Ensure <video> or <audio> Elements Do Not Autoplay Audio for More Than 3 seconds Without a Control Mechanism to Stop or Mute the Audio

Web accessibility standards state that <video> or <audio> elements should not autoplay audio for more than three seconds without a control mechanism to stop or mute the audio.

Why It Matters

People who are blind or have low vision and rely on screen readers can find it difficult to hear the software’s speech output if there is other audio playing at the same time. 

If audio that plays automatically lasts more than three seconds, an easily located, accessible mechanism must be provided to pause or stop the audio or control the audio volume. This ensures screen reader users can hear the screen reader without other sounds playing.

Fixing the Issue

Fix this issue by using ONE of the following techniques:

• Only start audio by an action initiated by the user (strongly preferred).
• Stop the auto-playing audio within three seconds.
• Provide an easily located, accessible mechanism to stop, pause, mute, or adjust volume for audio that automatically plays for more than 3 seconds.

Test Cases

For more examples, visit the W3C’s GitHub’s ATC Rules library.