ItemlumePRODUCT CREATIVE / PRODUCTION AND HANDOFF
Why Does My Product-Demo Recording Play the Music but Not the Narrator After OBS Export?
A multitrack recording does not make a normal player mix every audio track together. OBS recommends putting the intended listening mix on track 1 while keeping separate tracks for editing, and enabling the tracks you actually want recorded. Check routing and playback selection before assuming the narrator was never captured.
Write a listening contract for the file
Decide whether the handoff is a ready-to-watch product demonstration or an editing source with separate voice and music. The same underlying recording can serve both purposes, but its recipients need to know what the tracks contain.
A reviewer who opens a file in a player may hear only one track. The OBS guide explicitly distinguishes that behavior from an editor using separate recorded tracks. Hearing only music is therefore an observation about this playback path, not proof that every other track is empty.
Check assignment and recording as separate gates
OBS describes assigning audio sources in Advanced Audio Properties, then enabling the intended recording tracks under Settings → Output. A source assigned to a track and a track enabled for recording are separate decisions. Check both against the desired handoff.
The official example routes every intended source to track 1 for ordinary listening, with other tracks retaining separated sources for editing. Treat that as a documented arrangement, not a guarantee about which stream every player will select or which tracks an external platform will preserve.
Record the source names and their intended destinations. Do not change a large batch of routing settings merely to make one player louder; first identify the track being heard and the tracks actually present in the file.
Illustrative exercise: finished review versus editing source
Illustrative exercise — fictional product-demo recordings, not captured or listened to for this guide. Case A needs a complete narrator-and-music review file. Case B needs a narrator stem and a separate music stem for later revisions.
For A, review the intended listening mix, the selected recording tracks and the actual player result. If the narration exists on another recorded track, choose an appropriate playback or finishing path rather than replacing the spoken performance unnecessarily.
For B, provide a track map with the source recording. Ask the editor to verify each intended source independently before applying level changes. The presence of several tracks does not prove that each contains the expected material.
Approve the delivered sound, not the routing diagram
Open the actual handoff through its intended review and editing paths. Record which track was selected, whether voice and music are present, and whether the resulting balance is suitable for the message. Leave these observations pending until someone actually listens.
If a required source is absent from every available recording track, preserve the original file and inspect the recording configuration before another take. A routing worksheet cannot recover sound that was never recorded.
Itemlume-generated silent footage and an externally recorded narration are separate assets. This guide does not add sound to generated video or configure an external OBS installation.
Illustrative exercise — listening mix and editing-track map
These are illustrative exercise rows. Save a copy and record your own observations; the example is not an executed acceptance test.
| Fictional handoff | Intended sound | Source assignment to inspect | Enabled tracks to inspect | Actual listening evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A: Complete product-demo review | Narrator and approved music together | Intended listening mix and separated sources | Mix track and required source tracks | Pending player track choice and listening result |
| B: Editor source package | Separate narrator and music | Narrator stem and music stem mapped independently | Each promised editing track | Pending editor inspection of every promised source |
Sources and further reading
Recorded source-review dates are listed individually below. An undated source does not inherit the article’s publication date. Software and platform rules can change; check the current original before acting.
- Multiple Audio Track Recording Guide — OBS · Reviewed
- Standard Recording Output Guide — OBS · Reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Does a moving audio meter prove the narrator is in the downloaded recording?
No. Check the source assignment, enabled recording tracks and the actual delivered file. The meter alone is not that evidence.
Should every separate audio track play simultaneously in a normal player?
No. OBS explains that standard players play one track at a time. Review the intended mix and separated editing tracks through the appropriate tools.
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