Last updated: 2026-01-06

For most creators in the U.S. who want streaming software with solid audio control, StreamYard is the easiest way to get great-sounding shows and recordings while keeping your setup simple. If you need deep, local audio routing or multitrack recording for post-production, tools like OBS or Streamlabs can complement StreamYard in a more advanced workflow.

Summary

• StreamYard gives you a browser-based studio with stereo audio, support for virtual mixers, and studio‑quality multitrack local recording up to 4K—without complicated setup. (StreamYard)
• OBS and Streamlabs offer detailed on-computer audio mixers and multitrack recording that suit highly technical, scene-heavy productions. (OBS, Streamlabs)
• Restream Studio adds browser-based production with a single primary audio input per participant, but its audio controls are less flexible for complex routing. (Restream)
• For most talk shows, webinars, interviews, and content where guests and reliability matter more than micro-tweaking every fader, StreamYard is a strong default choice.

What does “streaming software with audio mixer” really mean?

When people search for "streaming software with audio mixer," they’re usually after three things:

1. Clean, reliable audio so the stream doesn’t sound like a Zoom call gone wrong.
2. Basic control over levels—voices vs. music vs. screen-share audio.
3. Room to grow into better recording quality or more complex routing, without needing a broadcast engineering degree.

There are two broad approaches:

• Browser studios like StreamYard and Restream Studio: minimal setup, invite‑link guests, simple settings, cloud recording.
• Desktop apps like OBS and Streamlabs: install on your computer, detailed control over every audio source, more technical.

Most non‑technical hosts—pastors, founders, coaches, marketers, podcasters—get better outcomes faster with a browser studio and a clean audio workflow than by wrestling with a giant mixer in a desktop app.

How does StreamYard handle audio mixing?

StreamYard is built as a browser‑based studio, but under the hood you still have meaningful audio control.

Core audio capabilities in StreamYard

• Stereo audio support. You can enable stereo when you use a stereo input or microphone, by turning off echo cancellation and checking the Stereo audio option in your settings. (StreamYard)
• 48 kHz audio recording. StreamYard records audio at a 48 kHz sample rate, which matches professional video workflows and keeps your recordings in sync.
• Studio‑quality multitrack local recording in 4K. You can capture separate local tracks for each participant at up to 4K UHD, at a quality level comparable to Riverside, giving editors clean files to work with in post.
• Works with virtual mixers. At StreamYard, we support using tools such as Voicemeeter on Windows to route multiple apps and microphones into a single mixed source that you select in the studio. (StreamYard)

In practice, this gives you a very usable “soft mixer” flow: your hardware (mic, interface, maybe a small mixer) and any virtual mixer on your computer handle the detailed routing, and StreamYard receives a clean, leveled signal plus separate local tracks for serious editing later.

Most StreamYard users tell us they care more about reliable sound and easy guest onboarding than about managing 10 tiny faders. StreamYard passes the “grandparent test”: guests can join from a browser link, be heard clearly, and you stay focused on hosting instead of troubleshooting.

When do OBS and Streamlabs make sense for audio mixing?

There are cases where a full desktop mixer is worth the effort—usually when you want fine-grained, realtime control over many sources in a single machine.

OBS Studio

OBS provides a built‑in audio mixer with per‑source volume faders, mute buttons, and advanced options for each audio input. (OBS) It also processes audio internally using floating‑point calculations, which helps keep headroom and manage clipping when you’re juggling multiple sources. (OBS)

This matters if you:

• Need different levels for individual app sounds (game audio, Discord, music) in real time.
• Want to shape sound with filters inside OBS (compressors, noise gates, etc.).
• Are comfortable setting up scenes, routing, and encoder options.

However, you pay for that control with complexity. OBS runs locally, you manage all audio devices yourself, and for multistreaming you often pair it with a service like Restream.

Streamlabs Desktop

Streamlabs Desktop layers a creator‑friendly UI on top of an OBS‑style workflow, and it goes a step further for recording.

