'Offline' Message In Reaper - How to Fix It

Reaper often shows just the scary message of "Offline" in a track where your audio just was. This can be a panic moment if you've just spent hours recording that audio. People ask me about this a lot. Fortunately, this issue is (99% of the time) a super easy fix. In fact it isn't really a "fix" at all. Reaper simply displays this on tracks every time you click outside of the Reaper Window. For example, if you want to check email or open another program, this will happen. You can get your audio back (it never went anywhere!) simply by clicking your mouse back onto the Reaper window.

[sgguitar]

Did not help at all. Still says offline.

[ARE_YOU_SICK_OF_YT_CENSORSHIP]

or simply untick the option 'Set media items offline when application is not active' at Preferences -> Media
the feature has its use, when a media item is set offline its source can be deleted from disk (or otherwise manipulated i guess, like inside a 3d party editor) even though it's loaded into the program, otherwise it's locked

[mhov]

so, this happened to me, but I needed to do this: click on the take that says "OFFLINE", go to "Item settings" and then click on "Force media offline". After doing this the take should now say "FORCED OFFLINE" (instead of just "Offline"). Then you click again on the take, go to "Item settings" and this time you click on "Force inactive take media offline". This opens a window and you just need to click on "Browse File" and choose the file that you used and want back. Done. Now the take should appear again, with the same trims, cuts, edits. Hope it worked out :)

[shadowbanned]

Also if you see the message "FORCED OFFLINE" simply click on "item" select "item settings" then untick "force media offline"

[MarkRhodesSongs]

Thanks, Ken. This happened to me and I thought I’d lost a song!

[fated]

what about when uploading media files mine are saying offline even on the screen

[danielfeatherstone]

I have this problem when I open a plugin window and then i can't use the transport control at the same time. Infruriating

[MildredStain]

But but but I wanna know why? LOL
I have to admit when I first started using Reaper way back when? it did catch my attention. But I quickly realized when it was happening. Just not LOL Thanks for your videos. :-)

[jessicapsalmist]

It didn't help and still the file is offline

[j-nas]

I have clicked and nothing happens. It is still offline. I keep mixing the song all over again. Its annoying. Its a stupid app

[DaTLMusic]

I've imported an mp3 from the same location as two other files, but only this one is showing as offline. When I go to item>source properties it says "unknown file header". Not sure how to fix it. I've moved it to other locations and changed the file name and I'm just lost

[joabmonk]

Not really cuz mine blinks every 5 seconds

[mamandapanda]

Thank you, but I came here because it's doing it for an mp4, that plays in other players, but won't even if I click back in the window on Reaper, and have the video window up. It's driving me insane. This file is on my computer.

[TheSeventhNotes]

But why reaper shows some audio offline which are of very less storage. I recorded my keyboard in my pc sound recorder but when I import it in reaper it shows offline. The same problem I am facing with my phone i make some beats on bandlab app but when I import it to reaper it again shows my audio as offline. Sir Please 🙏🙏🙏 make a video on this to fix it

[e_lak]

Je comprends pas l'anglais et j'ai se problème je sais pas comment le résoudre

[AndyLi]

I've tried to insert an mp3 into reaper, and it shows offline. I tried what you did but it doesnt solve the problem. Weird thing is I managed to insert an mp3 last week and it shows offline too, but ultimately I managed to get it 'online'.. and I forgot Another funny thing is, old mp3s won't have this problem....

[a.money]

This didn’t help. PLS HELP!!! When I insert mp3 media files like beats it says OFFLINE and I can’t find a way to not make it offline. AND after I finish I recording it says offline. It started doing this last year