1. Disable the shared profile in Parallels, so all the default Windows folders reside in the Windows environment, not the native Mac environment. For more information on this topic, seethis Parallels article.
After disabling the shared profile, uninstall and reinstall your Articulate software. (This step is only necessary if shared profiles were previously enabled.)
2. Save and publish Articulate projects in the Windows environment, not the Mac. For example:C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\
Don't work from a network drive or an external USB drive. Doing so can result in file corruption or loss of resources.
Audio, video, and image resources must be located in the Windows environment, not the Mac. Copy and paste files you need for Articulate projects to the Windows environment prior to inserting them into your content.
Also, where are you testing your published courses? You'll want to test within the intended environment as testing locally could cause elements of your course to not behave properly.
I had done my Parallels setup before I started any Articulate projects - so No 1 was taken care of, and I have all the source files I need for the project in WIndows environment.
I have been using Dropbox and more recently Review My eLearning app for testing and client reviews.
On your advice, I did recheck all the above - thankyou.
This audio problem has only just started happening, and I can't work out what has changed.
Thanks for checking in to all those. I know you mentioned it occurred inconsistently, but if you'd like us to take a look we're happy to. You can share the Storyline file here with us in the forums or if you'd prefer to share privately I can send you directions on how to send to me or you can always connect with our Support engineers.
Just in case someone else trips over this issue and has the same problem that I had, Adobe Audition was the culprit for me. The audio acted like it was playing, I could see the wave form in the editor, but it would not play until I exited Audtion - immediate fix without restarting Storyline too. I'm sure it's some resource conflict or Audition reserving something that Storyline needs.
Hi Ashley, I know this is a very old post, however, I am having a similar problem with my audio files(wav) playing sometimes when the project is published for LMS ( Moodle). While previewing on my local machine the files play quite fine. HELP. what am I not doing?. The zip file is just about 25meg but it loads slowly on the LMS. Whats an optimum file size recommended for better playback?
Sorry you're running into that-- I'm happy to help.
I have a few questions to start with here:
Just to verify- are you finding that your audio sometimes doesn't play while viewing your course in Moodle? If so, are there specific problematic slides or does it seem random?
What version of Storyline are you running, and are you on the latest update for your version?
Can you share your .story file here so I can do some testing with it? You can add it as an attachment to a comment.
Hi all - Apologies I know this is an old post so I jumped on the back of it... Just wondering if anyone has a solution...
I've published my course and I'm testing the file locally as a web published version... But I'm noticing that the audio (which is triggered by a button) does not always play first time round. I've had 4 members of the team test this and they all have different issues... for example one file doesn't work first time for one team member but others have no issues... Does any one know what the cause is? In the preview it all works as it should. **baffled**
Hi there, Mr. Brown. The past few updates with Google Chrome has changed the way it handles content with media that plays automatically, like a course with audio on the first slide (even if it's triggered by a button).
Let me grab some details from you to determine what could be the specific cause on your side:
Can you confirm what version of Storyline you’re using? Go to Help > About Storyline.
Is the inconsistent audio happening in all browsers? Which ones?
Do you see a play button overlaying your course before it starts? It would look like this:
Lastly, depending on browser security settings, your content may not perform as expected when launched directly from the published output folder. Does it behave better if you host it in a live web environment? Here's more on publishing and sharing your content.
Point 1 = Storyline 3 - Version: Update 3: 3.3.15007.0 Point 2 = We're only using Chrome at the moment point 3 = No, the whole thing plays fine (the flash player is updated) point 4 = It's already installed on a testing server.
That's it... I've done many tests and for the most part it does work... it's the inconsistency that's driving me nuts... :) My only thought is that it's loading the audio, so the user is clicking too early (and actually pausing it)... but then there are other times it doesn't actually work at all until I click back, then next, then click the audio button.
Great info, Mr. Brown. Thanks for those details! We addressed the autoplay issue in Chrome in update 4 for Storyline 3. Since we're currently on update 5, I would recommend downloading and installing the latest version so you have the benefits of enhancements and bug fixes!
The reason for the inconsistency is that Chrome tries to predict whether the user would allow the media to automatically play based on a few factors. Some folks might get audio right away without engaging the slide, and some folks might need to click around and return to the first slide.
