To hear audio in Adobe After Effects, ensure your audio is enabled in the Preview panel.
Here's a breakdown of how to control audio playback:
Accessing the Preview Panel
- If the Preview panel isn't visible, go to Window > Preview in the After Effects menu bar. This will open (or bring to the front) the Preview panel.
Enabling Audio Playback
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Locate the Audio Button: Within the Preview panel, look for the audio button (it looks like a speaker icon).
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Toggle Audio On/Off: Click the audio button to toggle audio playback on or off. When the button is highlighted, audio is enabled. When it's not highlighted, audio is muted during previews.
Other Considerations
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Audio Hardware: Make sure your computer's audio output is correctly configured and that the volume isn't muted at the system level. Check your system's sound settings to ensure After Effects is using the correct audio output device.
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Composition Settings: Verify that your composition settings include audio layers. Usually, this is the default, but it's worth checking if you're experiencing unexpected silence.
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Layer Muting: Ensure that the individual audio layers in your composition aren't muted. Select the layer and check if the speaker icon in the timeline is enabled. If it's crossed out, the layer is muted.
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RAM Preview: Use RAM preview (press the "0" on the numeric keypad or use the preview controls) to preview the audio and video together in real-time.
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External Audio Interface: If you are using an external audio interface, make sure it is correctly connected and selected as the audio output device in your After Effects preferences. You can find these settings under Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware.
By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve any issues preventing you from hearing audio in Adobe After Effects.
