OBS Mic Not Working? Check Sources, Mixer and Recording Tracks
If your OBS microphone is not working, check where the signal stops: the source, Audio Mixer or recorded track. A moving mixer meter with a silent exported video is usually a different problem from a microphone that never reaches OBS.
Check whether the microphone works outside OBS
Make a short recording using our mic test. Select the intended microphone by name and listen to playback. If it is silent there too, start with the device troubleshooting guide. If it records clearly, inspect OBS source and track settings.
Add or select the correct input source
In your active scene, inspect Sources for an Audio Input Capture source, or check the global microphone device in OBS audio settings. Choose the physical microphone or interface that carries your voice. OBS documents the source types in its Sources Guide.
A source present in one scene is not automatically present in every other scene. Check the scene you actually record or stream. Avoid capturing the same microphone twice through both a global device and another source unless that duplication is intentional.
Look at the Audio Mixer while speaking
If the meter stays flat, confirm source device selection, hardware mute and system permission for OBS. If it responds, check the source mute button and fader. Do not increase headphone output volume and expect the microphone input level to rise.
For a quiet input, first adjust microphone placement and hardware gain. Large digital gain can also amplify hiss or clipping; our audio-quality workflow helps compare levels.
The meter moves, but the recording is silent
Open Advanced Audio Properties and inspect which tracks contain the microphone. Then check the recording output settings to see which tracks are included. At least one recorded track must contain the intended microphone.
If the file contains several audio tracks, your player may play only one by default. Select the microphone track in a compatible player or import the file into an editor that exposes the tracks. OBS explains the routing in its multi-track recording guide.
Check monitoring without creating a second audio path
Monitoring determines whether you hear a source locally; it is not the same as selecting a recording track. Inspect the monitoring mode if you hear yourself but your recording is silent, or if the source is set to monitor without being sent to output.
Use headphones when monitoring. Capturing the monitoring output again as desktop audio can create doubling or echo. First establish one clear microphone route before adding more complex routing.
Filters remove quiet words or all speech
A noise gate or expander with an unsuitable threshold can prevent speech from passing. Temporarily bypass one source filter at a time and repeat the same sentence. Keep the original settings noted so you can restore them.
Finish with a short recording that includes quiet and louder words. Play the saved file rather than relying only on the live mixer. If you stream, confirm the streaming track separately: a working recording configuration does not automatically prove the stream uses the same route.
