Sound check: Why is music not playing in Movie Maker on Windows 10?

Windows Movie Maker is an easy-to-use, intuitive video editor that users can use to edit their audio or video and then share it with their friends online by uploading it to sites such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook. But why is music not playing in Movie Maker sometimes? This is only one of common audio problems in Movie Maker on Windows 10, and there are different solutions to solve these issues.

What’s the matter with Windows 10?

Windows 10 is a decent operating system for the most part, but there can be a number of issues with it that range from teething problems to those that have persisted through time.

Audio problems are among the most common issues, even prompting Microsoft to release a series of short troubleshooting videos to help with the sound problems a few years back. Those videos include running the Audio Troubleshooter, turning off Sound Enhancements, using Device Manager to look for audio issues, and changing the default playback format.

At any rate, Movie Maker for Windows 10 has main features that include adding videos and photos, adding music, recording webcam videos, and making snapshots. Users can also add a new title before the selected item, add text or caption, and add credits.

On the animation front, it enables you to create Transitions such as blue, flip, crossfade, pixelate, and cinematic. It also allows you to edit visual effects and change aspect ratio settings, to cite a few.

3 Movie Maker audio problems to watch out for

Some users have reported audio problems while using the popular video editing software. Here are three widely documented issues that you can learn how to fix:

  1. No sound on imported video issue in Windows Movie Maker – While a common issue, this can be usually fixed simply by restarting the Windows Audio service.
  2. No sound with MKV issue – If the problem involves only MKV files, it’s likely due to a lack of video codes. The trick is to install a codec pack.
  3. No sound after saving / music not playing issue – These Windows Movie Maker audio problems can be addressed through one of the solutions we’re outlining below.

How to resolve Windows Movie Maker audio problems in Windows 10?

Why is music not playing in Movie Maker? Why can’t you hear any sounds? Here’s an array of solutions to try:

  • Try restarting the Windows Audio service – This is a fairly common fix whenever audio problems in Movie Maker take place. Here are the steps:
  1. Press Windows Key + R and then enter services.msc. Afterwards, press the Enter key or click OK.
  2. Once the Services window opens, look for Windows Audio in the list of services. Right-click Windows Audio and select Stop.
  3. Right-click the service, choose Stop, and right-click the service again to choose Start from the menu.

Alternatively, you may start Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on the keyboard. Follow the Services tab, and locate AudioSrv (Windows Audio). Right-click on it. Look for Restart in the options, and the service should be restarted in about 10 seconds.

While a handy solution, this fix should be performed every time you begin a Movie Maker project or restart your PC.

  • Sticking to WMV format instead – Some users having issues with sound have reported that they converted their files to WMV format for use in Movie Maker and it worked fine. There is plenty of software out there that convert to this format. Some have also reported that they converted their file to .wmv and then to .mp4 format and it also turned out okay.
  • Turning off DTS sound – The DTS sound feature, while useful, can cause an audio problem to occur sometimes. To altogether disable the feature, type DTS sound in the Search Bar and then click DTS Sound from the result list. Once the DTS Sound window opens, click the power button icon on the left. The window should turn gray, which means it’s been turned off. Try the audio in Movie Maker to see if the fix works.
  • Installing a codec pack – Your computer might be unable to play certain video files unless the proper codecs are available. This can be tackled by installing the needed codes.
  • Changing the sound settings – It might be the sound settings acting up if there’s no audio in Movie Maker. Sometimes it might take disabling Exclusive Mode to get the sound working right. Do this through the following steps:
  1. In the Taskbar, right-click the Sound icon and choose Sounds from the menu.
  2. Proceed to the Playback tab and then double-click the current audio device.
  3. Go to the Advanced tab. Disable all options under Exclusive Mode, click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

If the problem persists, it might be smart to try switching to different video editing software. Note that Movie Maker is an older tool and might be more prone to these issues than more recent counterparts.

While fixing common audio problems, it’s important to make sure the computer isn’t weighed down by errors and is properly optimized for maximum performance. Powerful tools like Auslogics Driver Updater update all drivers on your PC in a single click in order to prevent device conflicts and ensure smooth hardware operation. Sometimes these audio glitches on Windows 10 are a way for hardware or devices in your system to cry out for help, throwing up red flags because they’re no longer working smoothly and efficiently.

This article provides five popular and effective ways on how to fix the No sound on imported video issue in Windows Movie Maker as well as other common audio problems in Windows 10. Good luck, and we hope one of these solutions work!