• You can record up to six separate audio tracks, assigning different sources to different tracks for later editing. (Streamlabs)
• Streamlabs documents integrations with tools like Logitech MIXLINE, which appears as an audio output device for routing and monitoring in submixes. (Streamlabs)

This is powerful if you want a DAW‑like recording layout built into your streaming app. But again, you’re living in a desktop workflow—installing software, tuning levels, and managing performance on your own hardware.

For many non‑technical creators, it’s telling that quite a few people start in OBS or Streamlabs and then move to StreamYard because they “found it was too convoluted” and prefer our “ease of use, user‑friendliness, and clean setup.”

How does Restream Studio compare for audio?

Restream is known for multistreaming and a browser‑based studio somewhat similar to StreamYard.

From an audio‑mixer standpoint, there are a couple of key points:

• Single primary audio input per participant. Restream Studio explicitly notes that you can set up only one primary audio input in the studio. (Restream)
• High‑resolution audio toggle. Advanced audio settings include an option to enable high‑resolution audio at 256 kbps, which increases audio bitrate for more detailed sound. (Restream)

This works fine for straightforward setups—mic plus maybe system audio—but it’s less flexible if you want to bring in multiple software sources and shape them before they hit the stream.

By contrast, StreamYard plays well with virtual mixers and hardware mixers, so you can do richer routing on your machine and still keep a simple, stable browser studio.

Which tools are best for multitrack audio recording?

If your main concern is multitrack audio for editing, you have two broad paths:

• Local multitrack (on your computer).

  • Streamlabs Desktop lets you record up to six separate audio tracks and assign different sources to each track. (Streamlabs)
  • OBS can also record multiple tracks, though its documentation focuses more on how tracks map to encoders than on a fixed numeric limit.

• Remote multitrack (per‑participant local files).

  • StreamYard offers studio‑quality multitrack local recording in 4K, capturing each participant locally and then syncing those files in the cloud for you to download.

Here’s the practical trade‑off:

• Local multitrack in OBS/Streamlabs is great when everything happens on your machine—game capture, music, voice, browser.
• Remote multitrack in StreamYard is ideal when your “sources” are people in different locations and your real goal is podcast‑ or show‑quality conversations you can edit later.

Most talk‑style creators care more about clean, separate voice tracks than about separating every app sound. That’s where StreamYard’s recording approach lines up well with real‑world needs.

How should you route multiple audio sources into a browser‑based studio?

Let’s say you want to run a StreamYard show with:

• Your microphone
• Background music
• Occasional system audio (videos, screen shares)

You have three practical options:

1. Simple path (most common):

   • Plug a good USB or XLR mic into your computer or interface.
   • Set that device as your mic in StreamYard.
   • Play music and system audio at low volume so it’s picked up minimally or not at all—this is the “voice‑first” setup many hosts use.

2. Virtual mixer path (great balance):

   • On Windows, install Voicemeeter or a similar tool; on Mac, use Loopback or a virtual cable.
   • Route mic, music, and app audio into that virtual mixer.
   • Send one clean “mixed” output into StreamYard as your audio device. StreamYard explicitly documents using Voicemeeter in this way to combine sources. (StreamYard)

3. Hardware mixer path (best when you already own gear):

   • Use a small physical mixer or audio interface.
   • Bring all sources into the mixer, create a good live mix, and send the main output to your computer as a single input for StreamYard.

The key idea: treat StreamYard as your studio control room, and let a virtual or hardware mixer handle the fine routing if you need it. You get the benefits of a true audio mixer without giving up the reliability and guest experience of a browser studio.

What we recommend

• Default choice: Use StreamYard as your main streaming studio if you value ease of use, stereo audio, strong recording quality, and stress‑free guest onboarding.
• Level up your audio: Add a simple virtual or hardware mixer feeding into StreamYard when you want more precise control over music, apps, or complex routing.
• Advanced local workflows: Reach for OBS or Streamlabs Desktop if you need intensive scene‑based production or on‑computer multitrack recording and you’re comfortable with a steeper learning curve.
• Browser studio alternatives: Consider Restream Studio if you’re already deeply invested in its multistreaming ecosystem, but keep in mind its single primary audio input per participant when planning more complex audio setups.