8 Best Ways to Fix VLC Audio Not Working Error on Windows

8 Best Ways to Fix VLC Audio Not Working Error on Windows

VLC is the popular and beloved video player around the world. It’s one of the most trusted open source video players out there, and it’s often the first app someone downloads to a new computer, after installing a browser, of course. VLC is known to support a wide variety of formats and settings. However, many people complain that audio is not playing on their computers.


Fix VLC audio not working error

The problem of no sound in VLC player can be easily fixed and we will help you to do it. You will be back to watching this video in no time. Note that VLC is not the only video player on the market and over the years many new worthy contenders have entered the market.

Let’s start.

1. Check the video

Try to open another video with VLC to make sure there is nothing wrong with the video file itself. Sometimes the video will not play properly if it has been downloaded partially. A corrupted video file may or may not be played, and sometimes it is played initially, then stops somewhere in the middle. Compare the file size if in doubt.

2. Reset preferences

VLC is an advanced media player app and has many ways to customize the user experience the way you want. Have you changed a setting recently? Reset it if you remember or reset the preferences.


Fix error 1 of VLC audio not working

Press Ctrl + P to open Preferences, and you’ll find the reset option at the bottom of the pop-up window.

3. Enable audio

Yes, there is an option to turn on / off audio in VLC. I don’t know why this option exists because anyone who watches a video wants to hear the audio. And then there are volume control options.


Fix error 2 of VLC audio not working

In any case, go back to Preferences (Ctrl + P), and under the Audio tab, you will find the option Enable audio. Make sure it is checked.

4. Disable / Enable audio track

You are going to play a video on VLC first and then when it is running you know there is definitely sound. You will deactivate / activate audio track 1.


Fix error 5 of VLC audio not working

Just click Audio> Audio Track and select Disable, then Track 1 again.

5. Audio settings

We will check the audio settings of the VLC app to check if tinkering helps.

Step 1: Open VLC Preferences again and click All under Show Settings to display advanced options.

2nd step: Select Output Modules under the Audio tab and choose Windows media device output from the drop-down menu. Save all settings and replay the video to check if audio is audible in VLC.


Fix error 3 of VLC audio not working

Step 3: Now click on Waveout in the left sidebar menu and choose your Bluetooth speaker / device from the Select the audio device scrolling menu.


Fix error 4 of VLC audio not working

Close VLC and relaunch to check if VLC audio issue is resolved or not.

6. Disable all enhancements

Step 1: Find and open Control Panel from the Start menu.


Fix error 6 of VLC audio not working

2nd step: Go to Hardware and Sound> Sound. Right-click on Speakers or your preferred sound source and select Properties.


Fix error 7 of VLC audio not working

Step 3: Uncheck Enable audio enhancements under the Advanced tab.


Fix error 8 of VLC audio not working

Save all changes and restart your computer once. Note that you must revert to the old setting if changing a setting does not resolve the issue.

7. Reinstall VLC

I recommend that you use Revo Uninstaller to remove all apps and software as it will also remove registry and other leftover files from the system. You can then use the download link below to do a fresh reinstallation of VLC from scratch. Make sure you download the correct version – 32-bit or 64-bit that matches your system’s operating system.

This will ensure that any corrupted files you might have on the hard drive / SSD will not be a problem now. Reinstalling VLC will also automatically update the app to the latest version.

8. Update / reinstall the drivers

Open Device Manager and you are looking for Audio inputs and outputs header where you will find your computer’s audio hardware listed.


Fix error 9 of VLC audio not working

You can verify Sound, video and game controllers as well. You will then follow our in-depth driver guide to restore, update, and reinstall the drivers on your Windows 10 computers.

Hear hear

One last tip that I can teach is how to convert video from one format to another using VLC itself. You can also use any other software. Although VLC supports most formats, sometimes video in a particular format fails to play in VLC, but it plays fine when you convert it to another format.

VLC is still pretty much the king of video players, and while there are plenty of new options available in the market, it’s not like they’re perfect. You can try them out or even keep two video players installed for a rainy day. It would work too.

As always, let us know in the comments below if you have found any other way to fix VLC audio not working on Windows 10 error. It will help our other readers. We hope we were helpful and were able to resolve the issue.

Then:

Are you looking for a video player on Android? VLC is again a solid choice, but MX Player leaves no stone unturned to dethrone the number one. Click the link below to read our in-depth comparison.

Last updated on Nov 6, 2020

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