With the latest updates, you'll see the play button. It is there to collect "permission" from users to play the content with media to satisfy Chrome's new policy. Let me know if you have any questions after updating!
Hi - thank you for this... I'll certainly look into it...
Your comment "With the latest updates, you'll see the play button" I didn't really understand, since the player I'm using is a custom player with custom buttons (with audio on them)... I'll give it a go though, thanks for your reply!
Thank you for the information. I'm having a similar issue when testing in Chrome.
I'm using Storyline 360 to develop and Review 360 for playback/feedback. When attempting to playback the module (which worked FINE a couple days ago in Review 360). Now, it is not playing the audio when the module begins.
Based on this current thread, what do I need to do to update Storyline 360 so that the audio will play back in Chrome, as expected, at the start of the module?
We do NOT want the user to have to click a play button to launch the module, as we often offer our modules via web server, not via an LMS. Please help!
The latest updates of Storyline 360 included the play button to resolve the issues presented by Chrome's changes to autoplay behavior. The reason we added a play button is so that Chrome recognizes a "user interaction" and understands that they'd want the media to autoplay as designed. Unfortunately, there isn't a way around the changes implemented by Chrome, and if you publish without using that latest update the audio may not play at all for learners.
A few folks have looked at adding media later in the course, and ensuring that the user would interact with the slide content (clicking, entering text, etc.) before reaching the media - but that's not a guaranteed method due to some intricacies of the Chrome autoplay policies.
As individuals interact with more and more of your content on a particular site, Chrome will start to play media automatically so you may see less of that play button.
Hi Team - I've been developing with Studio for 15 years, and I've never had such trouble with the audio not playing slide-by-slide unless the user clicks the PREV and the NEXT buttons to "jiggle the handle" on many of the slides.
Studio 360/Chrome/auto advance slides
I need to quickly update about 100 courses to match our newly published field manual, and this is not going so well. Help would be appreciated!
I can see how frustrating that must be! I want our Support Engineers to step in to see what is causing the snag. Use this link to connect with a Support Engineer. If you can share a file, too, that would be helpful!
Thanks, Kim. I see that you were able to work with Gren directly.
It looks like your email signature came through when you replied via email. You can remove that if needed by clicking ‘Edit’ beneath your response. Here’s a quick Peek video if you need help.
Hi, I am having issues with my audio not playing in Chrome also. I get the big play button and click it but the audio still doesn't play. It plays for 3 of my co-workers but not myself and 2 others. I'm using SL v 3.50.24832.0 and Chrome 90.0.4430.85. I am publishing to the Bridge LMS. Can anyone help me?
I've been having the same problem as Kim, where you have to click previous or next (not the replay button - that doesn't work) and begin the slide all over again for the audio to play. It only seems to happen for me when the presentation opens, but once the audio kicks in, the presentation works fine. This is also an inconsistent problem, but it's been frustrating to have to tell instructors to just start the slide again and the presentation will work fine, or for them to have to put a note in the course for their students.
Kim's issue was related to Studio 360, and the latest update fixed it. Is the behavior you're describing also happening in Studio 360? If so, can you check if you are using the latest version?
Yet another Mac on Parallels user here. Audio worked fine, now doesn't. Doesn't play in Preview or in Published mode. I have installed all storyline updates and restarted my machine. No luck.
Is the initial solution above still applicable (regarding uninstalling shared profiles and moving all my files to the windows side of the partition)? Why would it play earlier but not now, if that's the issue? I'm using text to speech (for the moment). I've got to say I am unimpressed as a Mac user with the complete mess this makes of my workflow, not to mention that it requires (apparently) redoing all my work thus far. surely you can do better to support the Mac users stuck with your product? Frustration doesn't begin to cover my experience so far.
40 Replies
Hi Wendy,
There are two elements to check first:
1. Disable the shared profile in Parallels, so all the default Windows folders reside in the Windows environment, not the native Mac environment. For more information on this topic, see this Parallels article.
After disabling the shared profile, uninstall and reinstall your Articulate software. (This step is only necessary if shared profiles were previously enabled.)
