Easiest Ways to Fix VLC No Sound Problems

Eleanor Reed
8 min readJul 31, 2020

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Oh, VLC plays a video but no sound! How did it happen?

VLC is one of the most popular Media Players around, but like most software, it’s best with a number of glitches.

One such prominent glitch is VLC No Sound. This article will take you through the VLC player No Sound scenarios, solutions, and prevention tips.

Scenario 1. Video File Corruption

Video file corruption is one of the most prevalent VLC with no sound problems. The corruption may affect file metadata and result in the video experiencing playback problems.

There are quite a couple of reasons why a video file can end up being corrupted. The first reason may be due to a virus or malware attack.

Attacks by viruses and malware can scramble a file’s video/audio integration and affect the sound output on VLC.

Loss of internet connection in the process of downloading a video can result in missing data and is another common reason why video files give a VLC no sound error.

Scenario 2. Faulty or missing codecs

Another scenario through which VLC player no sound manifests itself is due to Faulty and missing codecs.

A codec is a computer program that compresses data for storage to enable faster transmission. Codecs also decompress received data for playback and editing.

If your MP4 or MKV file contains a video codec that is incompatible with VLC, a VLC no sound error will be the result.

The reason for this scenario might be due to the codec being incorrectly installed or corrupted. Incorrect installation can happen when you are updating a codec pack.

Scenario 3. Configuration setting errors

One of the most common VLC player no sound problems are configuration settings errors.

Accidentally setting your VLC player to mute will bring about a VLC with no sound error. The Operating System might invoke the setting and automatically mute VLC the next time you want to use it.

Few things are as frustrating as trying to play your favorite videos and facing VLC no sound problem. However, we have good news for you. The issue has numerous quick fixes, and we are going to share them with you.

1. Turn on Audio/Unmute Audio on VLC

The first solution you can implement to fix VLC No Sound is to unmute audio on VLC.

How do I unmute VLC?

Unmuting VLC media player is a straightforward procedure. The following couple of steps will be enough to guide you into doing it.

Step 1: Open VLC Media Player and go to the Audio section.

Step 2: Go to the “Mute” option and click on it.

Step 3: Go to the Tools tab, and then go to “Preferences”.

Step 4: Go to Audio and check the Enable Audio box.

These simple steps will unmute your VLC, and you will be able to have sound and enjoy your videos

2. Enable Sound Device

One of the chief reasons VLC no sound problem can plague your VLC Media Player is when the sound device is disabled.

How do I fix audio in VLC?

The solution to this pervasive issue is to enable sound in your computer settings. The steps that you need to take to do that are quite simple.

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel and open “Hardware and Sound.” You can do this by pressing the Windows button and typing Control Panel.

Step 2: You then go to “Sound” and open the dialogue box.

Step 3: Here, you right-click all of the devices, and then you click “enable”.

Step 4: Finally, click apply and okay to save the settings you have entered

This simple process should be able to fix the VLC no sound issue. However, if this fails to resolve the problem, there is no need to worry, there are still several effective solutions to come.

3. Disable and Enable Audio Track

Checking the volume mixer usually proves to be another handy solution to the VLC No sound. The process is short and straightforward.

Step 1: You have to play a video on the VLC media player.

Step 2: You then click on Audio and choose the “Audio Track” option while the video is still playing.

Step 3: Disable then enable again.

These steps will be enough to help you fix the VLC no sound issues.

4. Disable all enhancements in Control Panel

If the solutions mentioned above prove ineffective in restoring the sound to your VLC media player, this option might be able to solve your problem. Disabling all enhancements is not by any means complicated process.

Step 1: Go to control panel and then click the Sound option. You can do this by pressing the Windows button and typing Control Panel.

Step 2: After clicking the sound option, you then need to Right-Click sound devices and click Properties.

Step 3: Select Enhancements and check the “Disable All Enhancement” box for all devices.

Step 4: Then, you will need to apply the changes and restart your device.

