My microphone isn't working in Web Studio

If your microphone isn't picking up sound in Web Studio, work through this checklist in order.

Check these, in order

1. Did your browser block microphone access? If Web Studio couldn't get permission, you'll see a message asking you to allow microphone access in your browser settings. Check your browser's site permissions for ApexStream and make sure microphone access is allowed, then reload.
2. Is your microphone already in use by another app? If another program has your microphone open, Web Studio will show a hardware-in-use message. Close the other app and try again.
3. Is a microphone actually connected? If Web Studio can't detect any microphone at all, it'll tell you no device was found. Check that it's plugged in, then reload the page.
4. Is the wrong microphone selected? If you have more than one microphone connected, open Settings and check the Microphone Source dropdown to make sure the right one is selected. During pre-flight, watch the mic level meter — if it isn't moving while you talk, you've likely got the wrong device picked.
5. Are you muted? Check the mic button in the bottom bar, or press the M keyboard shortcut to toggle it — it's an easy thing to miss mid-broadcast.
6. Did Web Studio block you from going live over audio processing? Web Studio requires its background noise suppression to be running before you can broadcast. If it fails to start — which is rare and usually only happens in an unsupported browser — ApexStream refuses to start the broadcast rather than send unprocessed audio, and shows a message asking you to reload the page or try a different browser. Doing either almost always fixes it.

Good to know: Noise suppression isn't something you turn on — it runs automatically every time you go live. If it can't start, that's the most likely reason a broadcast is blocked even though your microphone otherwise looks fine.