Troubleshooting Guide

No Audio from RTSP Camera — Diagnose and Fix

Camera video is working but you hear nothing? This guide walks through every reason audio may be missing from an RTSP stream — from disabled microphones to codec incompatibility.

Best Codec
G.711
Also Supported
AAC / G.726
Default State
Often Disabled
Sub-stream Audio
Often Missing

Why RTSP Audio Can Be Missing

Audio in RTSP streams is independent of the video track. Any one of these three conditions will result in silence:

No Microphone

Many outdoor and dome cameras do not include a built-in microphone. Audio cannot be enabled on hardware that doesn't have it.

Audio Disabled

Cameras with microphones often ship with audio disabled by default in their web interface. It must be manually enabled.

Incompatible Codec

Some cameras use audio codecs not supported by iOS (G.722, proprietary). Only G.711, AAC, and G.726 are widely compatible.

Step-by-Step Audio Fix

1

Check if your camera has a built-in microphone

Look at the camera's product page or specifications sheet. Cameras with audio capability typically list "Built-in microphone" or "Two-way audio" in the features. You can also look for a small pinhole or mesh grille on the camera body — this is the microphone opening. If the specs list no audio input, no software change will produce audio.

2

Enable audio in the camera web interface

Most cameras ship with audio disabled. Log into the camera's web UI using its IP address in a browser, then navigate to the audio or video settings page and enable audio. Also check the microphone sensitivity — setting it to a mid-range value is a good starting point.

  • › Hikvision: Configuration → Audio → Audio Input → Enable
  • › Dahua: Camera → Audio → Enable Audio
  • › Reolink: Device Settings → Display → Audio → Enable
3

Verify audio codec compatibility

SmartRTSP supports G.711 u-law, G.711 a-law, AAC, and G.726. In your camera's audio settings, set the codec to G.711 or AAC. Avoid G.722 or any proprietary codec labeled with the manufacturer name — these will not decode correctly on iOS.

4

Check SmartRTSP audio settings

In SmartRTSP, verify that the stream is not muted. Check the volume control on the stream view — a muted icon or zero volume will silence audio even if the stream includes it. Also check your iPhone's physical silent/ringer switch and system volume level.

5

Check that the RTSP URL includes an audio track

If you are using the camera's sub-stream URL, audio may have been stripped out. Sub-streams often carry video only to save bandwidth. Switch to the main stream URL and confirm audio is present. Once confirmed, you can re-enable audio on the sub-stream in the camera's web UI if the option is available.

Audio Codec Compatibility

Codec Support Notes
G.711 u-law ✅ Fully supported Most common codec; used by Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink by default
G.711 a-law ✅ Fully supported European variant of G.711; same quality as u-law
AAC ✅ Fully supported Higher quality and more efficient than G.711; used by newer cameras
G.726 ✅ Fully supported ADPCM codec; common on older and budget IP cameras
G.722 ⚠️ Limited Wideband audio; limited iOS support — switch to AAC if possible
Proprietary ❌ Not supported Some budget cameras use manufacturer-specific codecs — switch to G.711 in camera settings

Camera-Specific Audio Notes

Hikvision

Enable audio at Configuration → Audio → Audio Input → Enable Audio Input. Set encoding type to G.711 u-law for maximum compatibility. Audio is disabled by default on most Hikvision models.

Reolink

Enable in the Reolink app or web UI under Device Settings → Display → Audio. On Reolink cameras, audio is included in the main RTSP stream but may be absent from the sub-stream.

Dahua

Enable at Camera → Audio → Enable in the Dahua web interface. Check that the audio input type is set to "Line In" or "Built-in Mic" depending on your camera model.

Tapo

Audio is enabled by default on Tapo cameras that have a microphone. If silent, check the camera's physical mute button (on some models) or the mute setting in the Tapo app.

Wyze

Audio is supported on Wyze Cam models that have a built-in microphone. Verify that RTSP is enabled and that you are using the RTSP firmware variant for your Wyze camera model.

Frequently Asked Questions

My camera has a microphone but there is no audio in the app — why?
The most common cause is that audio is disabled in the camera's web interface. Even cameras with hardware microphones usually ship with audio off. Log into the camera web UI using its IP in a browser, find the Audio or Video settings page, and toggle audio on. Also check that the codec is set to G.711 or AAC.
Does the sub-stream include audio?
Often not. Many cameras strip the audio track from the sub-stream to reduce bandwidth. If you need audio, use the main stream URL. On some cameras (Hikvision, Dahua) you can explicitly enable audio on the sub-stream in the encoding settings, but this increases the sub-stream bitrate.
Can I use two-way audio with SmartRTSP?
SmartRTSP supports ONVIF two-way audio on cameras that implement the ONVIF backchannel audio specification. This is camera-dependent — check your camera model's ONVIF profile to confirm. Most consumer cameras do not fully implement ONVIF two-way audio even if they advertise the feature.
RTSP audio has echo or noise — how do I fix it?
Echo and excessive background noise are caused by the microphone sensitivity being set too high in the camera's web UI. Navigate to Audio settings and reduce the input gain or sensitivity level. If the camera has an "Audio Enhancement" or noise suppression option, try enabling it.