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audio capture

How to Use a Radio Station Website Player as Audio for a YouTube Livestream

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You can capture a radio station’s website player in OBS and send its audio to a YouTube livestream—but only if you have permission to retransmit the station’s programming. A player being publicly available does not grant that permission. Once rights are clear, choose desktop or application audio capture for your operating system, test the mix in an unlisted stream, and monitor YouTube’s preview.

Before setting up OBS, clear the rights

Ask the station and any relevant rights holders for permission that specifically covers livestreaming to YouTube and the territories where the stream will be available. If you plan to leave the stream replay available, confirm that the permission also covers the archived video. YouTube puts responsibility for obtaining the necessary rights on the person providing the live content, including music licensing rights. YouTube’s livestream terms and conditions explain this obligation.

Listening to a station through its website, or seeing a “free” label, does not establish that you can rebroadcast it. YouTube says streams are scanned for third-party matches; a warning may be followed by a placeholder image, interruption, or termination. Even if you have a license, ask the rights holder to allowlist your YouTube channel: licensed audio can still be interrupted if the channel is not allowlisted. See YouTube’s guidance on copyright issues with live streams.

Choose how OBS will capture the station audio

Capture all desktop audio

This is a straightforward option when the station plays in a browser and you do not need to isolate it from other computer sounds. It can also capture notifications, other tabs, or unrelated system audio, so silence those sources before testing. OBS’s Quick Start Guide says desktop audio and a microphone are captured by default, with devices configurable in Settings.

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Capture only the browser or application on newer macOS

With OBS 30 or later on macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, use the macOS Audio Capture source to capture desktop audio or a single application. Capturing the browser isolates the station from unrelated desktop sounds. For older macOS setups, OBS documents the need for additional audio-routing software in its macOS Desktop Audio Capture Guide.

Add an audio device source on Windows or macOS

OBS’s Audio Sources documentation describes capturing selected input or output devices in a scene. If you add a device directly to a scene, disable that same device as a global source; capturing it both ways can create echo.

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Linux setup

The cited OBS documentation does not establish a complete current Linux procedure. Consult current OBS and distribution guidance for your audio system rather than assuming the Windows or macOS steps apply unchanged.

Set up and test the livestream

  1. Open the station player. On the computer running OBS, open the station’s website in a stable browser session and start playback. Mute or close unrelated audio sources if you are capturing desktop output.
  2. Configure the capture source. In OBS, use the applicable desktop-audio, macOS Audio Capture, or device-capture option above. Check that the intended source is present in the active scene.
  3. Check the OBS mixer. Play the station and confirm the source’s meter moves. Make sure the source is not muted. Listen to the outgoing mix so you can catch silence, unwanted sounds, distortion, or echo before broadcasting publicly.
  4. Start an unlisted test stream. Set the stream to unlisted in YouTube’s live setup, then start streaming from OBS. Check that the YouTube preview is accessible and that the audio is present and intelligible. YouTube recommends testing and continually monitoring audio and video quality in its live streaming tips.
  5. Go public only after the test and rights check. Keep monitoring OBS and YouTube while live. Watch for copyright warnings or changes to the preview; a detected match can result in interruption or termination, not just a claim after the broadcast.

What YouTube’s music options do—and do not—cover

Creator Music is not a workaround for using a track in a livestream: YouTube’s usage guidance says Creator Music tracks are for long-form videos, not live streams. YouTube’s current rights-holder guidance also says paid Creator Music licenses were deprecated starting August 10, 2026, with gratis-license offerings the focus. The page describes availability for U.S. YouTube Partner Program creators, with expansion outside the U.S. pending. Check current terms and availability in YouTube Studio before relying on it; see YouTube’s Creator Music licensing guidance.

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YouTube identifies public-domain material and music used with the copyright owner’s permission as safer options, but a “free” label alone does not prove that a use is safe. Claims can still arise; review YouTube’s tips to find safe music.

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Troubleshoot common audio problems

The OBS meter does not move

  • Confirm the station is actually playing in the browser.
  • Check that OBS is capturing the correct desktop, application, or output device and that the source is in the active scene.
  • Verify the source is not muted. If the global desktop-audio device is disabled, make sure the scene contains the device source you intended to use.

The stream has no audio, even though OBS shows activity

  • Listen to the YouTube preview during an unlisted test rather than relying only on the OBS meter.
  • Check the outgoing mix and the selected capture source. A meter moving on the wrong device does not confirm that the station audio is reaching the stream.

You hear echo or duplicate audio

Check whether the same device is captured both as a global source and as a source in the scene. Disable one route; OBS warns that capturing the same device both ways can create echo.

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Notifications or other computer sounds appear on stream

If capturing all desktop output, silence notifications and unrelated applications before going live. On supported macOS and OBS versions, capturing only the browser application can avoid sending unrelated desktop sounds.

YouTube warns about or interrupts the stream

Stop and resolve the rights issue rather than trying to evade detection. Confirm that your permission covers the material, livestream use, and relevant territory, and ask the rights holder to allowlist your channel if you are licensed. YouTube may interrupt or terminate streams when it detects third-party content.

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Or let it run in the cloud

OBS is the do-it-yourself route for capturing a station player live from your computer. For a different workflow, StreamNeo keeps a YouTube stream running from uploaded videos: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It does not capture a live radio website player or go live from a camera, so use it only if you have an authorized recording or playlist.

  • Your computer and home connection do not have to stay on.
  • Each slot streams uploaded video at its original quality, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot.
  • StreamNeo automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream.
  • The first day is free with no card. The monthly option is $9.99 per month.

Start your free StreamNeo day.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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