No audio from Emby Android

[warrencalvert 16]

Hi

I'm using Emby for Android 3.4.36 and video plays but there is no audio.  This affects both live TV and recorded TV.  However, mp3 files play audio fine, also home videos play audio fine.

This happens on multiple devices - Android TVs and Android mobile devices.  On the same devices, Emby for Android TV and Emby in a web browser play audio fine.  So the recordings are OK, its only the Emby for Android app that is faulty.

The only settings I see for audio in Emby for Android is for default audio stream, which I've tried changing but it makes no difference.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Warren.

 

[GaryMUK 7]

Hi Warren,

This is a known issue I'm afraid.  The Android app is unable to play AAC_LATM audio (Low-overhead Audio Transport Multiplex), this is common on TV transmissions, (particullarly HD like BBC one in the UK where I am).  The devs are aware and Luke has said it should be fixed in the next release.   In the meantime, if you use the "Emby for Android TV" client, it works just fine.  If you are on a Firestick/Google/Other android device you should find both "Emby for Android" and "Emby for Android TV" (or just listed as "Emby" on Firestick) on the app store.  The Android TV client is not quite a nice looking as the newer "for android" version, but it is fully functional and plays back live and recorded AAC_LATM audio perfectly.

Hint: I've seen some posts with people satying they can't find both versions.  You need to seach on the 'Apps' page on Google TV/Android TV to find them, if you search for "emby" in the search on other pages it will open the version you already have installed rather than search the app store.

Hope this helps,

Gary

 

[warrencalvert 16]

thanks for the update, I'll wait for the fix.

[GaryMUK 7]

Hi Warren,

I have actually just tried this myself, you can install the latest build (it is not published on the app stores yet).  It fixes the problem!..... at least it does on my Google TV Streamer and Firestick 4k Max.  You can download the APK from here https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

And then you can sideload it onto the device.  I use the Downloader app to download it from that URL and then install.  It seems to be working just fine currently.

If you need a guide on how to sideload, there is a good one here https://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-sideload-apps-on-the-google-tv-streamer-android-tv-14-with-the-downloader-app/

Gary

Edited March 10, 2025 by GaryMUK

[warrencalvert 16]

great, thanks for the suggestion, I'll try that

[warrencalvert 16]

Hi Gary
I succesfully installed on an Nvidia Shield and sound works now, which is great.

I tried to install it on a Firestick HD but it wont install.  I think the firestick is an ARM cpu but I tried all 4 APKs (ARM7, ARM64, x86, x64) and none of them will install.

Do you have any experience installing on firesticks?

Thanks
Warren

[GaryMUK 7]

Hi Warren,

I had no problem installing it on my Firestick 4k Max (V1 and V2). 

But there are a couple of steps to check before it will install.

You have to enable developer options.  Go into the 'My Fire TV' item in the setting menu.  Then select 'About', then click on the "Fire Stick 4K Max" (or similar model name) at the top of that menu.  Click the ok button about 5-7 times and it will then say you are a developer.   

If you already have Emby for Android installed from the app store, you will need to uninstall it before you run the installer you downloaded.  It won't 'update' an installed version, it will just end the installer.  So uninstall the current version first (if like me you have the 'For android TV' version installed, you can leave that one installed, it is fine, it is only the 'For android' version that needs to be removed)

At this point you should be able to open the APK file in in Downloader and install it.

Hope that helps,

Gary

Edited March 10, 2025 by GaryMUK

[warrencalvert 16]

Ah yes, I forgot to uninstall the old version.  Oddly on the Shield I'm sure it upgraded the previously installed version but I could be wrong.
Its all working now so thanks for your help

 

[visproduction 315]

Commerical online streaming sites approach is to make their library media match specific codecs that work on all platforms.  Video h.264 .mp4 and audio AAC with HE-AAC instead of LC which maxes out support at around 128 kbps, separate subtitle tracks and limited or no multiple audio, no high end HD or + encoded audio, no HDR, for example. 

When you use other video or audio codecs, not supported by all platforms, then fixing these to play everywhere requires extra software, plugins or sometimes even hardware updates for each individual user.  Sometimes, Apple and some TV's support other codecs.  Some user's systems can handle higher audio compression and HD type playback.   Emby helps this issue by checking the end user's playback hardware / software and switches, automatically to transcode, when necessary. 

Sometimes, there are network speed issues, firewalls, router setup, WiFi, network bottlenecks, incompatiable switches that don't match the minimum speeds, Internet traffic, VPN's,  hardware combinations, or excessively large media extremely high bitrates and 30 graphic subtitles and 4 different audio tracks to cause no audio,  stuttering video or crashing in playback.   Online streaming platforms don't even bother to fix this for excessive media types.   They just archive their content in codecs and bitrates that work for everyone.

My experience with several outside companies, unrelated to Emby, that serve social media with millions of video streams, if a request to cover unusual and high end codec quality types,  the product manager just responds with "We do not support that media for streaming."  Any such media is automatically converted and stored to codecs that work for everyone.

Emby goes a step further and offers live transcoding to make this work for many more combinations.  I just wanted to point out that online streaming platforms reencode first and then offer a stream from the new media version.  Maybe everyone already is aware of this, but I think some of users asking to fix issues, perhaps miss how these media streaming solutions are different. It worked in another platform / software, so it should work here, is not always a valid statement.

Online sites can give you insight on what can work without transcoding. 
https://cconcolato.github.io/media-mime-support/
Each TV, add-on box are also different.

Edited July 13, 2025 by visproduction