- Reconnect your audio device and run the built-in audio troubleshooter in Windows to address common issues.
- Updating the audio drivers and restarting the related services can also help resolve these problems.
- Avoid using any sound enhancement features and try changing the bit rate quality to see if that helps.
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 the Windows key + A to open the Quick Settings panel. Right-click on the Bluetooth icon and select Go to Settings .
Step 2: Click the three-dot menu icon next to your Bluetooth headphone or speaker and select Remove 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 in troubleshoot settings , and select the first result that appears.
Step 2: Go to Other troubleshooters .
Step 3: Click the Run button 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 But if those drivers are outdated, then such audio distortion issues may arise while streaming.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 to update the audio drivers on your PC.
Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type in device manager and press Enter .
Step 2: Double-click on Sound, video and game controllers to expand it. Right-click on the audio device, and select Update driver from 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 Services run 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 the Windows key + R to launch the Run command, type in services.msc , and press Enter .
Step 2: In the following window, locate the Windows Audio service. Right-click on it and select Restart .
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 the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app and head to System > Sound .
Step 2: Scroll down to the Advanced section and click on All sound devices .
Step 3: Select your output device.
Step 4: Use the drop-down menu next to Audio enhancements and select Off .
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 the speaker icon on the taskbar and select Sound settings .
Step 2: Select the audio output device that you’re using.
Step 3: Under Output settings, use the dropdown next to Format and select a different format.
Step 4: Click on the Test button to check the audio.
