After Effects CS 6 Problems Comparisons

 

i imported a wav file in after effects cs6 and i can't preview it in the program i then changed it to mp3 same prob whats wrong?

This is a really common headache in After Effects CS6—by default, AE doesn’t behave like a video editor (Premiere, for example) when it comes to audio. A few things to check and try:

🔊 Common Fixes for Audio Not Playing in AE CS6

• Preview type matters

  • Hitting spacebar only gives you a visual preview (no audio).

  • To hear sound, you need to use RAM Preview: press 0 (zero) on the numeric keypad.

• Enable audio in the Preview panel

  • Go to the Preview panel (Window > Preview).

  • Make sure the speaker icon is enabled.

• Check the timeline layer

  • Ensure the audio switch (speaker icon) is turned on for your audio layer.

  • Scrub the timeline with Ctrl + drag (Windows) or Cmd + drag (Mac) to hear audio scrubbing.

• Audio hardware settings

  • Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Hardware.

  • Confirm the correct output device (your speakers/headphones) is selected.

• Mute if not real-time

  • In Preferences > Previews, uncheck Mute Audio When Preview Is Not Real-Time.

• File format isn’t the issue

  • Both WAV and MP3 are supported. If neither works, the problem is playback settings, not the file type.

Quick Test

1. Import your audio.

2. Drop it into the timeline.

3. Press 0 on the numpad → you should hear it.

4. If not, check the Preview panel and Audio Hardware settings.

👉 In short: the issue isn’t your WAV/MP3—it’s that AE CS6 doesn’t play audio with the spacebar preview. Use RAM Preview (0) and confirm your audio output device is set correctly