Support Request: OBS Causing Intermitent Audio and Video Issue

[Superbjony]

Dear OBS Support Team,

My name is Jonathan Maddicott, and I am the Production Manager for, a TikTok livestream agency based in the UK. We produce multiple livestreams each day for a range of clients and rely heavily on OBS as part of our production workflow.

We’re reaching out for support regarding an ongoing issue affecting one of our production studios.

Initially, we experienced an issue where the video feed within OBS would intermittently freeze during livestreams. After extensive troubleshooting, the only temporary solution we found was to disconnect and reassign the Blackmagic ATEM capture device within OBS. This would immediately restore the video feed, but only temporarily.

Since then, we have:

• Updated both OBS and the Blackmagic ATEM software/firmware to the latest available versions.
• Carried out extensive testing to verify system stability.
• Reinstalled OBS completely, including removing all associated application files and configuration data from the Mac.
• Confirmed that the visual freezing issue now appears to be resolved.

Unfortunately, following these updates we are now experiencing intermittent audio issues instead. These include:

• Audio freezing
• Audio looping
• Distorted or corrupted audio
• Occasional audio dropouts

Again, the only temporary workaround is to disconnect and reconnect the Blackmagic ATEM capture device within OBS, after which the audio returns to normal until the issue occurs again.

At this stage, we’re trying to determine whether the issue lies within OBS itself, the communication between OBS and the Blackmagic ATEM, or potentially a hardware issue.


Our planned next steps are:

• Replace the ATEM with another unit to rule out hardware failure.
• If the issue persists, test using a different Mac to eliminate the possibility of a machine-specific problem.

Before proceeding further, we wanted to ask whether this is a known issue or if there are any additional troubleshooting steps, settings, or log files you would recommend reviewing. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and for the continued work you do on OBS. We rely on it heavily within our production environment and appreciate any assistance you can provide.

Kind regards,

Jonathan Maddicott
Production Manager