How to set a fixed video volume on YouTube

by Martin Brinkmann on October 12, 2013 in Music and Video 3

I recently noticed a strange behavior on YouTube while playing videos in the Google Chrome web browser. While I was able to change the volume using the slider of the video player interface, I noticed that the volume change would not stick under certain circumstances.

While it remained set to the selected volume level for as long as I remained on the page -- which included playing other video that were linked on that page, for instance in the recommended section -- it would revert to a 100% volume setting the moment I'd leave that page.

I have tested this numerous times and the volume level would always reset itself, Even a page reload of the video that I was watching would reset it.

I tried resetting clearing cookies and other site related bits of data, but to no avail. When I switched web browsers, I noticed that other browsers were not behaving that way. YouTube remembered the volume setting in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

Fixing YouTube's video volume issue

The following explanation provides you with the fix for the issue that I was facing, and then later on with a general tip that allows you to set the volume independently on YouTube.

YouTube saves the volume information in a cookie, which means that the information are lost when the cookie gets deleted or replaced with a new one.

I noticed a cookie icon with a red x next to it in Chrome's address bar.

When you hover over it, you receive information that "this page was prevented from setting cookies".

I have configured Google Chrome to block third party cookies and site data, and the cookie that YouTube sets when you change the volume seems to fall in that category. I'm not 100% sure why it would, but after I disabled the option YouTube would remember the volume setting again.

You have two options to deal with the issue:

1. Allow all third-party cookies and site data.
2. Add YouTube to the exceptions list.

Both settings are configured on the chrome://settings/content page. Just load it in your web browser and locate the cookies settings.

Google Chrome cookie settings

Either uncheck "Block third-party cookies and site data" or, click on Manage exceptions here to add an exception. I would suggest you add an exception instead so that you can block third-party cookies on other sites.

cookie exceptions on YouTube

If you want to add an exception so that YouTube can set third-party cookies and site data, add [*.]youtube.com to the list of exceptions.

Second option

A userscript like YouTube Center can set the volume for videos on YouTube independently of cookie settings. Just install it in Google Chrome, click on the settings button on YouTube that it adds, and select Player > Volume to enable the volume control there and set a default volume that you want for all videos on the site.

You can install the extension by downloading it first, opening Chrome's extension page then (chrome://extensions/), and dragging & dropping the downloaded extension to it to start the installation dialog.