For example, “How do I record game audio and Discord separately in OBS?” has two parts: capture each app as its own source, then assign those sources to the appropriate recording tracks. The exact capture path depends on your operating system and versions, so check compatibility before following any steps.
Choose the audio sources to capture
Start by deciding what you need to hear in the finished file. A voice-over with game audio may need a microphone and one application. A lesson recording might need the microphone, a browser playing a reference clip, and system sounds. A music session may involve a hardware input as well as computer playback. Write down the sources before adding them to a scene; it is easier to diagnose a short list than a mixer full of overlapping captures.
Then separate four possible aims. You may want to capture selected applications, keep each source isolated for editing, create different mixes for stream and headphones, or bring microphone and instrument inputs into OBS. These aims overlap, but they do not require the same setup. App capture determines which sound reaches OBS. Track assignment determines which recording tracks contain that sound. A different headphone or stream mix may require additional routing, while a hardware input depends on its device and driver.
A useful source plan might look like this:
| What you need | Source to look for | What it does not do by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Game sound only | Application audio source, where supported | Put the sound on its own recording track |
| Microphone | Audio input device | Prevent another capture of the same mic elsewhere |
| Computer playback | Desktop, application, or loopback capture | Guarantee that only one application is included |
| Independent edit tracks | OBS recording track assignments | Select an application that OBS is not capturing |
The table is a planning aid, not a promise that every source type is available on every system. A whole-desktop source can be simplest when you want all computer playback together. Per-application capture is more selective when the supported OBS and operating-system path is available. Before adding a virtual cable or buying an interface, see whether the native capture source already covers the sound you need.
If your recording is part of a longer OBS workflow, keep the scene simple and check that audio choices do not undermine the programme. For instance, a church recording setup may already have a method for keeping OBS minimised during a prerecorded stream; the guide to keeping a church stream online while OBS is minimised addresses that different continuity concern. Here, the focus is the audio entering a local recording.
Understand capture versus track separation
Capture and track routing answer different questions. Capture asks, “Which audio reaches OBS?” Track routing asks, “Which recording track stores each source?” Assigning a microphone to track 2 cannot isolate it if the only source entering OBS is a mixed desktop feed containing both microphone and game sound. You need distinct sources first, then track assignments.
That distinction is particularly important if you will edit the recording later. You might keep a combined mix on track 1 so that an ordinary player has a ready-to-hear version, then put the microphone and game on separate tracks for editing. If you record only isolated sources on tracks other than track 1, some standard players may play just one track and appear silent or incomplete. The file may be intact, but the playback application may not expose the track you expected.
In OBS, track selection for recording is configured in Advanced Audio Properties and in Settings → Output. Each source can be assigned to one or more tracks. A source can appear in the combined track and an isolated track; tracks need not be mutually exclusive. Decide the intended playback and editing workflow before choosing a layout, and label tracks in a way you will recognise when you open the file later.
For a stream, recording tracks are not automatically separate live mixes. If the live output must omit a sound that remains in the local recording, or headphones need a mix different from the stream, check the routing controls available in your capture software and devices. OBS source capture and recording-track options alone do not imply every desired custom mix. For more on the separate question of continuous channel format and sound preparation, the article on choosing audio formats for a nonstop nature-sounds stream covers a related but distinct planning decision.
Set up selective app or device capture
Windows
OBS documents Application Audio Capture for Windows 10 version 2004 or later and Windows 11. In the Sources dock, add an Application Audio Capture source and select the application or its window. Add a separate source for each application you intend to keep distinct, such as a game and a voice-chat app. The OBS guide recommends matching by window type for most applications; for software whose window title changes, such as a browser or music app, matching by executable name can help keep the source attached as that title changes.
When using these application sources, disable global Desktop Audio in Settings → Audio to avoid capturing the same sound twice. If Desktop Audio remains active alongside an application source, the same programme can reach the mixer by both paths, making a duplicate or echo. This is not an extra step that isolates sources; it prevents duplication when you have chosen the per-application path. OBS’s current instructions and platform notes are in its Application Audio Capture guide.
If a particular application cannot be captured through that native source, OBS documents a workaround using VB-CABLE: route the application’s output to the cable, then add the cable’s recording endpoint to OBS as an Audio Input Capture source. On Windows, choose the app’s output device in the Volume Mixer, then select the corresponding cable endpoint in OBS. This is a fallback for an incompatibility, not a requirement for every recording. Follow VB-Audio’s own current installer guidance and confirm the endpoint names on your system rather than assuming they match an example.
macOS
Do not apply the Windows Application Audio Capture steps to a Mac. OBS Studio 30 or later on macOS 13 Ventura or later provides a macOS Audio Capture source that can capture desktop audio or an individual application. Add that source and choose the capture scope you need. A macOS Screen Capture source can also carry audio, and can be configured for an application or window where supported. Check the source properties and current OBS documentation for the workflow that matches your versions; the macOS Audio Capture guide describes the prerequisites and options.
Older combinations have different paths and constraints. OBS 28 or 29 on macOS 13 uses a different screen-capture-source workflow. For older macOS versions, OBS describes software-based routing options; its VB-CABLE instructions require a Multi-Output Device and do not provide per-application capture in that described setup. Do not assume a guide for a newer OBS release applies to an older Mac, or that installing a virtual device creates application-level selection by itself. Check the OBS documentation for your exact operating-system and OBS versions before changing audio devices.
If you need to capture hardware inputs as well as playback, a USB audio interface with loopback may be useful, but only if the exact model and generation support the feature and the applications can use it. Loopback makes computer playback available as an input path alongside physical microphone or instrument inputs; it is not a universal property of every interface. Focusrite’s loopback overview explains its own feature, and its model-specific support information should be checked before purchase. A virtual cable or loopback interface is an optional route when the native path does not expose the source or mix you need.
