Audio of a video not playing on Articulate App

Hi Lou and welcome to Heroes! 

Are these videos you recorded in Replay? If so, can you tell me a bit more about the type of course you inserted them into (Storyline, Presenter)? Replay publishes to an mp4 file, which would be what both Storyline and Presenter would convert videos to anyway - so that should be a problem. Are you able to share the Presenter package or .story file here with us? If you'd prefer you can also share it with our team here. 

I recorded the videos on an iPhone, imported them into iMovie, edited them, and exported them as mp4s. I inserted the final result in Storyline. I will share the .story on this reply.

The video in question is in the English version, then look for the question that asks to convert ounces to pounds (I believe it's the second one in the bank of questions.) There is another video that I am pulling from YouTube in that bank of questions, which is giving me the same problem.

Again, the issue is only on the Articulate App - it runs perfectly on a desktop/laptop.

Another piece of the puzzle: I just published the course without the Articulate Mobile player capability and tested it on the iPad one more time - The sound works.

If it's working as HTML5 on the iPad, it makes me think that the problem is not on the video settings, CODEC, etc - it seems like the issue is somewhere else...

Hi Lou,

Thanks for sharing your file here. I tested it and verified that it is not working within the Articulate Mobile player, so I've opened up a Support case on your behalf. I'll follow along as well. 

Hi Lou,

I see that Cleo sent you some additional information on Friday, which I've also copied here below. If you need anything else, please feel free to let Cleo or I know.

You may find that audio or video doesn't play in mobile Safari if the following criteria are true:

*  The slides in your course are set to advance automatically.
*  You're not using the latest version of Storyline.
*  Your iPad is using iOS 5.

Please review the following article for more information and solutions:
http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=pi9brbnrwyl2

Also please note the following as well: 
SWF (Flash) files are not supported in HTML5 content.  Please review the following article for more information:
http://articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=4oktdtq64oh1

SWF (Flash) files are not supported in the Articulate Mobile Player player app for iPad. Please review the following article for more information:http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=th1sbyslzij8 

Youtube videos added in your slides will not work properly in both Safari mobile browser and Articulate Mobile browser. We strongly recommend that you convert your videos to .MP4 (codec: H.264) for proper playback in Safari Mobile browser and Articulate Mobile Player in iPad.  

Hello Ashley. I tried the video as an MP4 (codec H.264) without success. The video still displays without audio. In case you want to try it yourself, attached is the newer version of the course with the updated video file. (Just as before, look for the question about pounds.)

Let me know if you unearth something that I am not seeing...

Thanks Lou - I tried that one again within the AMP, and still did not hear the audio. Have you shared this with Cleo as well so that he could do some further testing and report to our QA team if needed? If you don't have his email (from Support@articulate.com) any longer please let me know and I can provide the update within your case. 

I'm having the same issue (iOS7 on my iPad Retina display) with MP4.  The video portions plays and there is no sound.  HOWEVER, if I tap the screen after the video is playing, then the sound starts.  I tap the screen again, and the sound stops.  The tap works as a sound on/off toggle.  Unfortunately, the initial state is OFF and the tap does not pause the timeline.

Hi Mark, 

There are some known reasons why the audio/video may not play:

You may find that audio or video doesn't play in mobile Safari if the following criteria are true:
* The slides in your course are set to advance automatically.
* You're not using the latest version of Storyline.
* Your iPad is using iOS 5.

Please review the following article for more information and solutions:
http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=pi9brbnrwyl2

Also please note the following as well:
SWF (Flash) files are not supported in HTML5 content. Please review the following article for more information:
http://articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=4oktdtq64oh1

SWF (Flash) files are not supported in the Articulate Mobile Player player app for iPad. Please review the following article for more information:http://www.articulate.com/support/kb_article.php?product=st1&id=th1sbyslzij8

Youtube videos added in your slides will not work properly in both Safari mobile browser and Articulate Mobile browser. We strongly recommend that you convert your videos to .MP4 (codec: H.264) for proper playback in Safari Mobile browser and Articulate Mobile Player in iPad.

I also looked at Lou's case, and our support team was able to have the audio/video play properly using update 4 of Storyline and the newest version of the Mobile player. Are you using update 4 and the mobile player to view your video as well? 

Thanks for the quick reply Ashley.  I had read your posts before on this and have ensured that I have not done any of these no-nos.  I also have the latest iOS 7 and am using update 4.  I have NOT published to use the Articulate Player on the iPad though (I have tested publishing to this and I have the app installed on my iPad, but it never opens when I launch a course from our Wisetail LMS.  Do some LMS's not support the app?).

I have attached my test file and I have also published my file here:  https://cloud.scorm.com/sc/InvitationConfirmEmail?publicInvitationId=cb77ee3a-5d56-42c1-a02c-0dcf1ce12a45

For the videos in this course, I used Articulate Storyline to record/capture my screen.  When I launch this course on my iPad, the seek bar will start moving and the video will start playing.  The audio does not play.  If I tap the screen, then the audio will begin.  If I tap again, the audio will stop.  SOMETIMES, the audio will play from the beginning, but a tap of the screen will stop it from playing.

