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1. Record the audio settings configured in OBS
- Open OBS Studio and go to Settings > Audio.
- Note the values shown for Sample Rate and Channels. Record the values you intend to use so you can compare them with the output.
These are OBS configuration values, not proof of what a particular file contains. OBS versions can differ, so use the labels present in your installed version.
2. Inspect the actual video file with FFprobe
Run FFprobe against a representative recording or existing video. This command prints the first audio stream’s sample rate, channel count, and channel layout when reported:
ffprobe -select_streams a:0 -show_entries stream=sample_rate,channels,channel_layout -of default=noprint_wrappers=1 input.mp4
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Replace input.mp4 with your file’s path. If the file uses a different extension, keep its actual filename. The a:0 selector inspects the first audio stream; if a file has multiple audio streams, inspect the intended stream rather than assuming the first is the one you need.
Read the output as three related but distinct properties:
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- sample_rate: the stream’s sample rate in hertz.
- channels: the number of audio channels.
- channel_layout: the reported arrangement or roles of those channels, such as mono or stereo. FFprobe may not report a layout for every stream.
A channel count alone does not identify the spatial roles of the channels. Compare both count and layout when the distinction matters.
3. Compare the recording with your intended result
Compare the inspected file against the OBS settings and the requirements of the next destination. Check the sample rate in hertz, the number of channels, the layout if FFprobe reports one, and whether OBS processed or downmixed the source. If comparing two files, use the same inspection tool and select the corresponding audio stream in each. Video resolution and frame rate do not establish audio properties.
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Do not assume a source label, OBS meter, container format, or configured setting guarantees the final encoded stream’s sample rate or channel layout. Inspect an actual output after any settings change.
4. Understand why the output may differ
OBS can remix or resample audio
OBS documentation describes automatic remixing or resampling when a source’s sample rate or channel count differs from the audio backend configuration. As a result, a source’s original properties need not match the mixer or recorded output.
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Mono sources may be represented as two channels
OBS’s mixer defaults to stereo and includes a Downmix to Mono option that forces one-channel source audio to two channels. Check whether that processing is enabled before interpreting a two-channel output as evidence that the original source was stereo.
Devices may not support every requested setting
Audio-device capabilities depend on the hardware. A requested sample rate or channel count may be unsupported and can fail when selected as a device option. The verified file remains the practical check of what was produced.
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5. Troubleshoot mismatches
- The file’s sample rate differs from OBS: confirm you inspected the intended audio stream, then check whether the source and backend use different rates. Change settings only to meet the source or delivery requirement, make a new representative recording, and inspect it again.
- The channel count is unexpected: check the source’s channel count and OBS’s downmix behavior. A mono source can be represented as two channels by the mixer’s Downmix to Mono option.
- The layout is missing: FFprobe may report a channel count without a layout. Do not infer channel roles from the count alone; verify against the source or another reliable specification.
- A device setting fails: the hardware may not support the requested rate or channel count. Choose a supported configuration and verify a new recording rather than treating a failed request as applied.
- Two recordings appear inconsistent: inspect the same audio stream in each with the same tool, and check whether OBS processed or downmixed either source before recording.
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