Assign sources to recording tracks
Once each desired sound appears as a separate source in the OBS mixer, choose the recording layout. Open Advanced Audio Properties from the mixer’s gear or menu. For each source, tick the tracks that should contain it. The precise layout depends on what you will do with the file, but a practical editing example is a combined mix on track 1, microphone alone on track 2, and game alone on track 3. These are examples, not required track numbers.
Next, open Settings → Output and make sure the recording tracks you assigned are enabled for recording. If a source is ticked for a track that is not enabled in output settings, the file will not contain the expected track. Conversely, enabling a track in Output does not place every source on it; the source assignments still matter. Review both parts of the configuration rather than treating either setting as sufficient.
A basic mapping could be:
| Source | Track 1: ready-to-hear mix | Track 2: voice | Track 3: application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microphone | Included | Included | Not included |
| Game audio | Included | Not included | Included |
| Discord or other voice chat | Included, if wanted in the mix | Not included | Use another isolated track if needed |
The purpose of track 1 here is convenience in ordinary playback; additional tracks preserve sources for editing. You may prefer to keep voice chat separate from both your microphone and game sound, in which case allocate and enable another track. Avoid making the layout elaborate unless it solves a real editing or delivery need: every additional isolated track is another thing to confirm in the editor.
For a YouTube recording that becomes a continuous programme, a local multitrack file and the audience’s live mix are still different deliverables. Planning the recording does not decide whether the final video needs captions, a loop, or another accessibility feature; the caption guide for continuous YouTube podcast streams is relevant to that later publishing step, not a substitute for source routing.
Prevent echo and feedback
The most common avoidable problem is duplicate capture. If you add a microphone or output device directly to a scene while the same device is enabled globally in Settings → Audio, OBS may capture it twice. Disable the global entry when the scene source is intended to be the only capture of that device. Likewise, when using Windows application sources, turn off global Desktop Audio as described above. A doubled signal can sound louder, hollow, delayed, or echoing depending on timing and monitoring.
Monitoring can also create a loop. If OBS sends a source to your headphones or speakers and that output is captured again as desktop audio or through a loopback input, the returned sound may re-enter the mix. For interface loopback, keep the loopback channel out of any mix that routes back into itself. Focusrite warns users to mute loopback channels in recording software to avoid a feedback loop; check the instructions for your particular interface and routing application.
Use headphones while checking microphone and speaker paths. If you hear a repeated voice, first mute one capture path at a time and watch which meter stops. Avoid changing several devices and routing settings together, since that obscures which adjustment fixed the problem. If a virtual cable is in use, verify both ends: the target application must send sound to the cable, and OBS must capture the matching recording endpoint.
A separate mix can be useful, but it increases the number of paths to inspect. If your need is simply to record game sound and a microphone separately, source capture plus track assignments may be enough. Dedicated routing and mixing software may suit someone who specifically needs independent mixes for stream, headphones and recording, but application support and current availability vary. Check the vendor’s documentation before relying on a particular routing feature.
Verify the output before recording
Treat the mixer as a live diagnostic, not proof that the saved file will have the intended tracks. Play each target app in turn and watch the Audio Mixer meters. Speak into the microphone, then pause the apps and confirm that the relevant meter stops. If a meter does not move, or an unexpected source moves, check the source selection and device under Settings → Audio rather than guessing at the track assignment.
Then make a short test recording. Open it in the editor or player you expect to use and inspect the combined and isolated tracks there. Listen to the combined mix first, then solo each isolated track if the editor supports it. Check that dialogue is not missing, that the app you wanted is present, and that you did not capture unrelated notifications or desktop sounds. OBS recommends making a test recording before relying on a setup; this is a sensible verification step, not a claim that a particular configuration has been tested here.
If the file sounds correct in one editor but not in a basic media player, check whether the player is selecting only one audio track. That is a playback choice, not necessarily a capture fault. Keep a combined track if the file needs to play intelligibly in common players, and retain isolated tracks for editing. If you are making a continuous YouTube programme, do not assume the local recording’s track arrangement determines what viewers hear; verify the actual live output separately.
Before an important session, note the OBS version, operating-system version, capture source, and track layout that worked. This gives you a useful recovery reference after an update or device change. Repeat the short verification after switching microphones, audio interfaces, or applications, because device names and routing options can change. For a longer-running channel, dependable operation starts with the small checks that expose a missing source before you rely on it overnight; a broader discussion of keeping a prerecorded YouTube stream online while OBS is minimised concerns continuity, while this meter-and-sample check concerns the sound file.
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FAQ
How do I record game audio and Discord separately in OBS?
On a supported system, create a distinct capture source for each application, then assign those sources to separate recording tracks in Advanced Audio Properties. Enable the same tracks in Settings → Output. Keep a combined track too if you want ordinary players to have a ready-to-hear mix.
How do I record separate audio tracks in OBS?
First ensure each sound is a separate OBS source; a single mixed desktop source cannot be separated into its original apps just by assigning tracks. Assign the sources to tracks, enable those tracks for recording, and check the saved sample in the editor you plan to use.
Do I need a virtual cable or loopback interface?
Not necessarily. Use OBS’s native app or device capture when it exposes the source you need; consider a virtual cable or a supported interface loopback only when the native path does not provide the required input or mix. Confirm compatibility for your operating-system version, application, and exact device before changing or buying anything.
Why does my recording have an echo or seem to be missing audio?
Echo can result from capturing the same device both globally and as a scene or application source, or from routing monitored output back into a capture path. Missing audio may be on a track that the player does not select, or the source or track may not have been enabled. Check the meters, mute duplicate paths one at a time, and verify a short sample in the intended editor or player.