This process should be able to fix your VLC no sound. If nothing is resolved after you have disabled enhancements, there is still no need for worry. The following steps will be able to do the job for you.

5. Adjust VLC Audio Settings in Preferences.

One of the VLC no solutions you can implement is the “Adjust VLC Audio Settings in Preferences”. This is an effortless procedure

Step 1: First, you have to click Tool > Preferences in VLC

Step 2: The next step is going to “Audio Settings” on the Preferences interface.

Step 3: You have to make sure the “Enable audio” box is checked and proceed to select “Directx audio output” on the output dropdown list.

6. Update VLC to the Latest Version

Another simple solution to the VLC Player no sound problem is updating your VLC to the latest version.

The older versions of VLC tend to be prone to glitches, and one of them might be VLC no sound and VLC no audio MP4. Upgrading your VLC will allow you to get the program enhancements that are absent on the older versions.

The fact that VLC is open source ensures that the programmers will fix the sound bugs that may plague the previous versions. The programmers may also get to add new codecs to enable the sound.

The absence of a specific codec may cause the function of a media file to fail to activate. Updating VLC to the latest version is a simple process.

Step 1: Click on Help > Check for updates. If an update is available, it will display a prompt to download the update.

Step 2: You then click on “Yes” and the download will begin immediately.

Step 3: Installation. After the download completes, it will give an option to install. Click the “Install” button.

Step 4: They will ask for Admin privileges. Click “Yes”

Step 5: You will be given two options. To upgrade using previous settings or to use the Advanced option.

Step 6: After choosing your upgrade option, the installer will now extract the files and complete the installation.

Top Tips to prevent VLC No Sound on Videos

VLC Media Player is a free and open-source media player software and media server. VLC is a cross-platform software and has Windows, Android, Windows Phone, iOS, Linux, iPadOS, macOS versions, among others.

The famous media player comes highly customizable and has highly impressive file format support. Among the plethora of file formats that the media player supports are 3GP, ASF, AVI, DVR-MS, Blu-ray, FLV, MP4, MPEG-2, DVD-Video, CD, MP3.

VLC Media Player comes fully equipped, you don’t need to download additional codecs to have your videos working perfectly.

The other significant advantage that VLC has over other Media Players is that it supports MPEG and DivX streaming.

The Media player also allows you to play videos while they are still downloading.

VLC also offers a creative way to download and stream YouTube videos. The process is quite simple and straightforward.

You only need to copy the URL of the video you intend to stream. After copying the video URL, you open VLC, then head to Media and proceed to open the network stream. The final step is to open the URL in the input box and then press “Play” to begin streaming video.

This is a very innovative feature that is highly popular among users. VLC Media player also holds the distinction of allowing you to play ZIP files without individually unpacking the files as required by other media players. The media player is also famed for its capability to convert audio or video files to any format. The most common glitches on VLC Media player are;

  • VLC Media player is lagging shuttering
  • Scrambled video playback in VLC player
  • VLC Media Player keeps crashing
  • VLC not working properly
  • VLC no sound

Opening and playing a video file on VLC is a straightforward process. All you need to do is select the file you want to play. After that, you right-click on it and select the “Open With” option.

A list of software will pop up, then choose “VLC Media Player and you are good to go. If your file is not VLC compatible, you need first to convert it to a VLC compatible format

VLC no sound is one of the most prominent issues that you can find on VLC player. This article has highlighted the VLC with no sound scenarios and solutions in detail.

However, as important as solutions are, its more imperative that you be equipped with information on how to prevent VLC no sound on video altogether. Below are the top tips to avoid VLC No Sound on your videos.

  • Back up video files
  • Keep your VLC updated to the latest version.
  • Constantly checking VLC configuration settings

These simple procedures may go a long way in helping you prevent VLC no sound on your videos.

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Eleanor Reed
Eleanor Reed

Written by Eleanor Reed

I am specialized in picture, video, camera and SD card fixes. I ‘d love to translate complicated solutions into easy-to-understand ones.

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