If you are seeing an “audio unavailable” message on Instagram in 2023, it typically means the audio file on that post is not working properly. This could be due to a technical issue or copyright restriction. There are a few things you can try to get the audio playing again.
Confirm Your Internet Connection is Working
First, check that you have a stable internet connection. Audio and video files require more bandwidth than plain images or text. Try loading the post while connected to a different WiFi network or your mobile data. If the audio plays normally, then the problem was with your previous connection.
Update the Instagram App
Make sure you are running the latest version of the Instagram app. Open your device’s app store and check for any available updates. The developers often release patches to fix bugs and optimize performance. Installing the newest update may resolve any app glitches that were preventing audio from loading.
Restart the Instagram App
If the app is up to date, try force quitting Instagram and restarting it. On iOS, double tap the home button and swipe up on the Instagram preview to fully close it. On Android, open the app switcher and swipe the Instagram preview off the screen. Then reopen the app and attempt to load the post with audio again. This refreshes the app’s processes and clears out any corrupted data.
Refresh the Post Feed
Pull to refresh your entire Instagram feed, which forces the app to freshly load all the posts. The audio clip on the post may fail to load if the feed is cached. Refreshing gives it another chance to properly load the audio file.
Check If the Original Poster Deleted the Audio
It’s possible the user who made the post decided to remove the audio clip. If it plays normally when you view it directly on their profile, but shows unavailable on your feed, then they likely deleted it after you first loaded the post.
Audio Exceeds Time Limit
Instagram limits audio clips on posts to 15 seconds. If the original audio file exceeds that length, it will fail to load on feeds and profiles with an “audio unavailable” message. The only way to listen is by going directly to the post.
Copyrighted or Restricted Audio
Certain audio tracks are disallowed from being shared on Instagram, usually for copyright reasons. Record labels or artists may issue takedown requests to have their songs removed. If you are certain the audio file itself is not corrupted or deleted, then it was likely blocked for infringement issues.
Report the Bug to Instagram
In some cases, the “audio unavailable” error is simply a bug introduced by a recent Instagram update. Reporting the issue through the app will notify the developers and help identify posts affected by the glitch. To report a bug, go to your profile, tap the menu button, choose Report a Problem, then describe the issue with audio not playing on specific posts.
Ask the Post Creator for a Repost
If you have contacted the original poster and confirmed they did not intentionally remove the audio, ask them to delete the bugged post and re-upload it. This gives the audio file another chance to process and may resolve the loading issue. Be sure they do not modify the clip length or it could trigger restrictions.
View the Post on the Web Version of Instagram
As a workaround, open the post on Instagram.com in your mobile or desktop web browser. This uses a separate version of Instagram that may properly load the audio even if it fails in the native app. If the audio plays normally on the website, the mobile app is likely experiencing a temporary glitch.
Try a Different Mobile Device or Computer
Attempt to play the audio on another phone or tablet to determine if the issue only occurs on your personal device. If you can listen to it on a different gadget, then your Instagram app installation specifically is bugged. At that point, you may need to backup your data and completely uninstall and reinstall Instagram to fix audio playback.
Use a VPN Connection
In rare cases, your geographic region may be blocked from accessing the audio due to licensing restrictions. Try connecting to a VPN that routes your traffic through another country, then open Instagram and reload the post. Audio restricted in your area may play normally when your IP address appears located elsewhere.
Wait for the Poster to Fix It
If the root cause is an error or oversight by the original poster, then there is unfortunately nothing you can do to resolve the audio issue on your end. Reach out politely asking them to look into why the audio is not loading. Then wait patiently for them to re-upload a fixed version that plays properly.
Accept Temporary Outage
Very rarely, Instagram itself suffers an outage that takes audio playback offline. Check third-party sites like Downdetector to see if large numbers of users are reporting problems with Instagram. Try again in a few hours once the service interruption is resolved. These types of platform-wide technical disruptions are typically brief.
Conclusion
With audio or video posts, there are more points of failure that can show the misleading “audio unavailable” message. However, in most cases you can get the audio playing again by updating the app, refreshing the post, trying another device or web browser, or simply waiting for the issue to resolve on Instagram’s end. If the audio was permanently deleted or restricted, the poster themselves needs to upload a new version. Contact the creator directly if the audio fails to load after troubleshooting on your end.