An audio source in Iris is a reference audio input that you bring into your Studio alongside your video sources. These can be devices connected directly to your Bridge (like USB microphones or line-in connections) or network audio devices on your local network.
Once added, you can preview audio levels in real time, rename sources, adjust latency offsets, and remove them when no longer needed. This article covers standalone audio sources as well as camera-embedded audio settings.
What You'll Need
A linked Bridge — Audio source discovery requires at least one Bridge connected to your Studio. Without one, you'll see a warning: "To discover Audio sources, you must first link an Iris Bridge."
Devices on the same local network — Your audio devices need to be on the same network as your Bridge (for network devices) or physically connected to your Bridge computer (for USB/line-in devices).
Available source capacity — Your plan determines how many sources you can add. If you've hit the limit, you'll need to upgrade or remove an existing source.
Microphone permission — When adding an audio source, the app will request camera and microphone permissions from your operating system. This is needed for USB device discovery.
Adding a New Audio Source
Step 1 — Open the Add Audio Source Dialog
In your Studio, open the monitoring panel and go to the Overview tab. Click "Add audio source." This opens a dialog titled "Add a reference audio source."
Step 2 — Discover and Select a Source
The left side of the dialog shows a discovery table listing all available audio devices on your network and connected to your Bridge.
You can filter the list using the dropdown at the top:
All connections — Shows everything
Local — USB and line-in devices connected directly to your Bridge
Network — Audio devices accessible over your local network
The table shows each source's name, connection type, IP address (or "N/A" for local devices), and which Bridge can see it. You can sort by any column.
Sources that are already added to your Studio are automatically excluded from the discovery list, so you won't accidentally add the same source twice.
On the right side, you'll see an audio level meter preview — this lets you verify the source is actually outputting audio before you commit to adding it.
Click a source to select it, then click Continue.
Step 3 — Configure Settings
On the next screen, you can:
Rename the audio source — The name is pre-filled from the discovered device. If the audio source is linked to a video device, the name field is disabled (the name comes from the video source instead).
Set an audio offset — Toggle the "Audio offset" switch on, then enter a value in milliseconds (0–5,000 ms). This compensates for latency differences between your audio and video, keeping them in sync. Divide 1000 by your frame rate to get the duration of one frame in milliseconds (e.g., 1000 ÷ 30fps = ~33ms).
The audio level meter preview stays visible on the right side so you can keep monitoring.
Click "Save and Finish" to add the source.
If you try to close the dialog before saving (after you've passed the source selection step), you'll see a confirmation: "Are you sure you want to exit now? By choosing to exit before saving you will lose all information about this audio source." If you're still on the first step, the dialog closes without a prompt.
Editing an Audio Source
Once a source is added, you have a few ways to manage it.
Right-click the audio source card in your Studio to see a context menu with:
Advanced settings — Opens the full settings dialog
Rename source — Puts the name into inline editing mode right on the card
Delete source — Removes the source
From the Advanced Settings dialog:
Right-click an audio source card and select "Advanced settings" (or click the settings icon on the source's monitoring card). From here you can:
Rename the source (disabled if linked to a video device)
Adjust the audio offset (toggle on/off, then set milliseconds)
Preview the live audio level meter
At the bottom of the dialog:
Delete Source (red button) — Permanently removes the audio source. You'll be asked to confirm.
Cancel — Discards your changes
Save Changes — Saves your edits (disabled until you make a change)
Configuring Camera-Embedded Audio
For cameras that have built-in audio, you can configure audio settings from the video source's Advanced Settings panel under the "Audio Settings" section. The available options depend on your camera's make and model — you may see some or all of the following:
Audio Enable — Turn audio on or off for the camera's stream
Audio Encoding Type — Choose between codecs like AAC, MP3, or G.711
Audio Sample Rate — Options like 16000, 32000, 44100, or 48000 Hz
Audio Bitrate — Options like 32, 48, 64, 96, or 128 kbps
Audio Channel — Mono or Stereo
Audio In Volume — Adjust input volume with a slider
Audio Input Select — Switch between Mic and Line input
Audio Delay — Set a delay from 1–500 ms (on supported models)
Level Control — Switch between Manual and Auto gain control (per channel)
Wind Filter — Toggle wind noise filtering on or off (per channel)
Phantom Power / Plugin Power — Enable power for connected microphones
Some of these settings are conditional — for example, encoding options only appear when audio is enabled, and sample rate options may be hidden when G.711 encoding is selected.