2. Save and publish Articulate projects in the Windows environment, not the Mac. For example:C:\Users\Administrator\Documents\
Don't work from a network drive or an external USB drive. Doing so can result in file corruption or loss of resources.
Audio, video, and image resources must be located in the Windows environment, not the Mac. Copy and paste files you need for Articulate projects to the Windows environment prior to inserting them into your content.
Also, where are you testing your published courses? You'll want to test within the intended environment as testing locally could cause elements of your course to not behave properly.
Thanks Ashley for taking the time to reply.
I had done my Parallels setup before I started any Articulate projects - so No 1 was taken care of, and I have all the source files I need for the project in WIndows environment.
I have been using Dropbox and more recently Review My eLearning app for testing and client reviews.
On your advice, I did recheck all the above - thankyou.
This audio problem has only just started happening, and I can't work out what has changed.
I'll keep trying...many thanks again
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for checking in to all those. I know you mentioned it occurred inconsistently, but if you'd like us to take a look we're happy to. You can share the Storyline file here with us in the forums or if you'd prefer to share privately I can send you directions on how to send to me or you can always connect with our Support engineers.
Just in case someone else trips over this issue and has the same problem that I had, Adobe Audition was the culprit for me. The audio acted like it was playing, I could see the wave form in the editor, but it would not play until I exited Audtion - immediate fix without restarting Storyline too. I'm sure it's some resource conflict or Audition reserving something that Storyline needs.
I'm on a Windows 7 system.
Thanks Pete for sharing that here and letting us know how you were able to resolve it.
Hi Ashley, I know this is a very old post, however, I am having a similar problem with my audio files(wav) playing sometimes when the project is published for LMS ( Moodle). While previewing on my local machine the files play quite fine. HELP. what am I not doing?. The zip file is just about 25meg but it loads slowly on the LMS. Whats an optimum file size recommended for better playback?
Hey Judith!
Sorry you're running into that-- I'm happy to help.
I have a few questions to start with here:
Let me know and we'll go from there!
Hi all - Apologies I know this is an old post so I jumped on the back of it... Just wondering if anyone has a solution...
I've published my course and I'm testing the file locally as a web published version... But I'm noticing that the audio (which is triggered by a button) does not always play first time round. I've had 4 members of the team test this and they all have different issues... for example one file doesn't work first time for one team member but others have no issues... Does any one know what the cause is? In the preview it all works as it should. **baffled**
Thanks
Mr Brown
Hi there, Mr. Brown. The past few updates with Google Chrome has changed the way it handles content with media that plays automatically, like a course with audio on the first slide (even if it's triggered by a button).
Let me grab some details from you to determine what could be the specific cause on your side:
Lastly, depending on browser security settings, your content may not perform as expected when launched directly from the published output folder. Does it behave better if you host it in a live web environment? Here's more on publishing and sharing your content.
Hi Crystal - OK
Point 1 = Storyline 3 - Version: Update 3: 3.3.15007.0
Point 2 = We're only using Chrome at the moment
point 3 = No, the whole thing plays fine (the flash player is updated)
point 4 = It's already installed on a testing server.
That's it... I've done many tests and for the most part it does work... it's the inconsistency that's driving me nuts... :) My only thought is that it's loading the audio, so the user is clicking too early (and actually pausing it)... but then there are other times it doesn't actually work at all until I click back, then next, then click the audio button.
Thank you so much for replying...
Mr Brown
Great info, Mr. Brown. Thanks for those details! We addressed the autoplay issue in Chrome in update 4 for Storyline 3. Since we're currently on update 5, I would recommend downloading and installing the latest version so you have the benefits of enhancements and bug fixes!
The reason for the inconsistency is that Chrome tries to predict whether the user would allow the media to automatically play based on a few factors. Some folks might get audio right away without engaging the slide, and some folks might need to click around and return to the first slide.
With the latest updates, you'll see the play button. It is there to collect "permission" from users to play the content with media to satisfy Chrome's new policy. Let me know if you have any questions after updating!
Hi - thank you for this... I'll certainly look into it...
