- Switching volume control from the Google Home app to CEC on your TV remote can enhance volume levels. To do this, navigate to Settings → Remote & Accessories → Set up remote buttons → Volume control, and change the control from Chromecast to Auto(CEC).
- Check HDMI ports, disconnect external speakers, verify TV and Chromecast volume settings, and perform a soft reset of the Chromecast.
The Chromecast is a solid tool to turn any TV into a smart Google TV. The petite device, however, quite understandably doesn’t come with built-in audio hardware.
It relies on your TV’s built-in speakers or an external audio setup to manage the complementing sound requirements.
A Chromecast pairs well with all audio hardware. There’s pretty much never a compatibility issue. However, there could be instances when the volume may be too low to one’s liking.
Why is that? There is a laundry list of things that could have gone wrong. Luckily, we know the potential causes and how to tackle them.
Read on to address your Chromecast’s “low volume” problem, irrespective of the cause.
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Before Breaking Things Down
Before diagnosing your Chromecast setup and zeroing down on the cause(s) for the low-volume nag, here are a few basic things to be on top of:
- Try another HDMI port on the television. Maybe the existing one is broken or has a connection problem. Or the current HDMI port’s version isn’t advanced enough or does not pack in sufficient bandwidth to support the latest audio formats, resulting in lower-quality or feeble sound. The other, more capable port could provide access to various audio settings, helping enhance the audio or volume quality.
- Ensure the TV and the Chromecast aren’t connected to an external speaker. If they are, the external audio device’s settings could have been low.
- Ensure the TV’s sound output settings are on point. Check the volume levels. Test its audio performance with another device (a cable box, gaming console, etc.). If the TV is not connected to a surround sound system or home theatre, ensure its integrated speakers are not disabled in its settings. If you’re still not sure, reboot the TV.
- Ensure the Chromecast volume is set correctly. The Chromecast has audio volume settings. If the streaming device’s volume is too low, the output will drop even if the external audio device and TV’s volume are high.
- Soft reset your Chromecast. Turn off the TV. Unplug the device from its power source and HDMI port. Plug the Chromecast and its cables back in after a minute or two. This trick should help if the volume issue is due to a temporary software malfunction or configuration trouble.
Besides the above basics, ensure the Chromecast software is current. Maybe the streaming device has bugs, and the latest software has the fixes to iron them out. The updated firmware can enhance compatibility and performance.
The software update may or may not address the audio issue. But lagging on the OS front could hinder flawless interaction between the software and the device’s HDMI ports and other hardware.
If the above measures don’t fix the issue, inspect further. The following are the things to look at:
1. Turn Off Volume Control on the Chromecast
Chromecast with Google TV allows you to adjust the volume control settings either through the Google Home app or using your TV remote.
During my testing, I observed that using the Google Home app to control the volume often resulted in a lower sound level, even when the volume was set to maximum.
As a solution, I switched to using my TV remote for volume adjustments, which proved more effective.
Here is how:
On the Chromecast Google TV, go to Settings → Remote & Accessories → Set up remote buttons → Volume control → change to Auto (CEC) instead of Chromecast.
2. Volume is Low When Cast/Stream to Chromecast
Several users have faced audio-related problems (low volume issues) when casting Spotify to Chromecast from their laptops or smartphones.
It’s not clear what causes the problem. Several users have switched to other music streaming apps, such as YouTube Music and even YouTube Premium, to cast to Chromecast, assuming the problem is Spotify-specific.
However, the low-volume concerns persisted. It’s not clear what is the cause behind the problem. It could be a platform compatibility issue between Google’s Chromecast and the casting device.
Incidentally, a Stack Overflow user faced a similar problem while streaming content from Disney+, Amazon Prime, Spotify, etc., to their Chromecast.
The user countered the issue by altering their volume-controlling method. He employed Google Assistant to increase Chromecast volume to up to 100%, which resulted in the streaming stick’s audio levels returning to normal.
What happened there? Possibly, there was an issue with the volume control that didn’t respond to other inputs except for Google’s virtual assistant tool.
3. Netflix on Chromecast Gets Low Volume
Like the above, a Reddit user faced the low-volume issue when streaming Netflix on their Chromecast with Google TV.
The issue was specific to Netflix. Other video streaming apps like Google Play Music or YouTube did not present such concerns.
Even though a definite cause is not identified, a non-empirical workaround or minor trick exists.
The workaround entails launching another streaming app like Hulu or YouTube, setting the particular app’s volume to the highest, and then opening or switching to Netflix.
Several users have reported that the trick successfully resolved the volume concerns with the Netflix app on their Chromecasts.
How does this work? Supposedly, the volume levels set on the other app get treated as the maximum achievable sound on Netflix.
Maybe a soft reset or a restart of the Chromecast could mitigate this issue as we advance.
4. Volume from Amazon Music is Low When Casting to Chromecast
Not all music listeners have their songs downloaded on their devices. Quite a few like to stream their music on Spotify, Apple Music, and similar platforms.
This particular user chose Amazon Music and cast it to their audio setup via Chromecast Audio.
The user has cast Spotify, YouTube, Google Play, and Apple Music via Chromecast without issues.
However, the maximum volume was way too low with Amazon Music via Chromecast.
The solution to this problem is turning off the “loudness normalization” setting.
The feature helps keep the sound output consistent or prevent sudden loud audio scenarios when switching between tracks.
Unfortunately, it also caused the low-volume issue in the scenario above, raising the need to turn the setting off.
To disable the setting, follow these steps:
Step 1: Head to your Amazon Music app’s settings menu (gear icon).
Step 2: Choose Settings.
Step 3: Look for the Loudness Normalization option and disable it.
The maximum volume on the Amazon Music application should now be at normal levels. If this still doesn’t work, try another music streaming app.
Conclusion
Although the low volume issue with your Chromecast is annoying, it’s not a problem that can’t be fixed.
The issue could sometimes be hardware-related or due to the external devices connected to the Chromecast. At times, the problem could be a fallout of outdated software or a bug with the app.
The fixes mentioned above cover all the possible reasons the issue may arise.
However, to negate the likelihood of the volume issue arising again, ensure your Chromecast, TV, and external speakers (if any) are correctly configured and up to date.
Always keep a tab on the app settings, the content source, and audio functions specific to your Chromecast and other connected hardware.
Tai “Ty” Luu, an Electronics Engineering graduate from Sheridan College, is a passionate technical editor with a deep love for technology and gaming. He constantly seeks new challenges to expand his expertise in the tech and gaming fields.