Limits and Restrictions
Source capacity — The total number of sources is limited by your plan (Free, Standard, Pro, Enterprise). When you hit the limit, the Save/Continue button is disabled and you'll see a message. Admins and owners will see an "Upgrade now" link.
Bridge required — No Bridge, no discovery. The dialog will tell you to link a Bridge first.
Audio offset range — 0 to 5,000 milliseconds (0 to 5 seconds).
No duplicates — Sources already in your Studio are automatically hidden from the discovery list.
Supported connection types — Local (USB/line-in) and Network audio.
What Happens If…
…you close the dialog before saving? If you've passed the source selection step, you'll get a confirmation prompt asking if you're sure. If you're still on the first step, it just closes.
…you've hit your plan's source limit? The Continue/Save button is disabled and you see a message about the limit. Admins and owners can click "Upgrade now" to go to billing.
…no Bridge is linked? A warning banner appears in the discovery table telling you to link a Bridge first. No sources will be listed.
…you try to add a source that's already in your Studio? You won't see it in the discovery list — already-added sources are automatically filtered out.
…you delete an audio source? It's permanently removed from your Studio after you confirm.
Troubleshooting
What's happening | Likely cause | What to do |
No audio sources in the discovery table | No Bridge is linked | Link a Bridge to your Studio, then reopen the dialog |
Source appears but the audio meter isn't moving | Device may not be transmitting, or connection isn't established yet | Verify the device is powered on and connected. Try selecting a different source and then re-selecting. |
"You have reached your plan's limit for sources" | Plan source cap reached | Remove an unused source, or upgrade in Settings > Billing |
Audio offset is grayed out | The offset toggle isn't switched on | Toggle "Audio offset" to On before entering a value |
Can't rename the audio source | Source is linked to a video device | Rename the associated video source instead — the audio name is inherited |
Deleted a source but it still shows briefly | System is confirming removal with the Bridge | Wait a few seconds — it'll disappear once the Bridge confirms |
FAQs
What is a reference audio source? It's an audio input — like a USB microphone, line-in connection, or network audio device — that you add to your Studio to capture audio alongside your video sources.
What's the difference between Local and Network audio sources? Local sources are devices physically connected to your Bridge computer (USB microphones, line-in). Network sources are audio devices accessible over your local network.
Can I add the same audio source to multiple Studios? The same physical device can potentially be added to different Studios using different Bridges, but within a single Studio, duplicate sources are automatically prevented.
What does the audio offset do? It adds a delay (0–5,000 milliseconds) to compensate for latency differences between your audio and video, helping keep them in sync.
Can I adjust encoding and sample rate for my camera's built-in audio? Yes. Open the video source's Advanced Settings and go to the Audio Settings section. Options vary by camera model.
Do audio sources count toward my plan's source limit? Source limits are primarily tracked for video sources. Whether audio sources count toward the same limit may depend on your plan configuration.
What audio formats are supported for camera-embedded audio? Depending on your camera, supported formats may include AAC, MP3, and G.711. AAC is the default for most cameras.
Can I rename my audio source? Yes — either during setup or after by right-clicking the source card and selecting "Rename source." If the audio source is linked to a video device, the name is inherited from the video source and can't be changed independently.
Why isn't my audio source showing up? Make sure the device is powered on and connected to the same local network as your Bridge (for network devices) or physically connected to the Bridge computer (for USB/line-in). Try scanning again. If nothing appears, make sure a Bridge is linked to your Studio.
Use Cases
Adding a live microphone feed from a networked audio interface for a production.
Syncing remote audio when no local audio crew is present — use a reference audio source to capture room sound.
Previewing and verifying audio signal before going live using the built-in audio level meter.
Correcting audio/video sync issues with the offset slider.
Configuring camera-embedded audio — adjusting encoding, bitrate, and channels for cameras with built-in microphones.