If DaVinci Resolve is playing video but producing no sound, you are not alone and you have not broken your project. This is one of the most common issues editors run into, and it almost always traces back to a setting that is one or two clicks away from fixed. Work through the fixes below in order — most users solve this within the first three steps.
Why DaVinci Resolve Has No Audio? (And What to Check First)
Before diving into individual fixes, it helps to understand what is actually going wrong. DaVinci Resolve routes audio through your operating system’s audio engine, which means the failure point can sit inside the software, inside your OS, or at the clip level. In almost every case, the root cause is one of the following:
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Wrong audio output device selected inside Resolve’s preferences
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Muted track, disabled monitor output, or zeroed fader on the Edit or Fairlight page
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Sample rate mismatch between your project settings and your system audio output
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Unsupported audio codec in the source clip, or a corrupted render cache blocking playback
Work through the fixes below from the top. Each one takes less than two minutes to check.
Fix 1 — Set the Correct Audio Output Device in Preferences
This is the single most common cause of missing audio in DaVinci Resolve, and it often happens right after a system update, a new driver install, or plugging in a new audio interface or headset.
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Open DaVinci Resolve > Preferences
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Click the System tab, then select Video andAudio I/O from the left sidebar.
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Under Speaker/Headphone Output, open the dropdown and select your intended playback device — your speakers, headphones, or audio interface.
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Windows: Devices are listed using their WASAPI names. If you see multiple entries for the same device, choose the one labeled (Speakers) rather than (Loopback).
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macOS: Devices appear via CoreAudio. Select the correct output from the list — for example, Built-in Output or your interface name.
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Click Save and restart DaVinci Resolve.
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Press play and check for audio.
Pro Tip: If you recently plugged in a USB audio interface or Bluetooth headphones, your OS may have switched its default device — and Resolve often inherits that change incorrectly. Manually reselecting the device here almost always resolves the issue.
Fix 2 — Check Track Volume, Mute Status, and the Monitor Output Button
DaVinci Resolve has several independent controls that can each silence audio on their own. A single accidental click is enough to mute everything.
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On the Edit page, locate the audio track in your timeline. Check that the mute button (the small speaker or “M” icon on each track header) is not activated. It will appear highlighted or colored when muted — click it to toggle mute off.
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Check the track volume fader in the track header. If it is pulled all the way down to zero, raise it to 0 dB (the default position).
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Switch to the Fairlight page and check the same elements there: per-track mute buttons, the master bus fader level, and the monitor output toggle at the top of the mixer.
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Check that the master bus fader in Fairlight is not set to negative infinity. Click the fader and type 0 to reset it.
Fix 3 — Correct a Sample Rate Mismatch
A mismatch between your project’s audio sample rate and the rate your audio device expects will cause Resolve to produce no sound — with no warning message of any kind. This trips up a surprising number of editors.
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Go to File > Project Settings > Master Settings.
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Locate the Timeline audio sampling rate field. Note the value — typically 48000 Hz or 44100 Hz.
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Now check your audio device’s expected sample rate:
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Windows: Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar > Sound Settings > More sound settings. Select your playback device, click Properties > Advanced, and check the default format sample rate.
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macOS: Open Audio MIDI Setup (found in Applications > Utilities). Select your output device and check the listed sample rate.
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If the two values do not match, change one of them to align with the other. Changing the Project Settings value in Resolve is usually the faster option.
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Click Save in Project Settings and test playback.
Fix 4 — Check System-Level Audio Settings (Windows and macOS)
DaVinci Resolve relies on the operating system’s audio engine to deliver sound to your speakers or headphones. If the OS has the wrong output device selected, or if another application is holding exclusive control over the device, Resolve will produce silence regardless of its own settings.
Windows Audio Settings
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Right-click the speaker icon in the taskbar and open Sound Settings.
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Under Output, confirm the correct device is selected as the default. If you have Windows 10, go to the Sound Control Panel.
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Click More sound settings, select your playback device, and click Properties > Advanced.
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Uncheck Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device if it is enabled. Some apps (including Spotify and video conferencing tools) can block Resolve’s access.
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Click OK and test audio in Resolve.
macOS Audio Settings
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Open System Settings > Sound > Output.
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Confirm the correct output device is selected and the output volume is not muted.
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If you use an external audio interface, check that it appears in the list and is selected. If it does not appear, try unplugging and reconnecting it.
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Return to Resolve and test playback.