Your comment "With the latest updates, you'll see the play button" I didn't really understand, since the player I'm using is a custom player with custom buttons (with audio on them)... I'll give it a go though, thanks for your reply!
D
Thank you for the information. I'm having a similar issue when testing in Chrome.
I'm using Storyline 360 to develop and Review 360 for playback/feedback. When attempting to playback the module (which worked FINE a couple days ago in Review 360). Now, it is not playing the audio when the module begins.
Based on this current thread, what do I need to do to update Storyline 360 so that the audio will play back in Chrome, as expected, at the start of the module?
We do NOT want the user to have to click a play button to launch the module, as we often offer our modules via web server, not via an LMS. Please help!
Thanks in advance! - Kate
Hi Kate,
The latest updates of Storyline 360 included the play button to resolve the issues presented by Chrome's changes to autoplay behavior. The reason we added a play button is so that Chrome recognizes a "user interaction" and understands that they'd want the media to autoplay as designed. Unfortunately, there isn't a way around the changes implemented by Chrome, and if you publish without using that latest update the audio may not play at all for learners.
A few folks have looked at adding media later in the course, and ensuring that the user would interact with the slide content (clicking, entering text, etc.) before reaching the media - but that's not a guaranteed method due to some intricacies of the Chrome autoplay policies.
As individuals interact with more and more of your content on a particular site, Chrome will start to play media automatically so you may see less of that play button.
Hi Team! We´re having the same issue, could we share the file privatly so you can help us solve this? Thanks!
Hi there, Carolina!
Absolutely! In fact, I see you're already working with Ji Yun in a private case to see if we can isolate the cause of the audio issue.
Reaching out to our Support team is always an excellent idea, as they're around 24/7 💡
Hi Team - I've been developing with Studio for 15 years, and I've never had such trouble with the audio not playing slide-by-slide unless the user clicks the PREV and the NEXT buttons to "jiggle the handle" on many of the slides.
Studio 360/Chrome/auto advance slides
I need to quickly update about 100 courses to match our newly published field manual, and this is not going so well. Help would be appreciated!
Hi Kim!
I can see how frustrating that must be! I want our Support Engineers to step in to see what is causing the snag. Use this link to connect with a Support Engineer. If you can share a file, too, that would be helpful!
Hi Lauren - thanks for the reply, I did reach out already, and they've indicated it is an issue with "recent updates to modern browsers."
Thanks, Kim. I see that you were able to work with Gren directly.
It looks like your email signature came through when you replied via email. You can remove that if needed by clicking ‘Edit’ beneath your response. Here’s a quick Peek video if you need help.
Hi, I am having issues with my audio not playing in Chrome also. I get the big play button and click it but the audio still doesn't play. It plays for 3 of my co-workers but not myself and 2 others. I'm using SL v 3.50.24832.0 and Chrome 90.0.4430.85. I am publishing to the Bridge LMS. Can anyone help me?
Hi Anna,
I responded to a similar post here, so let's keep the conversation in one location. I wanted to be sure to link it for anyone following along.
I've been having the same problem as Kim, where you have to click previous or next (not the replay button - that doesn't work) and begin the slide all over again for the audio to play. It only seems to happen for me when the presentation opens, but once the audio kicks in, the presentation works fine. This is also an inconsistent problem, but it's been frustrating to have to tell instructors to just start the slide again and the presentation will work fine, or for them to have to put a note in the course for their students.
Hi, Arleen.
Thank you for reaching out!
Kim's issue was related to Studio 360, and the latest update fixed it. Is the behavior you're describing also happening in Studio 360? If so, can you check if you are using the latest version?
Let me know if this works!
Yet another Mac on Parallels user here. Audio worked fine, now doesn't. Doesn't play in Preview or in Published mode. I have installed all storyline updates and restarted my machine. No luck.
Is the initial solution above still applicable (regarding uninstalling shared profiles and moving all my files to the windows side of the partition)? Why would it play earlier but not now, if that's the issue? I'm using text to speech (for the moment). I've got to say I am unimpressed as a Mac user with the complete mess this makes of my workflow, not to mention that it requires (apparently) redoing all my work thus far. surely you can do better to support the Mac users stuck with your product? Frustration doesn't begin to cover my experience so far.