When you record a stream as one flattened file, mic, game, music, and guests are permanently mixed together. If your voice was too quiet or a guest’s music needs removing, you are stuck. Multitrack recording saves each audio source to its own separate track so you can rebalance, isolate, or delete any of them later. It is one of the highest-value habits a serious creator can adopt.
What multitrack actually captures
Instead of a single stereo mix, multitrack recording writes your microphone, desktop/game audio, music, Discord/guests, and alerts to individual tracks within one file (or separate files). Each track is fully independent, so in editing you can turn your mic up, drop the game down, or mute music entirely without touching anything else.
Why the live mix is not enough
The mix that sounds fine live is often wrong for the VOD, game audio that was comfortable in your headphones can bury your voice on playback. Multitrack lets you fix that after the fact instead of re-recording or accepting bad audio.
Key benefits
| Benefit | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Rebalance levels | Fix quiet mic or loud game post-record |
| Remove music | Delete copyrighted music track for YouTube VOD |
| Isolate voice | Clean mic-only track for clips/podcasts |
| Per-track processing | EQ/compress each source separately |
How to record multitrack
OBS can record multiple audio tracks natively. In Settings, assign each audio source to its own track number (mic to track 2, game to track 3, music to track 4, and so on), then enable those tracks in the recording output. Record to MKV, which safely handles multiple tracks and survives crashes, then edit or remux afterward. Hardware consoles like the RODECaster can record multitrack to an SD card the same way.
The copyright safety net
The most practical payoff is VOD safety. If you played music during a stream, a flattened recording risks a copyright claim on the whole VOD. With music on its own track, you simply delete that track and export a clean version, keeping your voice and game audio intact.
A small cost for big flexibility
Multitrack recording uses more disk space and a little more processing, but the files remain manageable and the editing freedom is enormous. For anyone repurposing streams into VODs, clips, or podcasts, it quickly becomes non-negotiable.
Setting up tracks the smart way
In OBS, plan your track assignments before you record. A common layout: track 1 as the combined mix (a safety copy), track 2 mic only, track 3 game/desktop, track 4 music, track 5 Discord/guests. Assign each audio source to its tracks in the Advanced Audio Properties, then enable those tracks in your recording output settings. Recording the combined mix on track 1 means you always have a usable file even if you never touch the others.
Editing efficiency
In your editor, import the multitrack file and you will see each source as a separate, adjustable layer. Now fixing a quiet mic is a single volume move, removing music is deleting one track, and pulling a clean voice-only file for a podcast or clip takes seconds. What would be impossible with a flattened recording becomes trivial.
Disk and workflow considerations
Extra tracks add modest file size and a little CPU overhead, well worth it for the flexibility. Record to a fast drive with headroom, and consider remuxing the MKV to a track-friendly format your editor prefers after the session. Once multitrack becomes routine, you will never want to go back to a single baked-in mix.
FAQ
Does multitrack recording affect my live stream?
No. It only changes how your local recording is saved. Your live broadcast still goes out as a normal mix; the separate tracks exist only in the recorded file.
What format should I record multitrack in?
MKV in OBS, it reliably stores multiple tracks and resists corruption. Remux to another format afterward if your editor needs it.
Does multitrack recording affect my live stream?
No. It only changes how your local recording is saved, not what viewers see. Your live broadcast still goes out as a normal single mix, while the separate tracks exist only inside the recorded file. The trade-off is a modest increase in file size and a little processing overhead, well worth it for the ability to rebalance levels, isolate your voice, and remove music from a VOD afterward.
Bottom line
Multitrack recording saves every audio source separately so you can rebalance levels, isolate your voice, and delete music for copyright-safe VODs. Assign sources to their own tracks in OBS, record to MKV, and gain enormous editing flexibility for a small storage cost.
