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In Streamlabs Desktop, media-file caching is an in-memory feature that keeps decoded frames available for looping media, reducing the need to decode the same frames repeatedly. To turn it on or off, open Settings > Advanced (called “Advanced settings” in Streamlabs’ documentation) and look for the media-file caching option. The exact label or location may differ by version.
What media-file caching does
A media source normally reads and decodes a file for playback. When that media loops, Streamlabs says its caching feature can keep decoded frames in memory so the app can reuse them rather than decode them again. The intended trade-off is less CPU work in exchange for memory use. This describes Streamlabs’ account of its implementation; it is not a user-managed disk cache or a folder of files to delete.
Streamlabs reported a CPU-usage reduction of more than 35% in internal measurements from 2019. Its article, last updated January 28, 2022, does not identify the hardware, test build or protocol, and the result is not an independent benchmark or a guarantee for your PC. The same article says the cache limit is 2 GB: decoded frames exceeding that limit are not cached. It also says Streamlabs responds to local memory spikes by reducing its cache use. These are figures from the vendor’s 2019 explanation, not confirmed specifications for every current release.
Turn media-file caching on or off
- Open Streamlabs Desktop and select Settings.
- Open the Advanced settings area.
- Find the media-file caching option and toggle it on or off according to what you are troubleshooting.
Streamlabs’ article documenting this setting does not give a current build number or a screen-by-screen path, so use the labels shown in your installed version. If the option is absent or named differently, consult current Streamlabs support rather than assuming another cache control is the same feature.
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Turning caching off may be useful for checking whether the feature affects a particular setup, but it is not a guaranteed fix for stutter or performance problems. Results can depend on the media, scene and computer.
Which Streamlabs cache do you mean?
| Feature or action | What it affects | When it may be relevant |
|---|---|---|
| Media-file caching | Decoded frames kept in memory for media playback. | When investigating CPU use or looping-media behavior. |
| Browser-source cache | Cached web content used by browser sources. | When a browser source has a web-rendering problem; it is not the decoded-frame cache. |
| Clear Cache and Restart | A broad application reset that can remove user data, including settings and scene collections. | Only when narrower troubleshooting has not worked and you have backed up your scenes. |
Clear the browser-source cache on Windows
Streamlabs’ public support repository gives this Windows folder for the browser cache: %appdata%slobs-clientplugin_configobs-browserCache. Its instructions do not establish an equivalent path for macOS.
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- Close Streamlabs Desktop.
- In File Explorer’s address bar, enter
%appdata%slobs-clientplugin_configobs-browserCacheand open that folder. - Delete the contents of the
Cachefolder, not the wholeslobs-clientdirectory. - Restart Streamlabs Desktop and check the browser source again.
This procedure targets browser-source web content. It does not clear the in-memory decoded-frame cache described above.
Use a full reset only as a last resort
Streamlabs’ getting-started guide describes Settings > Get Support > Clear Cache and Restart as a way to start from scratch, and says it wipes user data. Streamlabs’ going-live troubleshooting guidance warns that clearing cache data can cost you scene collections and settings. Its support repository advises exporting scene collections first and notes that a full user-data clear may require logging in again and rebuilding settings and scenes.
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- Export your scene collections before a broad reset.
- Try the specific media-file or browser-source troubleshooting step that matches the problem first.
- Do not delete the entire
%appdata%slobs-clientfolder as routine cache cleanup; that is a user-data reset, not a targeted browser-cache clear. - If you are unsure whether a reset is necessary, contact Streamlabs support before proceeding.
Related option: unload an inactive media source
OBS documents a separate media-source option called Close file when inactive. It unloads a media file from memory while the source is hidden or off-scene, with a possible short delay when the file reloads. That is not the same feature as Streamlabs’ decoded-frame caching, and the OBS documentation should not be read as a description of Streamlabs’ controls.
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