Stop Website Audio in Chrome: Pause Media or Change Site Sound
By ON Lab · Sources checked November 6, 2026
If you want the current song or video to stop, open Chrome’s Media control at the top right and pause it. If you want to change whether a particular website may play sound, inspect that website’s Sound permission. A playback action and a site permission address different tasks.
Pause current playback
Google documents Media control as a way to pause media, skip to another song or video, or return to the tab playing it. You can use it while viewing another tab. Our suggested acceptance check is to confirm that the intended media item stops, rather than assuming any reduction in noise means you selected the right item.
Inspect one website’s permission
Go to the website. To the left of its address, select View site information → Site settings. Inspect the Sound permission and choose the allowed or blocked behavior you intend. Google documents site-specific settings as overriding defaults and saving automatically.
Our suggested check is to record the website address and its original permission first. After changing it, check the same media on that website. If you later want sound back, revisit that same site’s setting and compare the saved value with your intended choice.
Use a default rule only for a default intention
Google gives this route for the overall rule: Settings → Privacy and security → Site settings → Additional content settings → Sound. Select the default option you want. If your problem concerns one website, a different global default is a broader change than that task requires.
Keep the desired result precise
For example, stopping a reference video while you make a call is a playback task. Preventing sound from one website is a permission task. Neither action establishes that captions have been disabled, a microphone has been disconnected, or a video has been prevented from loading.
This guide also does not establish independent muting of two tabs from the same website or guarantee continued background playback. If that is your requirement, record it explicitly before choosing a control. Experimental flags and extensions are outside this procedure.
Scope: Chrome’s documented media and Sound-permission controls. No repair of missing operating-system audio, site-specific player defects, or universal autoplay behavior is claimed.