In OBS Studio, open Settings → Output and change Audio Bitrate without changing Video Bitrate. For a YouTube Live stream, start with YouTube’s recommendation of 128 Kbps for stereo audio; choose video bitrate separately for your codec, resolution, frame rate, and stable upload bandwidth.
Set the live-stream audio bitrate in OBS
- Open OBS Settings. Select Settings → Output.
- Check Output Mode. In Simple mode, find the streaming section, where Video Bitrate and Audio Bitrate are separate controls.
- Change only Audio Bitrate. Set the audio value for your stream. Leave Video Bitrate at the value selected for your video settings and connection.
- Apply the change. Select Apply, then OK. UI labels can vary with OBS version and selected encoder, so confirm you are editing the streaming section.
Changing the audio field does not require changing video bitrate. Audio and video both contribute to the total outgoing stream bitrate, however, so the combined stream still needs to fit your available upload bandwidth.
Choose a YouTube Live audio setting
YouTube Help’s live encoder recommendations list the following audio settings. They apply to live ingestion, not to ordinary video uploads.
| Live audio format | YouTube-recommended bitrate | Codec and sample rate |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo | 128 Kbps | AAC or MP3; 44.1 kHz |
| 5.1 surround | 384 Kbps | AAC or MP3; 48 kHz. For 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS, YouTube supports AAC only. |
These are YouTube-published Live encoder recommendations, not guarantees of perceived quality. For a typical stereo game stream, 128 Kbps is the platform-specific starting point. OBS’s overview guide gives around 160 kbps as a general streaming example, but that is not YouTube’s specific stereo target.
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Keep video bitrate as a separate decision
Choose video bitrate according to the video ingestion codec, resolution, frame rate, and stable upload speed. YouTube’s current H.264 Live guidance includes these examples:
| H.264 video setting | YouTube-recommended video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 6 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
These are video figures, not audio values, and the right setting depends on the selected codec and output format. YouTube recommends CBR for RTMP/RTMPS live encoding and a 2-second keyframe interval, not exceeding 4 seconds. Check YouTube’s live encoder settings for the applicable resolution, frame rate, and codec guidance.
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Simple or Advanced output mode?
| OBS mode | Where to configure | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | Settings → Output, streaming section | Quickly setting separate streaming video and audio bitrates. |
| Advanced | Settings → Output → Output Mode → Advanced, then inspect Streaming | More control over streaming and recording settings independently. |
In Advanced mode, change the bitrate under Streaming. OBS also has recording-specific controls and an Audio tab; editing a recording track does not necessarily change what is sent in the live stream. Confirm that the setting you change belongs to streaming. See the OBS Standard Recording Output Guide for the distinction between Advanced recording options and stream configuration.
Check bandwidth and diagnose dropped frames
Leave room for bitrate fluctuations rather than planning to use all measured upload bandwidth. YouTube recommends 20% headroom. Its streaming tips explain bandwidth checks; OBS’s connection troubleshooting guide suggests using 75% of total upload speed as a starting point for stream bitrate when investigating dropped frames. Treat these as practical checks, not a guarantee that a single speed test proves the connection is stable.
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- If OBS reports dropped frames: lower video bitrate first, then test again. Video bitrate is usually the larger adjustable portion of the stream; reducing audio is a separate change and does not directly fix an unstable video upload.
- If audio sounds poor but video is stable: confirm the streaming Audio Bitrate field and audio format rather than changing video bitrate.
- If a speed test looks adequate but the stream still drops frames: test during the times and network conditions you expect to stream. The stable available upload rate matters more than a single peak result.
Common OBS audio-bitrate problems
- Changing the wrong field: In Simple mode, use the streaming section’s Audio Bitrate, not Video Bitrate. In Advanced mode, make sure you are editing Streaming rather than recording.
- Expecting an audio change to fix dropped video frames: Lower video bitrate in line with connection guidance and preserve upload headroom; audio bitrate is an independent setting.
- Applying the stereo recommendation to 5.1: YouTube lists a different bitrate and sample rate for 5.1, and requires AAC for 5.1 over RTMP/RTMPS.
- Using upload-file settings for a live stream: Configure OBS’s live streaming output and consult YouTube’s Live encoder recommendations, not its separate recommendations for uploaded video files.
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