Home / Error Help Hub / Video has no sound

Video Plays But Has No Sound on Windows

A video that plays normally but has no audio usually means the video stream is supported but the audio stream, output device, or player settings are not working correctly.

Quick answer

Check volume and output device first. If system audio works but only certain videos are silent, the audio codec inside those files is the likely cause.

Download Media Player Codec Pack Back to error help

Common causes

  • The video uses an audio codec such as AC3, DTS, AAC, FLAC, or another stream the player cannot decode.
  • Windows is sending audio to the wrong output device, such as HDMI, Bluetooth, or a disconnected monitor.
  • The media player has a muted audio track or has selected the wrong audio stream.
  • The file was encoded without an audio track or the audio track is damaged.

Before you install anything

  1. Play a YouTube video or system sound to confirm Windows audio works outside the media file.
  2. Check the Windows volume mixer and the player volume, not just the speaker volume.
  3. Switch the output device in Windows Sound settings if HDMI, Bluetooth, or USB audio was recently connected.
  4. Look for an Audio Track menu in the player and try another track if available.

Step-by-step fixes

  1. If every app is silent, fix the Windows output device or audio driver first.
  2. If only one video is silent, test another file from the same source.
  3. Install or reinstall Media Player Codec Pack to add support for common audio decoders.
  4. Close and reopen the player after installation so it refreshes available codecs.
  5. If the audio is DTS or AC3 and your output device cannot decode it, try stereo output or a different player setting.
  6. If the file has no audio track, re-export or replace it from the original source.

When a codec pack can help

  • Videos are visible but silent while normal Windows audio still works.
  • Only MKV, AVI, or downloaded files are silent, while common MP4 files play normally.
  • The video has multiple audio tracks and your player cannot decode the selected one.

When it probably will not help

  • All sound on the computer is broken, including browser audio and system sounds.
  • The video was exported without any audio stream.
  • The audio is muted or disabled in the app, operating system, or hardware.

How to tell if the file is still damaged

A file-level audio problem can look like a normal video with an empty or unreadable audio track. If the same file has no sound in several players but other files work, the file may need to be replaced or re-exported.

If several different players fail on the same file, do not keep installing more codecs. First confirm the download completed, try a second copy of the file, or test another file from the same source.

Related playback help

HEVC or MKV not playingError 0xc00d36c4Download page

Frequently asked questions

Why does my video play but have no sound?

The most common causes are the wrong audio output device, muted player settings, or a missing audio codec for the stream inside the video file.

Can a codec pack fix no sound?

Yes, when the video contains an audio stream that the current player cannot decode. It will not fix muted hardware or a file that has no audio track.

Why do only MKV files have no sound?

MKV files can contain several audio formats. The video may decode correctly while the audio track uses AC3, DTS, or another unsupported format.

Should I reinstall my audio driver?

Only do that if all Windows sound is broken. If only certain video files are silent, check codecs and player audio tracks first.