I tried launching apex legends one day and i got an error saying"couldn't initialize sound"please make sure you have a sound playback device that is enabled and properly configured Failed in: MileBankGetStatusMiles output follows:Streaming source audio/ship/general_stream_patch1.mstr is not a miles streamI have searced and seen people have had similar problems with Titanfall 2. Please help

Hey @JONATHAN0S. Just a heads up, I moved this over to the Apex Legends tech issues board. Can you check something for me? Start up Apex Legends and keep the error message open when it pops up. We'll need to have the app running for this. With Apex Legends still "running" right-click on the volume icon on your Windows task bar and click on Open Sound Settings. Look for the App Volume and Device Preferences under the Advanced Sound Options and click on that. Look for Apex Legends under the list of apps there. Try changing the audio output settings for the game to Default there. Restart the game after that and see if it starts up for you. /Kent

Posible fix for thisFirst of all you need a software called EarTrumpet (Is in the Microsoft store)EarTrumpet is a powerful volume control app for Windows (Allows you to change the output for a specific software easely)1. Start your voice meeter banana2. Configure the hardware output in voice meeter banana (Click the A1 button and select your hardware audio output)3. Set the Voice Meeter Input (VAIO) as the default playback device3. Launch apex legends4. When the error shows dont close it5. In the tray bar you have the EarTrumpet control icon (is the same icon as the Windows audio), click the icon6. At the top of thepanel you have a dropdown menu with the default output click it to show all the active outputs7. Find the apex legends icon and right click it, then click the button with the arrows and select Voice Meeter Input (VAIO) as output8. Close the error popup and launch apex legends againI'm not associated with any of this softwareIm just a user, so use with cautionEdit: The error is because VoiceMeeter open the hardware audio output as "exclusive" modeSo when apex legends try to use that output it can't because is locked

I tried this but it didn't work, then I restarted a few times and changed the USB port that my headset was plugged into and it worked. Not sure if this is a fix but I think you should try this just in case it works.

ok so I found the extended fix for all those who are having this problem while running VB Voicemeeter Banana (VB).This is the usual error for this problem:---------------------------Engine Error---------------------------(7.896) Couldn't intialize sound.Please make sure you have a sound playback device that is enabled and properly configured.Failed in: MilesDriverCreateMiles output follows:Audio Hardware Error: Failed to initialize IAudioClient (shared, event mode, float, chans=2, rate=44100, HR=AUDCLNT_E_DEVICE_IN_USE)Failed to initialized WASAPI audio hardware, trying XAudio.Couldn't create XAudio2 master voice.So the problem that I found is that both apex and VB want to use your priority audio device exclusively, as such when both of those are the same device the one that is opened first will get the priority and the other one will crash/break. if you open vb first it will be fine and apex will crash. if you open apex first vb will break saying that another application has priority.BTW your priority device is the one in your sound settings at the top.So the fix for this is to have those on two separate devices. I use vb to split my audio from desktop and discord, so that i can stream and mute my disc friends who randomly curse while the audience can still listen to the in-game sound.FIX: your priority device in sound settings should not be your headphones/speakers/desktop screen. IT MUST be set to VoiceMeeter Input (VB-Audio VoiceMeeter VAIO). This will therefore set apex to run through VoiceMeeter, which then runs to your headphones.Now the reason this probably happened: most likely if you setup vb you would have already had this setup. However, when you close vb )stop streaming) you realise that you cant hear anything cause your priority device is still VoiceMeeter (however since VoiceMeeter is closed, that audio just goes dead).So in the peoples infinite wisdom they reset that priority device to their headphones (so they can hear sound without VoiceMeeter open), then completely forget that they have done that when they next try to stream and run apex. They open VB, open apex, and get the crash notification, cause they had effectively pre-broken it and then forgotten about itThat is why it goes from working -> broken. instead of just always been broken when they setup VB the first time

I have this "couldn't initialize sound." error as well. It only happens when I am using VB-Voicemeeter Banana. This is the third-party audio software I use for my microphone. There is a "Hardware Out" option in this program and it uses the same playback device (default device) as Apex would use. My Astro headphones. Again only happens when the VB program is running. Any help would be appreciated as I highly value VB and the mic quality it provides me and I love Apex too. Just want them to work in tandem. 😉@EA_Kent EDIT: Have tried all troubleshooting methods I could find in my research. Restarted PC, restarted game, reinstalled, repaired via Origin launcher, unplugged my peripherals, literally everything I could think of.