Thanks again!

-M

I am having the same problem. I'm running Storyline version 4, build 1311.1422.

The AMP is up-to-date too. (I checked to see if there are any updates available.)

I'm using an MP4 video.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for sharing a link to your course here. For an LMS to work with the mobile player it would need to support the Tin Can API, as described at the bottom of this article. 

I tested your course on my iPad mini (ios7) and tested the first three buttons on the left. I noticed that with the second and third the audio/video played automatically and did pause when I clicked on the screen which is expected behavior. One way you can easily prevent that from happening is to add a transparent shape over top of the video. 

I tried the top button, and that one did not start automatically the first time, but it did the second. I also noticed on that one there is a bit of a delay of the audio even when viewing it on the PC. It seems that the issue of playing the audio and video is connected to how HTML5 content may be slow or delayed in mobile safari and that HTML5 can only play one audio or video file at a time, which could impact your screen recordings. 

Kyle, 

Since you're viewing the course within the Mobile player it's a bit of a different scenario. Do the videos play outside the mobile player say when viewing on your desktop? If not, there are some known reasons here why a video may not be playing.  If all plays as expected on the desktop, are you able to share a copy of the .story file here with us? If you'd prefer you can also share it privately here. 

Thanks again Ashley for the quick reply!  I'm glad that you were able to replicate my issue. 

The problem is that this is very random.  I've had many instances where I started the video - and repeated it several times - and the audio never played (even if I let the entire timeline play out to the end).  Therefore, I think this could be more than the known issue of "HTML5 content may be slow or delayed in mobile safari" issue.  I think there's a difference between "slow to start" and "never starting."

Since many times (most of the time for me actually) the audio does not play, adding a transparent shape over top of the video to block the tap-toggle is not a solution. My workaround (although very amateur looking) has been to "show video controls." Since I'm using the full screen for my videos (I needed max real estate since I'm demoing software), on the PC the video controls are pushed down where they are not seen.  On the iPad, when the seek bar starts and the audio does not, I now at least have an arrow in the middle of the screen indicating to the user (hopefully) that they can tap the screen and hear the sound (reference pic1 that I've attached).  The sound will then start, but now I have both the seek bar and the video controls displaying concurrently - the amateur-looking part (reference pic2).  And when the seek bar time ends, the audio stops, so the user has to tap the start arrow again to complete the scene. 

The fact that the video starts out slow is not an issue to me.  Also the issue with "HTML5 can only play one audio or video file at a time" is not an issue either since I'm just trying to play a single video.

So I guess I'm not sure were we go from here...

Here's pic2

Thank you, Ashley. Sorry--I don't mean to hijack this thread.

Here is my case number: 00377329 

Hi Mark, 

The one audio/video at a time could be an issue as mentioned in regards to "screen recordings":

This could affect your screen recordings if they include audio. HTML5 content cannot play both the video and the audio simultaneously.

The majority of the time the audio did play for me, with the exception of that first button - which was also the one with the delay. I think the the first picture you shared is a good workaround, and maybe you'd also want to include a small pop up at the beginning of the timeline with a prompt that if they don't hear the audio to click the play button? You could set the time of that pop up to be only a few seconds so that it wouldn't interfere *too* much with the rest of the software demo. 

Kyle,

No worries on "hijacking" a thread. I'll take a look at your case now. Thanks! 

Oh - thanks for your emphasis above on "screen recordings" and the "HTML5 issue" -- indeed my screen recording videos do include audio.  Since they are shown on the time line in a single bar, in my little brain I was not separating them!  I now see that this HTML5 issues does apply to me.

Thanks too for quick replies to my posts and confirming that I have incorporated the best work-around.

Hi Mark,

Happy to help, and if you need anything else please feel free to let us know. 

I have experienced this same issue with my Ipad courses.  The audio on the video works fine, but is inconsistent on the ipad.  Sometimes it seems to start for no reason and I never have this issue running from desktop.  Needless to say it is frustrating because we want to use this presentation for clients. 

Any more information on what is causing this and how to avoid? 

Confirmed the following:

1) I have most current update of Storyline

2) IOS 7 operating system

3) All volume settings are correct

4) mp4 file

Hi Sarah,

In Mark's situation he was viewing a screen recording through the HTML5 set up, which is impacted by the HTML5 output not being able to play audio and video files at the same time.   If you're not talking about a screen recording, could you give us a bit more information or share your Storyline course with us? 

With the new Update 5, my videos now play their sound automagically, so this issue (at least for me) has been solved!

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the update - and you'll see the list of fixes for update 5 here.  Although, I think this may be an element of magic, as I've seen screen recordings that still experience this issue.