---
title: "Streaming Audio Out of Sync? Fixes by App | sync.video"
description: "Streaming video and audio out of sync in Plex, Peacock, Prime Video or another app? Find whether the app, the stream or your TV is at fault and what to change."
url: https://sync.video/streaming-audio-out-of-sync
---

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# Why your streaming video and audio are out of sync

Work out whether one app, one title or your whole TV setup is at fault, then try the fixes that match: app first, then device, then measure.

When streaming video and audio are out of sync, the cause is almost always the app, the stream or the audio format your device asks for, rather than your connection speed. Start by checking whether it is one title, one app or everything: one title points to the stream, one app points to the app on your device, and everything points to the TV or sound system.

You can’t fix a stream yourself, and no website can change what a streaming service sends. What you can change is the app (restart, update, reinstall, switch audio track), the device’s audio output (stereo or PCM instead of surround) and, if the whole setup is off, the TV’s audio sync setting, measured with the [audio delay test](https://sync.video/audio-delay-test). Specific advice for [Hulu](https://sync.video/hulu-audio-out-of-sync), [Netflix](https://sync.video/netflix-audio-out-of-sync) and [YouTube](https://sync.video/youtube-audio-out-of-sync) is on their own pages.

Is it the file or the playback? If the video is out of sync on every device, the file is wrong and can be fixed once. If it is only wrong on one TV, speaker or app, the playback chain adds the delay and that device needs adjusting.

## How to fix streaming sound that lags

1. ### Narrow it down
Play another title in the same app, then something in a different app. Note whether the problem follows the title, the app or the whole TV.
2. ### Reset the app
Close the app fully, restart the TV or streaming box, and update the app. On Android TV and Fire TV, clearing the app’s cache in the apps settings also helps.
3. ### Change the audio track or format
In the player, pick a stereo track instead of 5.1\. In the device’s sound settings, set the output to stereo or PCM rather than a surround format and see whether the gap closes.
4. ### Measure and set the TV
If every app is off by the same amount, open the [delay test](https://sync.video/audio-delay-test) on the TV or a laptop connected to it, press **Start flash and beep**, line it up and enter the number in the TV’s AV sync setting.

## One title, one app or everything?

__What the pattern tells you__
| Pattern                                    | Likely cause                                            | What to do                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| One show or film, in any app               | That stream was encoded out of step                     | Report it to the service; try another device or a different audio track          |
| Every title in one app                     | The app on this device, or the audio format it asks for | Restart, update or reinstall the app; try stereo output                          |
| Every app, every input                     | The TV’s picture processing or the sound system         | Game mode, PCM output, then the [TV’s AV sync setting](https://sync.video/audio-out-of-sync-on-tv) |
| Only with headphones or a wireless speaker | Bluetooth buffering                                     | [Bluetooth audio delay](https://sync.video/bluetooth-audio-delay)                                  |
| Only during live TV, or after adverts      | The live stream switching sources                       | Restart playback; report it to the service if it repeats                         |

## Common apps

### Media servers (Plex, Jellyfin and similar)

When a server has to convert a file for your device (transcoding) rather than send it as it is (direct play), sync errors can creep in, and they get worse if the server is struggling. Check the playback information for whether the video or audio is being converted, try a client that can direct play the file, and if one file is out of sync everywhere, the file itself is wrong: fix it once with the [audio sync fixer](https://sync.video/fix-audio-sync). Subtitles that are out of step are a separate fix: [subtitle sync](https://sync.video/subtitle-sync).

### Live and free streaming services

Live channels stitch together feeds and adverts, and the joins are where sound tends to slip. Restarting playback usually re-aligns it. If one channel is always off, that feed is the cause and only the service can fix it.

### Subscription services

Most of the big services follow the same pattern: check another title, restart the device, update the app and try a stereo track. Netflix’s own help suggests reporting a title that is out of sync from your viewing activity, and on Apple TV changing the audio format; see the [Netflix guide](https://sync.video/netflix-audio-out-of-sync).

## Device fixes that help every app

1. Turn on game mode, or reduce motion smoothing and noise reduction: they delay the picture.
2. Set the digital audio output to PCM or stereo when a soundbar is decoding surround sound slowly.
3. Update the TV and the streaming box. Sync bugs are often fixed in software updates.
4. Use the built-in tuning where it exists: Fire TV has **AV Sync Tuning** under Settings → Display & Sounds → Audio.
5. Measure the remaining gap and enter it in the TV’s or soundbar’s sync setting.

Roku notes that picture settings which add processing, and sound settings that convert one audio format to another, can cause or exaggerate a sync error, which matches what most people find: simpler settings keep better time.

## Questions about streaming audio sync

### Why is my streaming video and audio out of sync?

Either the app on your device is struggling (often with a surround audio format), the stream itself was encoded out of step, or your TV and sound system add delay to everything. Testing another title and another app tells you which.

### Is slow internet the cause?

Rarely on its own. A slow connection makes the picture drop in quality or buffer; the sound and picture are still timed together. Sync problems come from decoding, processing and the stream.

### Can sync.video fix a streaming service?

No. Nobody outside the service can change its stream. The [delay test](https://sync.video/audio-delay-test) helps you measure your own setup and set the TV correctly, which fixes the cases where the TV or soundbar is the cause.

### Why is only live TV out of sync?

Live streams switch between feeds and adverts, and each switch is a chance for sound and picture to slip. Restarting the stream usually brings them back together.

### Does switching to a stereo track help?

Often, yes. Surround tracks need more decoding, sometimes in a soundbar, and that adds delay. Stereo or PCM output removes a step.

## More in fix audio sync

* [ Fix audio and video out of sync Work out whether the file or the playback is at fault, then fix the delay or measure it. ](https://sync.video/fix-audio-sync)
* [ Fix audio delay on a TV or soundbar The AV sync setting on Samsung, LG, Sony, Fire TV and Apple TV, and how to measure it. ](https://sync.video/audio-out-of-sync-on-tv)
* [ Fix Hulu audio out of sync Live TV versus on demand, app resets, audio output and TV sync settings. ](https://sync.video/hulu-audio-out-of-sync)
* [ Fix Netflix audio out of sync Netflix’s device checks, audio format changes and your TV’s own sync setting. ](https://sync.video/netflix-audio-out-of-sync)
* [ Fix YouTube audio out of sync Browser and app fixes for viewers, and a corrected file for creators before upload. ](https://sync.video/youtube-audio-out-of-sync)
* [ Sync audio and video online Drop one video to fix its delay, or several files to line them up by their sound. ](https://sync.video/)