Want to control your Discord chat and game audio independently in OBS? Separating these audio sources is essential for professional streams and easy video editing. This guide covers two effective methods: using OBS's built-in tools and the more reliable third-party plugin approach.
Table of Contents
- Method Comparison: Which One Should You Use?
- Method 1: Using OBS's Application Audio Capture (Built-in)
- Method 2: Using the win-capture-audio Plugin (Recommended)
- Step 3: Recording to Separate Audio Tracks
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Method Comparison: Which One Should You Use?
Not all methods work equally well. Follow this decision tree to choose the right approach for your setup.
Start Here: Want to separate Discord and game audio?
Is capturing Discord your main goal?
Yes → The built-in "Application Audio Capture" source is known to have issues capturing Discord audio reliably. Proceed to Method 2: The win-capture-audio Plugin for a stable solution.
No, I only need to capture games/browsers → You can try Method 1: OBS's Built-in Tool.
For most users wanting reliable Discord capture, the win-capture-audio plugin (Method 2) is the recommended and most effective path.
Method 1: Using OBS's Application Audio Capture (Built-in)
This method uses OBS's native "Application Audio Capture (Beta)" source. A common setup technique is to use a Nested Scene to manage all your audio sources in one place, which you can then add to every streaming scene.
Core Setup Steps:
- Disable Desktop Audio: Go to Settings > Audio and disable both "Desktop Audio" devices. This prevents a mixed audio backup that you can't separate later.
- Create a Nested Scene for Audio (Optional but Organized):
- In your Scenes panel, click the '+' icon and create a new scene named "[NS] Audio Sources".
- This scene will hold all your individual application audio sources.
- Add Your First Application Audio Source:
- Inside your "[NS] Audio Sources" scene, click the '+' in the Sources panel.
- Select "Application Audio Capture (Beta)".
- Name it (e.g., "Game Audio") and click OK.
- In the properties window, use the "Window" dropdown to select your game's executable (e.g., "valorant.exe"). The application must be running to appear in the list.
- Set "Window Match Priority" to "Match title, otherwise find window of same executable" for best results.
- Repeat for Discord and Other Apps: Create a new "Application Audio Capture (Beta)" source for each application you want to capture separately (Discord, browser, music player).
- Add the Nested Scene to Your Streaming Scenes: Go to your gameplay or "Just Chatting" scene. Add a new Source, choose "Scene" as the type, and select your "[NS] Audio Sources" scene. This imports all your separated audio into that scene.
The Known Limitation: Many users report that the built-in "Application Audio Capture" source fails to capture any audio from Discord, while it works fine for games and browsers. If you encounter this, the plugin method below is your solution.
Method 2: Using the win-capture-audio Plugin (Recommended)
For reliably capturing Discord, the community-developed win-capture-audio plugin is the most effective tool. It creates a new source type that hooks directly into application audio on Windows.
Part 1: Install the win-capture-audio Plugin
- Download the Plugin: Get the latest version of the plugin from its official resource page on the OBS forum. Ensure you download the correct version for your OBS installation (64-bit).
- Install the Plugin:
- Close OBS Studio completely.
- Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
- Copy the files from the `obs-plugins\64bit` folder and paste them into your OBS installation folder (typically
C:\Program Files\obs-studio\obs-plugins\64bit).
- Restart OBS: Open OBS Studio. You should now have a new source type called "Application Audio Output Capture".
Part 2: Configure Audio Sources with the Plugin
- Disable Global Desktop Audio (Crucial): As with Method 1, go to Settings > Audio and disable the global "Desktop Audio" devices to prevent a mixed backup track.
- Add a New Audio Source:
- In your scene or nested audio scene, click '+' in Sources.
- Select the new "Application Audio Output Capture".
- Name it descriptively, like "Discord Chat".
- Target the Correct Application:
- In the source properties, use the dropdown to select the Discord application. Make sure Discord is running.
- You will see audio levels in the OBS mixer when someone speaks in your Discord channel.
- Repeat for Game Audio: Add another "Application Audio Output Capture" source and target your game's executable (e.g., "eldenring.exe").
Plugin Tip: The plugin offers an "Exclude" mode. You can create one source that captures all desktop audio except for a specific app (like Discord), and then capture Discord separately. This is useful for complex setups.
Step 3: Recording to Separate Audio Tracks
Once your audio is separated into different sources in the mixer, you can send each one to a different audio track in your recording for maximum editing flexibility.
- Enable Advanced Output Mode: Go to Settings > Output. Set the "Output Mode" dropdown to "Advanced".
- Configure Recording Tracks: Click the "Recording" tab. You will see a matrix labeled "Audio Track". You can enable up to 6 separate tracks.
- Assign Audio Sources to Tracks:
- In the OBS Audio Mixer, click the gear icon (Advanced Audio Properties) for each source.
- You will see checkboxes for Tracks 1, 2, 3, etc.
- Example Assignment:
- Track 1: Check for Game Audio and your Microphone (your main mix).
- Track 2: Check for Discord Audio only.
- Track 3: Check for your Microphone only.
- Track 4: Check for Browser/Music audio only.
- This way, when you edit the video, you can mute Discord Track 2 without affecting your game sounds or microphone.
- Start Recording: Hit record as normal. OBS will now embed multiple, independent audio tracks into your video file based on your assignments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why can't OBS's built-in tool capture Discord audio?
Discord uses specific audio protocols and security measures that can prevent the standard Windows audio capture method (used by OBS's built-in feature) from accessing its stream. The win-capture-audio plugin uses a different, more direct technique to bypass this limitation.
Is the win-capture-audio plugin safe to use?
Yes. It is a well-known and widely used plugin within the OBS community, hosted on the official OBS Project forum. Always download it from its official resource page to ensure safety.
Can I adjust the volume of Discord and game audio separately for my stream?
Absolutely. Once set up using either method, Discord and your game will appear as separate faders (sources) in the OBS Audio Mixer. You can adjust their volume up or down independently, or mute one completely without affecting what you hear in your headphones.
Do I need Voicemeeter Banana for this?
No. While Voicemeeter is a powerful virtual audio router, the methods described here—especially using the win-capture-audio plugin—achieve application-level audio separation entirely within OBS. This is simpler and avoids the potential latency and complexity of external virtual cable software.
The plugin audio cuts out or distorts after a while. How do I fix it?
Some users report audio dropouts with older versions of the plugin. First, ensure you have the latest version from the official page. If issues persist, check the plugin's support thread on the OBS forum for community-maintained fixes or alternative builds that address stability.