Check in this order
- Confirm the selected wallpaper actually contains audio.
- Raise the wallpaper volume in its properties.
- Check Wallpaper Engine in Windows Volume Mixer.
- Review playback rules that mute audio when another application is active.
- Try another known-audio wallpaper to isolate the item.
Avoid unnecessary resets
Do not reinstall until you have tested another wallpaper and checked Windows output-device routing.
Identify where the sound is lost
- Test a wallpaper whose description explicitly says it contains audio.
- Open the wallpaper properties and raise its volume.
- Open Windows Volume Mixer while Wallpaper Engine is running and confirm it is not muted or routed to the wrong output device.
- Review the Performance rule for Other application playing audio. This can mute or pause wallpaper audio when a browser, game, or music player is active.
- Switch Windows output devices once, then restart Wallpaper Engine.
- Test another wallpaper type to determine whether the failure is item-specific, video-specific, or global.
Symptoms and likely causes
Only one wallpaper is silent
The item may not contain sound, its creator may expose a separate volume property, or its media file may be broken.
All wallpapers are silent
Check Volume Mixer, the selected Windows output device, Wallpaper Engine audio rules, and sound drivers.
Audio stops when another app plays
This is usually an application playback rule, not a bug. Change the “other application playing audio” behavior if you want both sources.
Crashes mention AudioSes.dll
The official crash guide recommends reinstalling sound drivers and trying the audio playback rule set to Keep running.
Avoid destructive fixes too early
Reinstalling the entire app rarely helps if Windows is simply routing audio elsewhere. First verify the item, volume, playback rule, and device. If video wallpapers fail as well, update graphics and audio drivers, verify files through Steam, and then retest with a common MP4 source.
Official references
Reviewed September 10, 2026.