[macOS 15.4 + OBS 31.0.3/2/1/0] Preview Freezes & System Audio Stops (no crash, M4 Max or M-series)

Operating System Info

macOS 15

Other OS

macOS 15.4

OBS Studio Version

31.0.3

OBS Studio Version (Other)

31.0.2 / 31.0.1 / 31.0

OBS Studio Log URL

https://obsproject.com/logs/IEWcsR9IlJu5pvpp

OBS Studio Crash Log URL

No response

Expected Behavior

OBS should preview the screen smoothly without freezing, and system audio playback (e.g., Apple Music, Spotify) should continue uninterrupted.

Audio mixer levels in OBS should respond in real time to ongoing audio.

Current Behavior

OBS does not crash or quit unexpectedly — it stays open, but the screen preview freezes completely and system audio playback (e.g., Apple Music, Spotify) stops.

The app remains responsive (menus still clickable), but the video preview and audio mixer are stuck.

This issue occurs when using Screen/Display Capture as the main source in the scene.
It affects both Preview Mode and actual streaming sessions.
Switching to Window Capture reduces the frequency of the issue, but does not eliminate it.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Launch OBS on macOS 15.4 with M4 Max chip

2. Do not need start recording or streaming

3. Enable "Preview Mode" in OBS

4. Observe Preview screen / system audio playback and the mixer in OBS

5. After a few minutes or one hour, preview screen freezes and the mixer cuts off

Anything else we should know?

Additional Notes

This issue significantly impacts the reliability of live broadcasts, making macOS 15.4 currently unsuitable for professional streaming workflows using OBS + Display Capture.

Temporary workaround: using Window Capture instead of Screen/Display Capture seems more stable.

Start by reviewing the linked OBS Studio log at https://obsproject.com/logs/IEWcsR9IlJu5pvpp and reproducing the freeze with Preview Mode and Screen/Display Capture on macOS 15.4. Compare the behavior with Window Capture and determine why the preview and system audio mixer stop; done means the affected capture mode remains responsive and audio continues during the reported scenario.