Fix 5 — Clear Audio Cache and Render Cache
A corrupted render cache can silently block audio playback on specific clips, even when everything else looks correct. Clearing it is low-risk and takes under a minute.
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In DaVinci Resolve, go to Playback > Delete Render Cache > All.
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Confirm the deletion when prompted.
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Go to Preferences > System > Media Storage and verify that your designated cache drive is accessible and has adequate free space. A full or disconnected cache drive can prevent Resolve from rebuilding the cache.
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Press play in the timeline and allow Resolve to regenerate the cache from scratch.
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Test audio across multiple clips, including any that were previously silent.
Fix 6 — Verify the Audio Codec Is Supported
If only certain clips have no audio, or if a clip shows no waveform in the timeline, the issue is likely at the codec level rather than the project level. DaVinci Resolve does not natively decode all audio codecs.
Formats that commonly cause problems include:
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AC-3 / Dolby Digital embedded in MP4 or MOV containers
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Certain AAC variants from mobile recordings or social media exports
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DTS audio in video files downloaded from streaming sources
To diagnose this, right-click the problem clip in the Media Pool and select Clip Attributes. Check the Audio tab for the codec name. If it is one of the formats listed above, transcoding to a Resolve-friendly format will solve it.
Transcode the file to PCM/WAV or AIFF using a tool like HandBrake or VLC, then re-import the converted file into your Media Pool. The audio will play correctly from that point forward.
Fix 7 — Update or Reinstall Audio Drivers
If none of the above fixes have worked, outdated or corrupted audio drivers are a possible culprit, particularly on Windows.
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Windows: Open Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers. Right-click your audio device and select Update driver. If problems persist, uninstall the driver and reinstall from the manufacturer’s website.
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macOS: Audio drivers are managed through system software updates. Open System Settings > General > Software Update and install any pending updates.
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After updating, restart your computer before reopening DaVinci Resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: DaVinci Resolve has no audio on import — the clip shows no waveform. Why?
The file most likely uses an unsupported codec or has a detached audio stream. Open Clip Attributes in the Media Pool and inspect the Audio tab. If the codec is unsupported (such as AC-3 or certain AAC variants), transcode the file to WAV using HandBrake or a similar tool, then re-import it.
Q: Audio works in the timeline, but there is no sound after export. What is wrong?
Head to the Deliver page and review your export settings. Confirm that Export Audio is checked and that the correct audio track is included in the codec options. It is also worth checking that you have not accidentally selected a video-only format preset.
Q: DaVinci Resolve has audio on some clips but not others. What causes this?
When some clips contain sound while others do not, follow a clear troubleshooting order. Start by opening Fairlight and checking the audio patching settings to confirm the inputs route correctly. Next, right-click the clip and open Clip Attributes, then review the Audio tab for proper channel mapping. If issues still appear, check whether the file uses variable frame rate, often seen in OBS or mobile recordings. In that case, convert the file using Shutter Encoder to a constant frame rate. This helps DaVinci Resolve read the media more reliably, especially in version 20.
Q: I can see the audio waveform, but still cannot hear anything during playback.
A visible waveform confirms that audio data exists in the file — so the problem is in the output chain, not the clip itself. Return to Fix 1 (audio output device in Preferences), and Fix 2 (monitor output button and mute status).
Q: DaVinci Resolve audio stopped working after an update. What should I do?
Software updates frequently reset audio preferences. Start with Fix 1 to reselect your audio output device, then check Fix 3 for a sample rate change. If neither resolves it, you can delete and regenerate Resolve’s preferences file: on Windows, find it at C:\Users\[Name]\AppData\Roaming\Blackmagic Design\DaVinci Resolve\Support\Preferences; on macOS, at ~/Library/Preferences/com.blackmagicdesign.resolve.plist.
Conclusion
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If you cannot hear sound in DaVinci Resolve, start with basic checks first. Make sure the correct audio preferences are selected in settings. Then confirm that your track or clip is not muted. You can raise or lower sound using the volume fader bar. If the issue stays, look at your computer audio settings next. Updating or reinstalling audio drivers can also fix playback problems. You may also clear audio and render cache inside DaVinci Resolve. One of these steps should fix the sound issue.
If you have worked through every item above and audio is still missing, the next step is Blackmagic Design’s official support forum at forum.blackmagicdesign.com, where version-specific bugs and workarounds are frequently documented by the community and Blackmagic staff.
