StreamLive Pro

Viewers cannot hear me: no sound in the live stream

No audio on your live stream? Usually the studio uses a different microphone than you think, or it is muted. The checks in order, for the browser studio and OBS.

Updated · 3 min read

When the picture goes out but viewers hear nothing, the most likely cause is the microphone the studio is using: it is not the one you are speaking into (for example the webcam's built-in mic instead of your headset), or it is muted. The browser picks a default microphone, and that default is often not the one you expect. The 10-second camera check listens to your microphone before you go live and warns you when it hears nothing, but it does not stop the broadcast for sound, only for a missing picture.

Symptom, cause, fix

SymptomLikely causeFix
The camera check said it cannot hear youWrong microphone, muted, or blockedPick the right microphone, unmute, allow the microphone
The level meter moves, but viewers hear nothingYou are hearing a different source, or the program audio is mutedCheck the mute and volume of each input in the studio
You share a video on screen and its sound is missingThe screen was shared without audioShare again and turn on the audio option in the browser's picker
Sound is missing only from a guestThe guest is muted, joined as camera only, or chose the wrong micSee I cannot hear my guest in the live stream
The browser never asked for the microphoneThe microphone is blocked for the site or by the systemSee My microphone does not work in the browser
From OBS or vMix: picture without soundThe audio source is not in the scene, or it is muted in the encoderCheck the encoder's audio mixer
A multi-input sound card: only one input is heardThe inputs are routed to one channelCheck the microphone routing for that device

Steps

  1. Run the camera check. Press Go live in the browser studio and say something during the check. If it says it cannot hear you, stop and fix the microphone first. What the check does: The 10-second camera check before you go live.
  2. Choose the microphone you speak into. On Live stream open the Settings tab: under Default Devices choose the camera and microphone, and press Refresh devices if you just plugged one in. In the studio itself, check which microphone the input uses.
  3. Check mutes. Look for a muted microphone in the studio, a mute switch on the headset or the sound card cable, and the system's input volume.
  4. Speak and watch the level. A meter that moves when you talk means the studio hears you. If it stays flat, the studio is listening to a different device.
  5. Share sound with the screen. When you share a screen, a window or a tab that plays video, its sound is mixed into the broadcast only if the browser captured it. In the browser's share picker, turn on the audio option before you press Share. If you shared without it, stop sharing and share again.
  6. Test with a private broadcast. Before an important live, go live to one destination with limited visibility, for example an unlisted YouTube broadcast, and listen on a phone with the sound on.
  7. From an encoder, check the encoder. In OBS or vMix, the microphone must be a source in the scene that goes live, unmuted, with its meter moving. YouTube lists the audio it expects, AAC or MP3, in YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings. Setup: Streaming from OBS or vMix with RTMP.

Sound cards with several inputs

If your microphone is on a sound card with several inputs, StreamLive Pro opens the device with all its channels and without the browser's voice processing, so each input can be routed. If only one microphone is heard, check the microphone routing for that device in the studio. A device with one channel cannot be routed.

When to contact support

If the level meter moves in the studio, nothing is muted, and a test broadcast is still silent, write to [email protected]. Send the broadcast title and time, the microphone model, your browser and computer, and whether the sound was missing on every network or only on one. A short phone video of the studio with the meter moving helps.

Frequently asked questions

The check said it cannot hear me, but I went live anyway. Is that a problem?

The check stops a broadcast only when there is no picture. For sound it warns. If it warned you, viewers may hear nothing, so fix the microphone before your next live.

Why does the studio use the webcam microphone and not my headset?

The browser picks a default microphone. Choose your headset under Default Devices in the Settings tab of the Live stream page, or in the browser's own microphone setting.

I share a YouTube video on screen. Why can viewers not hear it?

The sound goes into the broadcast only if the browser captured it with the share. Share again and turn on the audio option in the share picker.

Sound is missing on one network only. What does that mean?

Your computer sends one stream, with one sound track, to every network. If one network is silent and the others are not, write to support with the network name and time.

Does OBS sound work the same way?

No. With OBS or vMix the sound comes from your encoder. Check its audio mixer and that the microphone is in the scene that goes live.

Keep reading

My live stream stopped by itself

Your live stream ended without anyone pressing Stop? The usual causes in order: lost signal, the trial's 60 minutes, an ended plan or an empty picture.

Where is my live stream recording?

Where is my live stream recording? Check Past streams and Storage, keep the video within about two hours, and learn why some broadcasts have none.

Live streaming on a Mac without installing software

Go live from a Mac with nothing to install: the browser studio in Safari or Chrome, the macOS permissions to allow, and when an app is still better.

Resolution and frame rate for live streaming

Resolution and frame rate for live streaming in plain words: 720p or 1080p, 30 or 60 fps, how both drive bitrate, and how to set them in StreamLive Pro and OBS.

Want to try it? 7-day trial, no credit card.

Start free
Mobile app Home Help Center Guides PrivacyTermsAccessibility