Twitch mutes parts of a VOD when its audio recognition finds copyrighted music in the recording, and that audio doesn't come back unless you hold the rights and appeal. The fix going forward is OBS's Twitch VOD Track: one audio mix for live viewers, a second for the VOD, so music plays on stream and stays out of the archive.
You usually find out when you open the VOD to cut highlights and the best stretch plays back silent. The setting that prevents it is easy to set up backwards.
This guide covers why Twitch mutes VODs, whether you can recover one, the six-step OBS setup, fixes for when music still gets through, what the VOD track can't protect, and game and console audio.
Pick your stream music before you go live
Your live audience still hears every song. Choose stream music from Soundstripe's 120k tracks.
Why Twitch mutes VODs
Twitch scans saved VODs and Clips with audio recognition. When it detects copyrighted audio, it mutes that part of the VOD and deletes matching Clips, as Twitch's Music Guidelines lay out. A stream that sounded fine live can come back with silent sections.
Whether a song is allowed on Twitch at all is a separate question, covered in our guide to copyrighted music on Twitch.
What muted audio actually is
A muted stretch isn't turned down. Its audio is replaced with digital silence, so there's no voice underneath to rescue, and any Clip cut from it carries the same gap.
Why music you didn't pick still gets flagged
The match doesn't care who chose the song. Licensed music inside games counts, and so does anything playing through Desktop Audio. The game and console section further down covers that.
Can you unmute a Twitch VOD?
Only if you hold the rights to the flagged audio. Twitch's Music Reporting Process points creators to an appeal in the Video Producer of their Dashboard for VODs flagged incorrectly. Without those rights, the muted sections stay muted, and the only unmuted copy is a local recording you made yourself. Keep one running until you trust your VOD setup.
What the Twitch VOD track does
The Twitch VOD Track is an OBS setting that sends Twitch two audio mixes from one stream. By default, Track 1 is the live feed and Track 2 is the VOD feed, according to OBS's Twitch VOD Track guide. Any source checked on Track 2 ends up in the VOD; anything unchecked plays live only. Streamlabs Desktop has the same feature, labeled "Twitch VOD."
The part that's easy to get backwards
The VOD track is what's in your VOD, not what gets removed. Put only music on Track 2 and you get a VOD with music and no voice. Check every source you want saved, and leave music off.
Routing only works once each sound has its own source. If your mic chain is still in progress, start with our Twitch audio setup guide.
How to set up the Twitch VOD track in OBS
Do these in order. Labels can shift slightly between OBS versions, so match by name.
How to set up the Twitch VOD track in OBS
- Set Twitch as your stream service
Open Settings, then Stream, choose Twitch as the service and connect your account. OBS only offers the VOD track option for the Twitch service.
- Turn on the Twitch VOD Track in Output settings
Open Settings, then Output. In Simple mode, tick Enable Custom Encoder Settings, then tick Twitch VOD Track. In Advanced mode, tick Twitch VOD Track and set it to Track 2.
- Give your music its own audio source
Capture your music player with Application Audio Capture or add it as a dedicated media source. Music that only plays through Desktop Audio can't be separated.
- Route each source in Advanced Audio Properties
Open it from the gear icon in the Audio Mixer dock or the Edit menu. Check Track 1 and Track 2 for mic, game audio and chat. Check Track 1 only for music.
- Keep monitoring out of captured audio
Set the Audio Monitoring Device to headphones that OBS isn't also capturing. Otherwise monitored music loops back through Desktop Audio and into the VOD.
- Test the VOD before you trust it
Run a short stream with music, open the VOD at that timestamp and confirm the music is gone and your voice is there. Retest after OBS updates or new devices.
For the test, play a track you have the rights to use. Our picks of royalty free music for Twitch are a starting point.
Twitch VOD track not working? Fix it here
When music still reaches the VOD, a source on the VOD track is carrying it, usually Desktop Audio or a monitored headset. When the option is missing, OBS isn't set to the Twitch service.
Music still shows up in the VOD
OBS's help forum has a clear case of a monitoring setting that leaks music: music unchecked on Track 2, but still reaching the VOD through Desktop Audio and a captured headset. Change the monitoring device or take Desktop Audio off Track 2. If Enhanced Broadcasting is on, test with it off to rule it out.
The VOD has music but no voice
The routing is inverted. Swap it so everything except music sits on Track 2.
The Twitch VOD Track checkbox is missing
OBS only enables the setting when the stream service is Twitch, and OBS's own code gates the option that way. Stream through a custom server, relay or multistream service and, by default, the checkbox isn't available. In Simple mode, tick Enable Custom Encoder Settings first.
It worked last week and stopped
OBS updates and new devices can reset track assignments. Recheck Track 2 in Advanced Audio Properties after any change.
There's a leftover Soundtrack source in your scene
Soundtrack by Twitch shut down in July 2023. Remove any source or plugin left from it and recheck your routing.
What the VOD track doesn't protect
The VOD track keeps music out of the saved VOD and Clips. It does nothing for the live broadcast, where your audience still hears every song. Twitch's guidelines say unauthorized music in streams can draw DMCA takedown requests from rights holders, and a clean VOD isn't a license. For the rights side, see our guide to music licensing for live streaming.
Game audio, consoles and alerts
In-game music arrives mixed with gameplay audio, so OBS sees one source. If you capture a console through a capture card, the console sends one combined signal, as Elgato's VOD track walkthrough notes. The fix is in the game: use a streamer mode if it has one, or turn the music volume down.
Alerts and sound effects are easier: give them their own source and check Track 2 if you want them saved. Our picks of royalty free sound effects for Twitch and royalty free music for live streaming video games are a place to start for that layer.
Build your stream's sound
Browse 120k tracks and 110K+ sound effects for intros, breaks and alerts on Soundstripe.
Frequently asked questions
It sends Twitch a second audio mix that becomes your VOD. By default, Track 1 is the live feed and Track 2 is the VOD, so any source left off Track 2 plays live only.
OBS only offers it when the stream service is Twitch, so custom servers, relays and multistream services don't get it by default. In Simple mode, tick Enable Custom Encoder Settings first.
Only by appeal, and only if you hold the rights to the flagged audio. Otherwise a local recording you made yourself is the only unmuted copy.
They keep music on the live track only, using OBS's Twitch VOD Track or the "Twitch VOD" setting in Streamlabs Desktop. The live broadcast still has to follow Twitch's music rules.
Twitch's Music Guidelines treat audio-recognition muting separately from DMCA takedown notifications, so a muted VOD isn't a takedown. It also doesn't mean the music was licensed.
