How can I turn the sound off/on on the background video in Webflow, either natively or through a workaround? It's for a movie site and having audio in the background would be helpful. Should I separate the audio and video and control the audio with a separate HTML 5 to avoid sync issues? Thank you.

You're asking how to control audio (on/off) for a background video in Webflow. Webflow’s native Background Video element does not support sound at all — it’s always muted for browser requirements. Here's how to work around it.

1. Understand Native Limitations

• Webflow’s Background Video automatically plays muted to meet browser autoplay policies.
• Native controls like mute/unmute, volume control, or even playing audio are not available.
• You cannot unmute a Background Video inside of Webflow.

2. Best Workaround: Separate Audio and Video Elements

• Upload the video as a regular video element (not Background Video) if you want sound, but be aware this adds a visible player unless customized.
• Better method:
• Use a Background Video (muted/visual only).
• Upload audio separately as an HTML5 audio element or an embedded audio widget.
• Control the audio element independently (play/pause/mute/unmute) using custom interactions.

3. How to Set it Up

• Add a Background Video element for visuals.
• Add an Embed element (+ key icon) and inside, add a minimal audio player:
• Use an <audio> tag with properties like autoplay, loop, controls, and muted depending on your preference.
• Example attributes inline in discussion (no code blocks):
• <audio src="your-audio-file.mp3" autoplay loop></audio>
• Style the audio player to be hidden if you don't want native browser controls.
• Add a custom Play/Pause button and trigger audio actions through Webflow interactions or tiny bits of JavaScript if needed.

4. Sync Considerations

• Perfect sync between background video and separate audio is difficult.
• Small desyncs may happen over time because:
• Background Video auto-optimizes for playback and isn’t guaranteed to stay frame-perfect.
• Audio and video are managed separately by the browser.
• If perfect sync is absolutely critical (like in a music video), you need to embed a custom HTML5 <video> with audio instead of using Webflow elements.

5. Alternative: Full Custom Video Embed

If syncing must be tight:

• Hide Webflow’s Background Video.
• Use an Embed element for a full <video> tag with controls, autoplay, loop, and muted="false" (though user interaction will usually be required to play audio).
• Styling would be needed to make the custom video behave like a background (fixed size, full screen, z-index behind content).

Summary

Webflow’s native Background Video cannot have sound. The best solution is to separate the audio using a hidden HTML5 <audio> element and control it manually. If perfect sync is needed, replace the Background Video with a custom <video> embed that plays both audio and video together.