How can I turn the sound off/on on the background video in Webflow, either natively or through a workaround? It's for a movie site and having audio in the background would be helpful. Should I separate the audio and video and control the audio with a separate HTML 5 to avoid sync issues? Thank you.
- Use a custom HTML5 <video> element via an Embed block instead of Webflow's Background Video element to enable audio and playback controls.
- Autoplay must be muted by default; use JavaScript to unmute and play audio after user interaction or sync a separate <audio> element for ambient sound.
Webflow's native background video element does not support sound playback. To enable audio with control (play/pause/mute), you'll need a workaround.
1. Understand Webflow Limitations
- The Background Video element in Webflow is muted by default, and there’s no native way to enable sound.
- Modern browsers require videos with audio to have user interaction to begin playback—autoplay with sound is generally blocked.
2. Use a Custom HTML5 Video Element Instead
To include audio and have control over it:
- Replace the Background Video element with a custom HTML5 video element via an Embed block.
- Include
controls,muted,autoplay, andplaysinlineas needed (e.g., autoplay muted by default). - Example attributes:
autoplay muted playsinline controls.
3. Control Audio with a Separate <audio> Element (Optional)
If sync is not critical or you're concerned about performance:
- Upload the audio as a separate file and add it using a custom HTML5
<audio>element inside an Embed block. - Use JavaScript to sync play/pause behavior between video and audio.
- Note: Cross-browser consistent sync can be tricky, so this works best for ambient audio rather than precise voice/dialogue sync.
4. Workaround with JavaScript to Unmute on Interaction
If you still want to use the video with audio (within a custom video element):
- Autoplay must be muted by default.
- Use JavaScript to unmute the video and play audio after a user action (e.g., button click or any site interaction).
- Example logic:
- User clicks “Unmute” button →
videoElement.muted = false; videoElement.play();
You can do this with Webflow’s custom code embed or via JavaScript added in the Page Settings > Custom Code section.
5. Hosting Audio/Video
- Upload your video/audio files to Webflow’s asset manager or host externally (e.g., AWS S3, Vimeo Pro, Bunny.net) for better control.
- Make sure your video file is properly encoded with audio if you're using a single file.
Summary
To include background video with sound in Webflow, use a custom HTML5 video element via an Embed block instead of Webflow's Background Video component. For more control, or if browser autoplay policies block your audio, unmute the video on user interaction or separate the audio and control it with a separate <audio> element.
