HBO Max audio issues

Audio for shows and movies on HBO Max is available in stereo, 5.1 surround sound, or Dolby Atmos depending on your subscription plan. By default, HBO Max automatically plays the highest quality audio available for your device and subscription plan.

To change the audio language, go to Subtitles, captions, and audio.

Dolby Q&A

You can watch select titles with Dolby Atmos audio on supported devices with the Premium plan. To find out if a title is available in Dolby Atmos, choose the title in HBO Max and look for Dolby Atmos on the description screen.

Supported Dolby Atmos devices

All devices must support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 (your TV, streaming device, audio/video receiver, cables, adapters, and any other connected devices).

Amazon Fire TV
Android TVs
Apple TV 4K
AirPlay 2 compatible device
4K LG TVs
Hisense VIDAA TVs
iPhone and iPad
Samsung 4K TVs

Troubleshooting

Before you begin, try playing a different show or movie. If the sound issue is limited to a particular show or movie, please contact us and let us know.

If you're still having audio issues, choose your device below:

Try switching the audio setting on your device to stereo sound. To do this, on your Amazon Fire TV go to Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > Dolby Digital Output and then choose Dolby Digital Plus OFF.

More things to try:

Update the HBO Max app. To do this, open the app store on your device and search for HBO Max. If there's an app update available, choose update or download. For more help, find your device on the Troubleshoot HBO Max page.
Restart your device. Unplug your streaming device (e.g., Apple TV), wait a minute, and plug it back in again.
Disconnect and reconnect both ends of your HDMI cable.
Try reversing the ends of your HDMI/optical cable or try using a different cable.
Try using another HDMI port on your TV or receiver.
Make sure your TV monitor and sound system also support Dolby Atmos audio.

Note For Dolby Atmos audio, all devices must support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 (your TV, streaming device, audio/video receiver, cables, adapters, and any other connected devices).

By default, Apple TV uses the best audio format available. If surround sound isn't working, try changing the audio format to Dolby Digital 5.1. To do this, on your Apple TV go to Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Format and turn on Change Format. Here you can choose Dolby Digital 5.1 (instead of Use Best Available).

If changing the audio format to Dolby Digital 5.1 doesn't help, try changing the Audio Format to Stereo. For more info about audio settings, go to Apple's Play audio in Dolby Atmos or surround sound article.

More things to try:

Update the HBO Max app. To do this, open the app store on your device and search for HBO Max. If there's an app update available, choose update or download. For more help, find your device on the Troubleshoot HBO Max page.
Restart your device. Unplug your streaming device (e.g., Apple TV), wait a minute, and plug it back in again.
Disconnect and reconnect both ends of your HDMI cable.
Try reversing the ends of your HDMI/optical cable or try using a different cable.
Try using another HDMI port on your TV or receiver.
Make sure your TV monitor and sound system also support Dolby Atmos audio.

Note For Dolby Atmos audio, all devices must support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 (your TV, streaming device, audio/video receiver, cables, adapters, and any other connected devices).

Here are some things to try:

Try switching the audio on your device to stereo sound.
Update the HBO Max app. To do this, open the app store on your device and search for HBO Max. If there's an app update available, choose update or download. For more help, find your device on the Troubleshoot HBO Max page.
Restart your device. Unplug your streaming device (e.g., Apple TV), wait a minute, and plug it back in again.
Disconnect and reconnect both ends of your HDMI cable.
Try reversing the ends of your HDMI/optical cable or try using a different cable.
Try using another HDMI port on your TV or receiver.
Make sure your TV monitor and sound system also support Dolby Atmos audio.

Note For Dolby Atmos audio, all devices must support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 (your TV, streaming device, audio/video receiver, cables, adapters, and any other connected devices).

'There's a problem with your device setup' message

If you're getting this message, go to Device setup error.