Key Takeaways
- Netflix defaults to playing audio in 5.1 surround sound, which can cause dialogue to be too quiet on home setups without surround sound systems.
- To fix this issue, go to the "Other" option in the play controls while watching a movie or TV show, select "English [Original]" or your preferred language, and enjoy an improved audio experience.
Have you ever watched Netflix and noticed the dialogue is too quiet, but the sound effects and music are too loud? This is a problem that many people complain about, and---depending on your TV and home theater setup---it could have a simple fix.
Why Does This Happen?
The audio you hear from a movie or TV show is comprised of multiple recordings that have been "mixed" together. There are channels for the actor's dialogue, sound effects, background music, and more. During post-production, the volume level and other audio specifications of the various channels are fine-tuned and mixed for the final product. The goal is to create a balanced audio experience where whispered dialogue, explosions, and everything in between are all balanced perfectly so the viewer is never left wanting to hear key details or enjoy the experience. That's easy to do when you're mixing for a theater setup with specific speakers and known variables. Things can get messy when audio is mixed for multiple environments.
That's one common reason why the dialogue on Netflix, and other streaming services for that matter, is too quiet. The way audio is mixed for different types of media doesn't always translate well to a home setup. Movies and TV shows are usually mixed for surround sound systems, with multiple speakers that can create a more immersive sound experience. The music may be configured to play louder through the speakers behind you, while the dialogue comes through more prominently on the front-facing speakers.
However, most people don’t have surround sound systems at home, and instead rely on the built-in speakers of their TVs or soundbars. So all the various audio channels play through only a pair of speakers instead of a whole array of them. If you happen to have a TV or soundbar that masterfully downsamples (the process of mixing a 7.1 or 5.1 soundscape to a 2.0 one) you're lucky, and you're probably not reading this article looking for a solution. On the other hand, if your setup always seems too loud on the booming action and too soft on the dialogue, we'll show you how to correct it on Netflix.
How to Fix It
For some reason, Netflix on many platforms, especially smart TVs, defaults to playing audio for 5.1 surround sound. That means it's intended for a surround sound system with five speakers and one subwoofer. This forces your setup to, however well or however terribly, downsample the 5.1 audio to 2.0 audio if you don't have a surround sound system. So if you don't have surround sound, you should change a key setting. Thankfully, it's very easy to do.
First, start a TV show or movie and bring up the play controls. Select the "Other" option at the bottom of the screen.
You'll probably notice that "English [Original] (5.1)" is selected. Select plain "English [Original]" or your preferred language's equivalent.
The TV show or movie will restart, and you should notice an improved audio experience! It's honestly very strange that Netflix defaults to surround sound for audio. That's something that should need to be enabled, not disabled. It's equally strange that they don't use a speaker designation on the setting and call it "Original." Regardless, this is a simple little trick that can make dialogue much easier to hear—but you don't worry, you don't have to ditch your beloved subtitles even if the dialogue is much clearer now.
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FAQs
If your device is connected directly to your TV, check your Netflix app audio options. If surround sound (5.1) is selected, try changing it to Stereo instead. If you are unsure how to change your Netflix app audio settings, visit our alternate audio article.
How to increase voice volume on Netflix? ›
Click Play to begin watching a TV show or movie through Netflix.com. While your video is playing, locate the audio icon in the player control bar. Hover over the icon until you get a slider pop-up, then slide the control knob to the top to turn the volume all the way up.
How to fix sound problems on Netflix? ›
- Unplug your device from power.
- Press the power button on the device once and wait 1 minute, or leave it unplugged for 3 minutes instead.
- Plug your device back in.
- Turn your device on and try Netflix again.
How to Hear Dialogue Better When Watching TV Shows and Movies
- Check the audio settings on your streaming service. ...
- Check your TV settings. ...
- Add a soundbar. ...
- Expand the sound with rear speakers. ...
- Try using headphones. ...
- Never miss a word with Sonos.
If you are using an external audio receiver, sound bar, or speakers: Ensure that your speakers are connected to your receiver properly. Check any HDMI or optical connectors to ensure that they are plugged in correctly. Try reversing the ends of the HDMI/optical cable or using an alternate cable.
Why is it hard to hear voices on Netflix? ›
If your device is connected directly to your TV, check your Netflix app audio options. If surround sound (5.1) is selected, try changing it to Stereo instead. If you are unsure how to change your Netflix app audio settings, visit our alternate audio article.
Why do I hear background noise louder than voices? ›
However, background noise is often at a lower frequency, which the brain just doesn't pick up properly. The signal to noise ratio is the gap between the speech and the noise in the background. Those with perfect hearing are able to deal with a lower frequency signal to noise ratio.
Where is Netflix sound settings? ›
If you want to change those settings, you should navigate to what you probably know as the “Audio and Subtitles” menu, on the bottom of the screen.
Why is the background sound louder than the voice on Netflix? ›
Key Takeaways. Netflix defaults to playing audio in 5.1 surround sound, which can cause dialogue to be too quiet on home setups without surround sound systems.
Why is music so much louder than dialogue? ›
A poor balance between background music and dialogue is usually related to production rather than transmission problems. You can try switching from stereo to mono whenever there is such a problem, or switch off the "surround sound" or "enhanced" feature on your television.
If you have tower or bookshelf speakers, try moving them away from the walls and corners, and then point or "toe" them in toward the middle where you sit. Removing speaker grilles will also boost speech by a small amount.
Why is TV dialogue hard to hear? ›
Nowadays, even on the most expensive TVs, the speakers are tiny and crammed into the back or the bottom of the display. “A TV is meant to be a TV, but it's never going to present the sound,” said Paul Peace, a director of audio platform engineering at Sonos, the speaker technology company based in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Why can't I hear the voices on my TV? ›
Increase the volume on the TV and/or your connected media device (streaming player, Blu-ray player, cable or satellite box, etc.). Check the audio settings on your TV and connected devices. Turn off and unplug your TV and connected devices. Inspect the TV cables and ports, then check the ones on your devices as well.
How to improve sound on Netflix? ›
The fix: Start a show on Netflix and bring up the controls. Select “Other.” If you see “English [Original] 5.1” selected, switch that to “English [Original].” The same trick works for other languages, too. The show will restart and the sound should be more clear.
Does Netflix have sound issues? ›
As the publication noted at the time, Netflix weirdly defaults to 5.1 surround sound for some users even if they aren't using a surround sound system. If you've ever had trouble hearing content on Netflix while watching on a TV without a soundbar or a fancy surround sound system, this might be the problem.
How do I add more audio to Netflix? ›
Android phone or tablet, iPhone, or iPad
- Open the Netflix app.
- In the lower right, tap My Netflix .
- In the upper right, tap the Menu .
- Tap Manage Profiles .
- Choose the profile you want to edit.
- Tap Audio & Subtitles .
- Select preferred languages from Audio & Subtitles. The new languages will automatically save.
Netflix audio comes in quite a few different shapes and sizes, including a few main options: stereo (two speakers), 5.1 surround sound (five speakers plus a subwoofer, sometimes all contained in a soundbar and other times in multiple speakers around you), and Atmos (object-based audio).
How to change audio on Netflix on TV? ›
TV or TV streaming device
Open the Netflix app, then start playing a TV show or movie. Pause Netflix, then select the player controls at the bottom of the screen. Select Other. Choose the languages you'd like for Audio and Subtitles.
