Video or audio not working

Video and audio problems are usually fixable in 2 minutes — once you know what to check. This article covers the common causes in order of frequency.

Quick-fix checklist

1. Refresh the page (Cmd/Ctrl + R).
2. Check your volume (system + browser + video player).
3. Try a different browser.
4. Check whether another tab/app is using your camera or mic.
5. Check browser permissions for our site.

90% of problems end there. If not, read on.

No sound on a course video

1. Click unmute (speaker icon in the video player) — sometimes auto-muted when autoplay fires.
2. Check system volume — easy to miss on laptops with volume keys.
3. Check your speaker/headphone selection in the OS (macOS sound menu; Windows sound settings; mobile settings).
4. If the video plays silently but other videos have sound — open a support ticket with the course+lesson name.

Video shows "playback error" or black screen

1. Refresh once. Lots of transient issues self-heal.
2. Try a different quality (settings gear → pick 720p if 1080p is struggling).
3. Check your internet — run a speed test. You want at least 5 Mbps down for 720p, 25 Mbps for 1080p.
4. Try a different browser. Sometimes a browser extension is interfering.
5. Clear browser cache for our domain. See "Clearing cache and cookies".

Zoom session: camera doesn't work

1. Close other apps using the camera — Loom, Photo Booth, Meet, FaceTime, Teams, OBS. Only one app can own the camera at a time. Close them and re-launch Zoom.
2. Check OS-level camera permission for Zoom:
   • macOS: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera → ensure Zoom (or your browser) is toggled on.
   • Windows: Settings → Privacy → Camera → ensure Zoom is allowed.
3. In Zoom: click the arrow next to Start Video → pick the right camera from the dropdown. Many laptops have multiple (built-in + external).
4. Restart Zoom entirely (quit, relaunch) — often resolves stale device handles.
5. Physical — for desktops, check the USB cable; for laptops, check the privacy-slider if your device has one.

Zoom session: mic doesn't work

Same pattern as camera:

1. Close other apps using the mic.
2. OS-level permission for Zoom/browser.
3. In Zoom: audio settings → right input device selected.
4. Unplug-replug any external mic or headset.
5. Test via Zoom's built-in "Test speaker & microphone" in audio settings.

Echo / feedback in Zoom

• Use headphones — this alone fixes most echo issues. Laptop speakers feeding back into laptop mic is the classic cause.
• Join from only one device — if you're on laptop AND phone simultaneously, mute one.
• Lower your speaker volume if you can't use headphones.

Robotic / laggy audio

• Internet bandwidth — close heavy uploads/downloads. Run a speed test.
• Switch from wifi to ethernet if possible. Wifi latency causes audio artifacts.
• Turn off your video — audio-only takes much less bandwidth.

Can't join at all — blank Zoom page

1. Open the session from "My Bookings" (not an old calendar link). The link can be regenerated.
2. If you have the Zoom app installed, try clicking "Open in Zoom" instead of "Join in browser".
3. Try a different browser.
4. Try a different device.

First time using Zoom

Zoom asks to install its app on first use. You can skip and join in-browser — works fine, though the app is slightly smoother.

Still broken

Open a support ticket with:

• Your browser + version
• Your OS + version
• Which specific screen / video / session is broken
• Screenshots if possible
• Exact error message if one appeared

Related

• "Browser compatibility" — baseline requirements
• "Joining a live session" — end-to-end flow
• "Clearing cache and cookies" — resolves many video issues