1.4.2 Audio Control

Level A · added in WCAG 2.0

If audio starts on its own and plays for more than 3 seconds, people need a way to pause or stop it. A volume control separate from the system volume also works. The simplest fix is not to autoplay sound at all.

Who it helps

Screen reader users can't hear their screen reader over background audio, which also makes the stop control hard to find. Autoplaying sound distracts people with attention or cognitive disabilities, and it can overwhelm hearing aid users.

How to meet it

Don't autoplay audio; let people start sound with a play button.
If a video must autoplay, start it muted and let people turn the sound on.
If audio must autoplay, put a pause or stop control near the start of the page, early in the tab order.
Otherwise, keep any autoplaying sound to 3 seconds or less.
Check every part of the page, including ads and embedded players, because a failure anywhere affects the whole page.

Examples

Fails:Background music that starts by itself, with no controls

<audio src="/audio/welcome-theme.mp3" autoplay loop></audio>

Fails:A hero video that autoplays with its sound on

<video src="/video/hero.mp4" autoplay loop playsinline></video>

Passes:Audio that plays only when someone presses play

<audio src="/audio/welcome-theme.mp3" controls></audio>

Passes:A muted autoplaying video with controls to turn sound on

<video src="/video/hero.mp4" autoplay muted loop playsinline controls></video>

Can a scanner detect this?

Partly

axe-core's no-autoplay-audio rule flags audio and video elements that autoplay unmuted for more than 3 seconds without native controls, and reports them for review. It can't catch sound started by scripts or the Web Audio API, or confirm that a custom stop button works. Load the page with sound on to check.

axe-core rules that test it

no-autoplay-audio

Common mistakes

Autoplaying a hero or background video with its sound on.
Placing the mute button at the bottom of the page, after many tab stops.
Relying on the device volume, which also silences the screen reader.
Forgetting third-party embeds and ads that start playing sound on load.

Official W3C explanation of 1.4.2

Check your own page

See which automated WCAG checks your page fails, with the failing elements and how to fix them.

Reviewed November 2, 2026