How to Access Audio Description on YouTube

Before you start

Audio description is an additional narration track that describes visual details during pauses in a video. On YouTube, it is not a separate setting that can be forced for every upload. The track must be provided by the creator or added as part of the video's audio options. If a video does not include an audio-described track, changing your device settings will not create one.

Check that your browser or YouTube app is updated to a current version. Audio track selection is controlled in the player, so an outdated app may hide the relevant control or fail to switch tracks. You do not need a special input device or output device beyond the headphones, speakers, or screen reader you normally use.

Step-by-step instructions

Start playback of the YouTube video you want to watch. The process runs locally in the YouTube player after the video loads, with no extra service required.

• Open the video and pause it if needed.
• Select the Settings gear icon in the player.
• Choose Audio track.
• Look for a track whose name includes "audio description," "described video," "descriptive audio," or a similar label.
• Choose that track and resume playback.

The menu wording can differ between the website, mobile apps, and TV apps. On some TV interfaces, audio track selection may appear under a separate audio or language menu rather than inside the general settings icon. The action remains reversible: you can open the same menu later and switch back to the original audio track.

If you need a visible control while recording or presenting a video call, avoid routing system audio through the microphone. Keep the YouTube volume at a moderate level and use headphones so the described track is not picked up as background noise.

Check the output

Play a section with visible action and no dialogue. If the selected track is available, you should hear a narrator describing scene changes, on-screen text, or actions during quiet moments. Listen at a comfortable output level before adjusting input level settings on any recording equipment; the input level affects captured microphone or line audio, not YouTube playback.

YouTube does not provide a master audio-description toggle that guarantees support for every file. The feature is limited to videos where the publisher supplied the track. If the audio track list has only one option, the common reason is that no described version was uploaded.

Common problems and next steps

If the Settings menu does not show an audio track option, the video likely has no extra audio stream. A different browser, a higher sample rate in a recording tool, or a different output device will not make an absent YouTube track appear. Try another video or search for a specific title while including terms such as "audio description" or "described video."

If the track is listed but silent, first check device volume and muted state in the player. Then switch back to the original track and confirm that the video itself has sound. If the main audio works but the described track does not, report the issue through YouTube's feedback option and select another video if the audio description is essential.

For creators or uploaders, adding an audio-described track requires producing and uploading a second audio version. Downloading a video or converting it locally cannot add description that was never included in the source material.