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If OBS audio distorts at the end or restart of a looping video, first identify whether the signal is actually clipping or whether you are hearing a click at the loop seam. For clipping, lower the source level and use OBS’s Limiter as a final peak ceiling. For a click that recurs at the same point while levels stay below 0 dBFS, inspect the media file’s beginning and ending audio instead: the Loop setting repeats playback, but does not guarantee a seamless audio transition.
First tell clipping apart from a loop-point click
These symptoms can sound similar, but they have different causes and fixes:
| What you hear or see | Likely issue | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Harsh distortion when loud sounds play, potentially across the mix | The output level is exceeding 0 dBFS | Lower the source level; use a Limiter as a safety ceiling and check the final mix. |
| A short click or abrupt change at the exact point the video restarts, while meters remain below 0 dBFS | A discontinuity between the media file’s end and beginning | Inspect and edit the audio seam in an editor suitable for the media format. |
OBS defines clipping as distortion a viewer can hear when recorded or streamed audio exceeds 0 dBFS. A loop setting controls repeat playback; it is not a loudness or peak-control feature. [OBS Media Sources] [OBS Audio Mixer Guide]
Set up the right OBS source for your loop
One repeating video: Media Source
- In the Sources dock, add or select a Media Source for the video.
- Open its properties and enable Loop.
- Play the source and listen at the restart point. The loop option repeats the file, but OBS’s documentation does not promise a gapless audio seam.
Media Source also provides options including Restart playback when source becomes active and Show nothing when playback ends. These control playback behavior, not peak levels or seam quality. [OBS Media Sources]
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A playlist: VLC Video
- Install VLC, then add a VLC Video source in OBS and choose the playlist files.
- Enable Loop Playlist in the source properties.
- Test the transition between the last and first playlist items as well as any individual file restart.
The VLC Video source relies on an installed VLC library. OBS notes that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. Playlist looping does not, by itself, ensure a seamless audio transition between files. [OBS VLC Video Source]
Stop true level clipping
Check the source and the final output
- Play the loudest part of the video and watch its audio meter in OBS.
- Listen to the full mix, not just the media source. Other sources can add to the output level.
- Lower the source level if its peaks are excessive. Then check the final output mix again.
OBS’s mixer guide explains that the input-level meter is after source filters but before the volume fader. That means a source meter alone does not show the effect of the fader or establish that the final mix is safe; check the output as well. Keep recorded or streamed audio below 0 dBFS to avoid clipping. [OBS Audio Mixer Guide]
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Add a Limiter as a safety ceiling
- In the Audio Mixer, open the audio source’s filters and add Limiter.
- Keep the Limiter last in that source’s filter chain. OBS specifically recommends this placement.
- Start with the filter’s defaults only as a starting point: the documented threshold is -6.00 dB and release is 60 ms. They are defaults, not universal targets; adjust for your mix and listen for unwanted changes.
- Play the loudest section again and verify the result in a short recording or test stream using the intended OBS output.
The Limiter is designed to prevent peaks above 0 dB that can cause clipping or distortion. Compressor and Gain are also available OBS audio filters, but Gain boosts a quiet source and is not a substitute for reducing an already excessive level. [OBS Limiter Filter] [OBS Audio Filters]
Fix a click that happens at the loop seam
If the sound occurs at the same frame or moment on every restart and the output stays below 0 dBFS, a Limiter is unlikely to repair the underlying discontinuity. Inspect the waveform at the file’s end and beginning, then edit the transition in an audio or video editor that supports the file. The edit needs to make sense for the specific audio; there is no universal crossfade duration or guaranteed recipe established for every codec and OBS version.
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Test the edited file in OBS through several complete loops. Record a short sample using the same scene, sources, filters, and output settings you intend to use, then listen closely at each boundary. If the click is gone but harsh distortion remains elsewhere, return to the level-checking steps: the seam and clipping can coexist.
Troubleshoot common loop-audio problems
- Distortion continues away from the restart: Lower the source and inspect the final output mix; apply a Limiter last in the relevant filter chain.
- The meter stays below 0 dBFS, but a click repeats at the boundary: Inspect and edit the source file’s end-to-start transition, then retest multiple loops.
- A playlist will not loop: Confirm you used a VLC Video source, enabled Loop Playlist, and installed the VLC library with the same bitness as OBS.
- Playback behavior changes when a source is hidden or reactivated: Review Restart playback when source becomes active and other visibility settings. An OBS issue report describes a specific problem involving rapid visibility toggling around playback completion; it is not evidence that ordinary looping generally fails. [OBS Studio issue tracker]
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