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Why can't I hear anyone?

Are you in a webinar but don't hear anyone? There are a couple reasons this may be happening.

General troubleshooting

  • The organizer might not have begun the broadcast yet. – If you see the Viewer and hear intermittent beeps, then the organizer has started the webinar but has not yet begun broadcasting their audio, screen, or webcam to attendees. Stay connected and wait for the organizer to start the broadcast. You can also use the Questions pane to send them a message if you have any questions or concerns.
  • The wrong audio mode might be selected — When you are in a session, you are able to specify which audio mode you use to connect to the audio conference (depending on which modes the organizer made available). It's possible that the default mode you joined with is not the one you want, and that you need to manually switch it. View Switch Audio Modes in Session.
    • If you want to connect with your mic and speakers, make sure Computer Mode or Internet Mode is selected.
    • If you want to connect with your telephone, make sure Phone Mode is selected.
  • The organizer might not have provided your selected mode as an option for the session — While GoTo Webinar provides users with multiple options for connecting to the audio conference, it is up to the organizer to decide which audio modes are available in each session. Try using the alternative option.
  • The session might already be over — If it looks like the session is running but no one responds to your chat messages, it's possible that you joined late and the organizer accidentally left the session running. Check the start time of the session and make sure it wasn't supposed to start earlier in the day, particularly if there is a time zone difference for you and the organizer.
  • The volume of your speakers might be turned down too low — Try turning up the volume gradually until you can hear something.

I am trying to connect using my telephone.

  • There might be a problem with your telephone service provider — If there is a problem with your telephone connection, it might be an issue with your service provider. We cannot provide troubleshooting support for your service provider, but we can suggest that you try connecting via mic and speakers instead.

I am trying to connect using a mic and speakers (VoIP).

  • GoTo Webinar might be playing sound through a headset instead of speakers— If you have a headset plugged into your computer or device, but you are not currently wearing it, GoTo Webinar might be using it as your audio output device instead of your speakers. Either put on the headset, unplug the headset, or view Test your Mic and Speakers (VoIP) to learn how to specify which device to use as speakers.
  • You might not have any speakers plugged into your computer or device — If you're sure you have speakers plugged into your computer, it's possible that GoTo Webinar hasn't detected them. You can check your mic and speaker setup and even test your mic and speakers (VoIP).
  • If you are using a computer, the wrong audio output device might be selected — You can specify the audio device you want to use for your speakers in your computer's settings.
    1. Open the Sound settings.
    2. From the Playback tab, select the speakers that you want to use.
    3. Select Set Default > OK.
  • If you are using a Windows computer, then your Volume Mixer might need adjustment — While in session, the GoTo Webinar Sound Check operates as a separate component from the GoTo Webinar desktop app itself. As a result, it is possible for the GoTo Webinar Sound Check volume to be on, while the GoTo Webinar app itself is muted. Windows Vista and Windows 7 have a volume mixer included which allows in addition applications to be muted individually.
    1. Open the Volume Mixer.
    2. From the GoTo Webinar entries, make sure the volume icon isn't displaying as muted. Try moving the slider higher to see if it affects the volume.
  • If you are using a Windows computer, you may need to update your audio/video drivers — Outdated drivers can cause interference with the application. Please ensure that you have installed any available driver updates for both your audio and video cards.
    1. Open the Device Manager.
    2. Expand Sound, video and game controllers section.
    3. Right-click your device and then select Update Driver Software.
    4. Follow the wizard as prompted, then repeat for all devices in the section.
      Note: If there are no available updates, then it is recommended that you manually download the driver update by visiting the manufacturer's (Driver Provider) support page and searching by the driver version number listed. You may also check for an update from Microsoft by running Windows Update.
  • If you are using a Windows computer, then your speaker setup might need adjustment. — Windows Vista and Windows 7 allow you to configure the Sound Control panel to allow for multiple speaker arrangements. These settings may need to be adjusted if you cannot hear sound through GoTo Webinar.
    1. Open the computer's Sound settings.
    2. From the Playback tab, select the speakers that you want to use. If it is not displayed, then make sure it is plugged in.
    3. Select Configure.
    4. From Audio Channels, try using a different audio channel setting.
    5. Select Test to ensure your arrangement is working correctly.
    6. Select Next > Next > Finish.
  • If you are using a Windows computer, then your audio sample rate settings might need adjustment. — On rare occasions, the audio settings in Windows 7 may not be registering sound at the frequencies that GoTo Webinar is transmitting sound from.
    1. Open the computer's Sound settings.
    2. From the Playback tab, select the speakers that you want to use. If it is not displayed, then make sure it is plugged in.
    3. Select Configure > Advanced.
    4. From Default format, select a different sample rate. Keep trying different options until you are able to hear sound.
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