Feb 22, 2025

OBS warning: “Could not update timestamps for skipped samples”

Seeing “Could not update timestamps for skipped samples” in an OBS log does not, on its own, tell you that a broadcast failed. Start by checking the recording or stream: is the sound clear, is it in sync, and does the picture play smoothly?

The useful next step is to find out when the message appears and which source was active. A warning during a scene transition needs a different investigation from persistent microphone drift.

Check media sources and transitions

In an OBS forum discussion about this warning, contributors connected it to playback of WebM media, including files with transparency, and the media decoder's handling of audio timestamps. This is a reported scenario, not proof that every instance has the same cause.

Try a short recording with a simple scene and no intro video or stinger transition. Then test the suspected media source separately. If the warning follows one file, try another export of that file and compare both the log and the actual playback. If the asset needs transparency, keep that requirement in mind when choosing an export format.

Investigate audible audio problems separately

If you hear clicks, gaps, or drifting audio, check the sample rate in OBS Settings → Audio and in the settings for your microphone, audio interface, and capture devices. Where supported, use a consistent rate, such as 48 kHz, and make another test recording.

A forum discussion about short audio gaps identifies sample-rate settings and device timestamps as things to investigate. Those checks can help diagnose audible problems; they do not establish the cause of every skipped-samples warning. There is no need to force all devices to 16-bit audio just to address this log message.

Check device timestamps only if needed

On Windows, supported audio capture sources have a Use Device Timestamps option in their properties. OBS documents its default as off. If you are troubleshooting synchronization, change one setting at a time and compare recordings; restore the previous setting if the result gets worse.

Avoid capturing the same device both globally and as a separate scene source, which can produce an echo. See the OBS audio source documentation for these controls and limitations.

Address rendering or encoding lag

If the log also reports rendering or encoding lag, investigate that performance problem separately. Try limiting the game's frame rate, reducing graphics settings, simplifying the scene, or lowering the output resolution or frame rate.

These are performance checks, not a guaranteed fix for an audio timestamp warning. The OBS performance guide explains how to leave enough resources for OBS. Do not disable Windows Game Mode solely because this warning appears.

Compare the results

Repeat the same short test after each change so you can tell which change helped. If the problem began after replacing an audio device or changing its driver, include that detail when asking for help.

If playback is normal and the warning appears only when a particular media file starts or stops, avoid making unrelated changes just to clear the log. If audible gaps, sync problems, or freezes persist, share the log from an affected session with OBS support and describe when the problem occurs.