Audio Not Working
Adobe Adobe Premiere Pro
Severity: ModerateWhat Does This Error Mean?
When audio stops working in Premiere Pro, your timeline may play back with no sound, or audio levels show activity but you hear nothing. The most common causes are incorrect audio output device selection, muted tracks, a missing audio waveform, or a conflict with the Windows audio driver. Most fixes take under 5 minutes.
Affected Models
- Adobe Premiere Pro CC
- Adobe Premiere Pro 2020
- Adobe Premiere Pro 2022
- Adobe Premiere Pro 2024
- Premiere for Windows and Mac
Common Causes
- The audio output device in Premiere preferences is set to a device that is not connected or is disabled
- One or more audio tracks in the timeline are muted (the 'M' button is active)
- The Audio Meters panel shows no output because the Master track fader is at zero or muted
- The audio hardware driver needs to be reset — common after a Windows update
- The audio clip is not properly linked to the video clip and is missing from the sequence
How to Fix It
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Check if your speakers or headphones work outside of Premiere. Play a YouTube video or system sound. If you hear audio there but not in Premiere, the issue is Premiere-specific.
This step confirms whether the problem is Premiere or your audio hardware.
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Check the audio output device in Premiere. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio Hardware (Mac). Make sure the correct speakers or headphones are selected as the Default Output.
After connecting or disconnecting headphones, Premiere may not automatically switch to the new output device.
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Check for muted tracks in the timeline. Look at the left side of each audio track for the 'M' (Mute) button. If M is highlighted/active, click it to unmute the track.
Also check the Master track at the bottom of the audio mixer. A muted or zeroed master fader silences all audio.
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Reset the audio driver. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware. Click 'ASIO Settings' (Windows) or 'CoreAudio' (Mac) and reset to defaults. Alternatively, change the device to Default Output and back.
On Windows, you can also go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware and change the driver type from ASIO to MME/DirectSound to resolve driver conflicts.
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Regenerate the audio waveform. Right-click on the audio clip in the timeline, select Audio Gain, or go to Sequence > Render Audio. If audio waveforms are missing (flat line on the audio track), the clip's audio data needs to be reanalyzed.
Missing waveforms can happen when media was moved or if the cache files were deleted.
When to Call a Professional
Audio issues in Premiere Pro are entirely a software configuration issue. You do not need a technician. All fixes are within Premiere's settings and your system's audio settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
My audio works in the timeline but not in the exported video. Why?
This is an export settings issue rather than a playback issue. Check your export settings — make sure 'Audio' is checked in the Export Media dialog. Also verify the audio codec and sample rate in the Audio tab of the export dialog. Some codecs require specific sample rates (48000 Hz is standard for video).
The audio waveform is completely flat on my clip. Does that mean there's no audio?
Not necessarily. A flat waveform can happen when the audio cache files are missing or when Premiere hasn't finished analyzing the clip. Right-click the clip in the project panel and select 'Generate Peak File' or let Premiere finish background rendering. If the waveform stays flat, the source file may genuinely have no audio track.
Premiere audio works with headphones but not speakers. Why?
Premiere has a specific output device selected in Audio Hardware preferences. When you switch between headphones and speakers, Premiere does not automatically follow the Windows default audio device change. Go to Preferences > Audio Hardware and update the Default Output to match your current playback device.