Resource guide
1.4.2 Audio Control
If audio plays automatically for more than three seconds, the user must be able to pause, stop, or control the volume.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
Success criterion
Conformance level
Essential baseline — must meet for any compliance.
What it means
Audio that starts automatically and cannot be controlled is disruptive and can make a page unusable. For screen reader users in particular, background audio that cannot be muted drowns out their screen reader output.
If any audio plays automatically for more than three seconds, you must provide a way to pause or stop it, or a way to control its volume independently of the system volume.
In practice
The simplest approach is to not autoplay audio at all. Let users choose to start it.
If audio must autoplay, provide a clearly visible and keyboard-accessible pause or stop control at the very top of the page, before the audio source in the DOM.
Autoplay video with sound is the most common trigger for this failure. Consider autoplaying with sound muted by default.
Common failures
- Background music or ambient audio that starts automatically with no way to stop it
- Video that autoplays with sound and has no controls visible
- Audio that autoplays and has a control, but the control is not keyboard accessible
AXS Audit
AXS Audit checks your site against 1.4.2 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.