6 Ways to Fix Audio Distortion Issues While Streaming on Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Fix 1: Reconnect the Audio Device

Your first course of action is to disconnect your audio device and reconnect it. If you’re using wired headphones or speakers, ensure they’re plugged in correctly. Don’t forget to inspect the audio port for dust while you’re at it.

You can also test your headphones or speakers with another PC to rule out any hardware issues. If you’re using Bluetooth headphones or speakers, follow the steps below to disconnect and reconnect them.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ato open the Quick Settings panel. Right-click on theBluetoothicon and selectGo to Settings.

Step 2:Click thethree-dot menuicon next to your Bluetooth headphone or speaker and selectRemove device. Then, pair the Bluetooth device again.

Fix 2: Run Audio Troubleshooter

Windows 11 includes troubleshooters for nearly everything, allowing you to fix problems without much tinkering. To address audio distortion issues, run the Audio troubleshooter using these steps:

Step 1:Open the search menu, type introubleshoot settings, and select the first result that appears.

Step 2:Go toOther troubleshooters.

Step 3:Click theRunbutton next to Playing Audio and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooting process.

Fix 3: Update or Reinstall Audio drivers

Your PC’s audio drivers allow Windows to communicate with various audio devices. But if those drivers are outdated, then such audio distortion issues may arise while streaming. To fix this, you’ll need toupdate the audio driverson your PC.

Step 1:Click the search icon on the taskbar, type indevice managerand pressEnter.

Step 2:Double-click onSound, video and game controllersto expand it. Right-click on the audio device, and selectUpdate driverfrom the list.

From there, follow the on-screen prompts to update the drivers. If the issue persists even after this, you should uninstall the troublesome audio driver and restart your PC.

After the PC restarts, Windows will scan for hardware changes and install the missing drivers automatically.

Fix 4: Restart Audio Services

Windows Servicesrun in the background to enable specific core features of the operating system. Ideally, you wouldn’t need to fiddle with these services, as they tend to run automatically. But if you’re having issues while streaming audio on Windows, then restarting audio services will help.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto launch the Run command, type inservices.msc, and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the following window, locate theWindows Audioservice. Right-click on it and selectRestart.

Similarly, you’ll also need to restart the “Remote Procedure Call” and “Windows Audio Endpoint Builder” services.

Fix 5: Disable Sound Enhancements

Enabling audio enhancements on Windows can help you achieve the best possible audio output while streaming. However, depending on the audio device you’re using and the sound card on your PC, these enhancements may not work as well as expected. If you’re experiencing audio issues, consider disabling these enhancements entirely.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito launch the Settings app and head toSystem > Sound.

Step 2:Scroll down to theAdvancedsection and click onAll sound devices.

Step 3:Select your output device.

Step 4:Use the drop-down menu next toAudio enhancementsand selectOff.

Fix 6: Change Bit Rate Quality

It’s possible that the audio distortion issue is due to the current bit rate quality setting. If that’s the case, switching to a different bit rate should resolve the problem.

Step 1:Right-click on thespeaker iconon the taskbar and selectSound settings.

Step 2:Select the audio output device that you’re using.

Step 3:Under Output settings, use the dropdown next toFormatand select a different format.

Step 4:Click on theTestbutton to check the audio.

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Last updated on 25 July, 2024

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