Bug Report No output to audio monitoring device on MP3 media file with cover

[NurikSakura]

Greetings. Found a very specific bug, that adds some inconvenience.

I have an MP3 file, purchased and downloaded from BandCamp. It has a cover image imbued into it.

When I add this MP3 file to OBS as a "Media source", enable audio monitoring to a default windows device, I hear it playing. Then I switch to another scene and it stops playing. Then, when I switch back to the first scene, I see the volume meter act as if it is playing, but there is no sound monitored. However, the track IS playing and being recorded/streamed as normal.

But if I remove the cover (I used Winamp's built-in functions to remove the cover, it does not change anything else in the MP3 file), and then use this new file as a "Media source", there is no such problem with scene switching - whenever I switch to a scene with a cover-less file, it is both monitored and output correctly.

This happens on OBS Studio 21.1.2 64bit (Win7). Including OBS logs and TotalCommander's mediaInfo on both files with and without cover.

 

[vandermark]

I would just like to add that this bug is still present! I am very glad to have found this thread and i can confirm the bug. After i removed the cover image from the mp3 the audio monitoring works as it should, betwee switching scenes the mp3 keeps having audio monitoring.

 

[carrphilip]

I'm having the same issue (and fix) with 25.0.8.
We are using OBS for our church services which have a live audience and also streamed. We use the audio monitoring feature to feed our PA system and there have been several occasions when the audio was going out on the stream but nothing could be heard in the room. Not our biggest disaster, but does make the tech crew look unprofessional!

 

[CUMC Online]

I'm having the same issue (and fix) with 25.0.8.
We are using OBS for our church services which have a live audience and also streamed. We use the audio monitoring feature to feed our PA system and there have been several occasions when the audio was going out on the stream but nothing could be heard in the room. Not our biggest disaster, but does make the tech crew look unprofessional!

We are having exactly the same problem. Audio is going out on the video stream just fine, but we hear nothing through the local speakers on our desktop Lenovo IdeaStation PC, even through all audio settings appear to be correct. How did you fix it?

 

[maoyalu]

Same issue still exists in OBS 26.1.1

 

[Bernd Uhlmann]

OBS version 27.1.3 64 bit win 10 still has the same issue

If the MP3 song has no cover image everything works fine as intended.

Any MP3 song with a cover image causes a set if issues:

The song starts normally and continues until anything interrupts normal flow such as:

• If the scene is briefly changed. After returning to the scene with the song, the song is no longer monitored.
• If the end of the song reached, even if the song is supposed to loop. The song loops but is no longer monitored.
• If you interfere with the source via the media control by stopping the song or using the media slider in any way, the song is no longer monitored.

If monitoring of the song ceased it can be manually restarted via “Advanced Audio Setting”, stop monitor and start monitor again.

Strangely: when looping a song with a cover image monitoring stops at the first loop, it will restart by itself after one unmonitored loop.

Another related Problem with MP3 media:

Any MP3 song with a cover image will cause the above problems with monitoring. If you later replace the song with another song (Source properties – select another local file without an image), then the old image stays on the scene. The new and different song works fine but now the old image is stuck with the Source on the scene until you remove the source altogether.

 

[comfocol]

Ran into same issue today, very annoying but thanks to this post was able to find a solution that works for now (thank you all!)

Used mp3tag (free software) to simply remove all tags from the file (including cover art) and hey presto, the files worked perfectly and I don't have to hid the album art somewhere off screen anymore.