Cutsio Blog

How to Fix Export with No Audio in DaVinci Resolve

Clear instructions to solve the missing audio problem when exporting videos from DaVinci Resolve.

Exporting a video with no audio in DaVinci Resolve is caused by disabled audio export settings on the Deliver page, muted timeline tracks, or incorrect bus routing in the Fairlight page.

Here are the exact steps to ensure your exported video contains audio.

How do you enable audio export on the Deliver page?

The most common reason for a silent export is simply forgetting to check the "Export Audio" box in the render settings.

To enable audio export:

  1. Navigate to the Deliver page.
  2. In the Render Settings panel on the left, click the Audio tab (located next to Video and File).
  3. Check the box labeled Export Audio.
  4. Ensure the "Codec" is set to a standard format like AAC or Linear PCM.
  5. Add the job to the render queue and export.

How do you check for muted timeline tracks?

If the audio track is muted on the Edit page, DaVinci Resolve will not include that audio in the final render.

To unmute tracks:

  1. Go to the Edit page.
  2. Look at the audio track headers on the left side of the timeline (e.g., Audio 1, Audio 2).
  3. Ensure the M (Mute) button is not highlighted red. If it is red, click it to unmute the track.
  4. Ensure the S (Solo) button is not active on a different track, as this mutes all other tracks.

How do you fix incorrect audio bus routing?

If you hear audio while editing but the export is silent despite "Export Audio" being checked, the audio tracks are not routed to the main output bus.

To fix bus routing:

  1. Go to the Fairlight page.
  2. In the top menu bar, click Fairlight > Bus Assign.
  3. A routing matrix will appear. Ensure all your active audio tracks (Audio 1, Audio 2, etc.) have an asterisk (*) or are explicitly routed to Bus 1 (or your main output bus).
  4. Close the window.
  5. On the Deliver page, under the Audio tab, ensure the "Output Track 1" setting is assigned to Bus 1 (Stereo).

Why does QuickTime export sometimes drop audio?

If you are exporting a QuickTime (.mov) file on Windows, some media players (like older versions of Windows Media Player) cannot read the uncompressed Linear PCM audio codec that Resolve defaults to.

To fix codec incompatibility:

  1. On the Deliver page, go to the Audio tab.
  2. Change the "Codec" drop-down from Linear PCM to AAC.
  3. Render the file. AAC is universally supported by almost all web browsers, phones, and media players.