Apex Legends couldn't initialize sound

73 Replies

EA_Kent
Community Manager
7 years ago
Hey @JONATHAN0S.

Just a heads up, I moved this over to the Apex Legends tech issues board. Can you check something for me? Start up Apex Legends and keep the error message open when it pops up. We'll need to have the app running for this.

With Apex Legends still "running" right-click on the volume icon on your Windows task bar and click on Open Sound Settings. Look for the App Volume and Device Preferences under the Advanced Sound Options and click on that. Look for Apex Legends under the list of apps there. Try changing the audio output settings for the game to Default there. Restart the game after that and see if it starts up for you.

/Kent
SSB_BlueBrain
6 years ago
Hi, I'm having the same issue, and with the workaround i get another error:
---------------------------
Engine Error
---------------------------
(7.896) Couldn't intialize sound.
Please make sure you have a sound playback device that is enabled and properly configured.
Failed in: MilesDriverCreate
Miles output follows:
Audio Hardware Error: Failed to initialize IAudioClient (shared, event mode, float, chans=2, rate=44100, HR=AUDCLNT_E_DEVICE_IN_USE)
Failed to initialized WASAPI audio hardware, trying XAudio.
Couldn't create XAudio2 master voice.
TobiasWheyn
6 years ago
Yeah that didn't work at all.
EA_Kent
Community Manager
6 years ago
Hey there.

When you've got a chance could you grab a DxDiag so we can take a look? You can find more info on how to pull one up over at the EA Help website.

Once you have the file please attach it to this thread. Thanks!

/Kent
Wynteriscoming1
6 years ago
I tried this but it didn't work, then I restarted a few times and changed the USB port that my headset was plugged into and it worked. Not sure if this is a fix but I think you should try this just in case it works.
FlimtotheFlam
6 years ago
Just want to reply to this thread since this is one of the first things to come up on google. The issue for me was actually my microphone. For some reason my output and input were the same. My microphone was not being recognized and cause this error. I just had to unplug my microphone and plug it back in. Then I verified in the App Volume that the output and input were now different.
AR-HuxSaw
6 years ago
I've got the same error as others. I tried changing the settings but didn't work.
DxDiag.txt118 KB
EA_Kent
Community Manager
6 years ago
Hey @AR-HuxSaw.

Are you running any kind of third party audio management software on your PC at all?

/Kent
Reactixn
6 years ago
I have this "couldn't initialize sound." error as well. It only happens when I am using VB-Voicemeeter Banana. This is the third-party audio software I use for my microphone. There is a "Hardware Out" option in this program and it uses the same playback device (default device) as Apex would use. My Astro headphones. Again only happens when the VB program is running. Any help would be appreciated as I highly value VB and the mic quality it provides me and I love Apex too. Just want them to work in tandem. 😉
@EA_Kent
EDIT: Have tried all troubleshooting methods I could find in my research. Restarted PC, restarted game, reinstalled, repaired via Origin launcher, unplugged my peripherals, literally everything I could think of.
EA_Kent
Community Manager
6 years ago
Hey @Reactixn.

If it's only happening when you're running that particular program it might be an issue with compatibility. Unfortunately our options for troubleshooting potential issues with third-party software are pretty limited.

It might be best to reach out to the creator of that software to see if they have any insight on what could be causing the issue. They may have some suggestions on how to fix it as well.

/Kent