How to FIX the Netflix No Sound Error
Netflix is a streaming service that works as a simple web app. There are dedicated apps for Netflix for Windows 10, iOS, and Android but none of them are difficult to set up. You install the app, or sign into the website, pick something to play, and you’re good to go. Netflix does run into problems but these problems prevent the service from playing anything at all, and you see an error code e.g. the Netflix Error Code U7361-1254-C00DB3B2, or similar.
Netflix No Sound
One very odd and somewhat isolated problem is when users hear no sound on Netflix even though the video is playing. It can happen if you’re watching in your browser, or if you’re using the Netflix UWP app on Windows 10. Here we will go over all the possible ways to resolve these Netflix audio issues.
Basic checks for Netflix sound not working
On your system make sure:
- The volume is not set to zero or set too low.
- You’re able to play audio/video in a different app and the sound plays just fine.
- You’ve restarted your system at least once and tried to play something in Netflix.
- No other app is currently playing audio.
- Skype is not actively using the sound devices.
- Check if the service is down.
Check sound device
Apps can be assigned to use a specific audio device on Windows 10. It’s possible that the Netflix app or the browser you’re watching Netflix in has been assigned a device that isn’t active at the moment.
- Click the speaker icon in the system tray.
- From the pop-up take note of the current audio output device.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to the Sounds tab.
- Scroll to the end, and click App Volume and Device Preferences.
- Open the Output dropdown next to the Netflix app or the browser you’re watching it in, and select the current output device. Do not leave it set to Default.
- Close the Netflix app/browser, and open it again.
- Play something.
Check audio streams
Netflix shows and movies are available in multiple languages and multiple audio streams. Users can choose which audio they want to use. It’s possible that a glitch with a title or with selecting the audio is causing the no sound on Netflix problem.
- Open the Netflix app (or visit it in your browser).
- Click the subtitles button; it looks like a chat bubble.
- From the Audio selection, pick a different audio stream.
- Play something. If the sound starts working, change the audio stream back and it should play as well.
Turn off spatial sound
Windows 10 introduced spatial sound. It’s supposed to give the sound an omnipresent, multi-directional feel. In truth, it tends to mess with quite a few apps and sometimes cause Netflix audio issues.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to the System group of settings.
- Select the Sound tab.
- Click ‘Device Properties’ under the Output section.
- Open the Spatial Sound dropdown, and select Off.
- Restart the system, and play something on Netflix.
Use a supported browser
Netflix is often watched in a browser and while it can be accessed via a simple enough website, the website and its player aren’t supported by all browsers. Safari, for example, requires a plugin. If you’re using a browser that requires additional plugins or special add-ons to play Netflix, consider using a supported browser instead.
On Windows 10 you can use;
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Chromium Edge
- The Official Netflix app
On macOS you can use;
- Chrome
- Firefox
Check VPN
If you’re using a VPN to watch Netflix, try turning it off or check if it is giving you a decent download speed to watch Netflix.
If the VPN is slow, or it keeps disconnecting, it may be the reason you’re not getting an audio stream.
It’s also possible that Netflix is trying to block the VPN and it is only partially succeeding i.e. the audio won’t work but the video will.
Turn the VPN off and then try playing something on Netflix.
Switch to studio quality sound
Sound has quality. It may not be as obvious as a video’s quality but it nevertheless matters when it comes to playing an online video.
- Open Control Panel.
- Go to Hardware and Sound>Sound.
- Select the Playback tab.
- Select your speakers, and click the Properties button.
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Open the sample rate and bit depth dropdown.
- Select a rate that has (Studio Quality) written next to it. You may see several qualities that are studio quality. Try each one-by-on.
- Restart the system after changing the quality and play something on Netflix.
Conclusion
Netflix bugs aren’t hard to fix, error code, or not. The fixes we’ve listed here are for the Netflix app or for the browser that you watch Netflix on. Before concluding if it is Netflix sound not working, you must check if your system is experiencing sound problems and troubleshoot those separately. If you’re using any sort of virtual audio driver, or you’ve connected an external sound card to your system, it’s a good idea to remove them all or disable them.
