nonaudio

Nonaudio is a term used in digital media to describe content that contains no audible sound. It can refer to media items that have been created or processed without an audio track, including silent video, image slides with captions, and data packages where the audio channel has been removed.

Origin and usage: The term is formed from the prefix non- meaning not and audio, and is used in metadata tagging and workflow labeling. It is not a formal standard across all platforms, but appears in content management systems, streaming workflows, and accessibility documentation to signal the absence of sound.

Applications: In accessibility contexts, nonaudio labeling helps screen readers and captioning systems know to rely on textual or visual information rather than audio. For video producers, nonaudio can indicate intentional silence or emphasize visual storytelling. In streaming and storage, it can accompany optimization decisions where audio data is unnecessary.

Technical considerations: Some file formats allow an audio track to be omitted or removed without breaking playback, while others require compatibility handling. Metadata fields may record no-audio status; players may need to reflect this status in controls and playlists. Transcripts, captions, or descriptions often accompany nonaudio content to convey information otherwise carried by sound.

See also: silent film, captions, transcripts, accessibility, metadata.