---
title: "Lesson 3.8 - Test Record and Verification"
description: "Test Record and Verification. Record a 5-10 minute test stream BEFORE going live. Verify all systems work. Test record checklist: Audio levels (mic peaks at -6dB to -3dB, game audio at -12dB to -8dB)..."
url: https://thestreameragency.com/courses/streaming-software-selection/lessons/software-3-8-test-record/
date: 2026-05-06
modified: 2026-05-06
author: "The Streamer Agency"
type: lp_lesson
lang: en
---

# Lesson 3.8 - Test Record and Verification

**Test Record and Verification.** Record a 5-10 minute test stream BEFORE going live. Verify all systems work.

**Test record checklist:**

- Audio levels (mic peaks at -6dB to -3dB, game audio at -12dB to -8dB)

- Video quality (no compression artifacts, smooth motion at 60fps)

- Webcam framing (your face is centered, lighting flatters)

- Scene transitions (fade between scenes works smoothly)

- Alerts firing (test follow alert, test sub alert)

- Chat overlay updating (test by typing in your own chat)

- Recording saves successfully (check the output folder)

**How to do the test record:**

- OBS: Settings → Output → Recording (set up recording path and quality)

- Click "Start Recording" (NOT Start Streaming)

- Run 5-10 minutes of typical stream activity

- Click Stop Recording

- Open the recording, watch playback critically

- Note any issues for fixing before going live

**What to listen/watch for:**

- Audio crackling or static (driver issue or interference)

- Video stutters or dropped frames (encoding can't keep up)

- Scene flickers or refresh issues

- Alert audio overlapping with stream audio (mix isn't right)

- Recording resolution matches your stream resolution

**The discipline:** never go live without a recent test record. Do this monthly minimum, after every OBS update, after any hardware change.

Test records prevent embarrassing live failures. The 10 minutes saves hours of viewer-disappointing stream attempts.