diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/audioMixer.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/audioMixer.ts
index 1730f45d8..05bf083cb 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/audioMixer.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/audioMixer.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function formatFilterNumber(value: number): string {
 }
 
 function escapeExpressionCommas(expression: string): string {
-  return expression.replace(/,/g, "\\,");
+  return expression.replace(/\\/g, "\\\\").replace(/,/g, "\\,");
 }
 
 function buildVolumeExpression(track: AudioTrack): string {
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.test.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.test.ts
index 04d363465..c83d55048 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.test.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   compileForRender,
   detectRenderModeHints,
   detectShaderTransitionUsage,
+  discoverAudioVolumeAutomationFromTimeline,
   inlineExternalScripts,
   recompileWithResolutions,
 } from "./htmlCompiler.js";
@@ -795,3 +796,72 @@ describe("text-rendering rule injection", () => {
     expect(compiled.html.replace(/\s+/g, "")).toContain("text-rendering:geometricPrecision");
   });
 });
+
+describe("discoverAudioVolumeAutomationFromTimeline", () => {
+  it("samples video-derived audio volume without firing GSAP callbacks", async () => {
+    class TestAudioElement {}
+    class TestVideoElement {
+      id = "bg-video";
+      dataset = { start: "0", duration: "1", volume: "0" };
+      volume = 0;
+    }
+
+    const video = new TestVideoElement();
+    const seekCalls: { time: number; suppressEvents: boolean | undefined }[] = [];
+    const previousWindow = globalThis.window;
+    const previousDocument = globalThis.document;
+    const previousAudioElement = globalThis.HTMLAudioElement;
+    const previousVideoElement = globalThis.HTMLVideoElement;
+
+    globalThis.window = {
+      __timelines: {
+        root: {
+          totalTime: (time: number, suppressEvents?: boolean) => {
+            seekCalls.push({ time, suppressEvents });
+            video.volume = Math.min(1, Math.max(0, time));
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    } as any;
+    globalThis.document = {
+      querySelector: (selector: string) =>
+        selector === "[data-composition-id]"
+          ? { getAttribute: (name: string) => (name === "data-composition-id" ? "root" : null) }
+          : null,
+      getElementById: (id: string) => (id === "bg-video" ? video : null),
+    } as any;
+    globalThis.HTMLAudioElement = TestAudioElement as any;
+    globalThis.HTMLVideoElement = TestVideoElement as any;
+
+    try {
+      const page = {
+        evaluate: async (fn: (arg: unknown) => unknown, arg: unknown) => fn(arg),
+      } as any;
+
+      const result = await discoverAudioVolumeAutomationFromTimeline(
+        page,
+        ["bg-video-audio"],
+        1,
+        2,
+      );
+
+      expect(result).toEqual([
+        {
+          id: "bg-video-audio",
+          keyframes: [
+            { time: 0, volume: 0 },
+            { time: 0.5, volume: 0.5 },
+            { time: 1, volume: 1 },
+          ],
+        },
+      ]);
+      expect(seekCalls.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(seekCalls.every((call) => call.suppressEvents === true)).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      globalThis.window = previousWindow;
+      globalThis.document = previousDocument;
+      globalThis.HTMLAudioElement = previousAudioElement;
+      globalThis.HTMLVideoElement = previousVideoElement;
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
index cbf203dbc..dfd77acba 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
@@ -1155,9 +1155,9 @@ export async function discoverAudioVolumeAutomationFromTimeline(
 
       const seekTl = (t: number) => {
         if (typeof tl.totalTime === "function") {
-          tl.totalTime(t, false);
+          tl.totalTime(t, true);
         } else if (typeof tl.seek === "function") {
-          tl.seek(t, false);
+          tl.seek(t, true);
         }
       };
 
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.test.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e26416b25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "bun:test";
+import { hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation } from "./probeStage.js";
+
+describe("hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation", () => {
+  it("ignores non-script volume text", () => {
+    expect(
+      hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(
+        `<style>.volume-control { opacity: 1; }</style><script>const level = 1;</script>`,
+        1,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("detects direct media volume writes", () => {
+    expect(hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(`<script>audio.volume = 0.5;</script>`, 1)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("detects GSAP volume tweens", () => {
+    expect(
+      hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(`<script>gsap.to(audio, { volume: 1 });</script>`, 1),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("requires audio metadata", () => {
+    expect(
+      hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(`<script>gsap.to(audio, { volume: 1 });</script>`, 0),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.ts
index 00349b686..c67333fdf 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/probeStage.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,22 @@ export interface ProbeStageResult {
   browserProbeMs: number;
 }
 
+export function hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(html: string, audioCount: number): boolean {
+  if (audioCount <= 0) return false;
+
+  const scriptBodies = [...html.matchAll(/<script\b[^>]*>([\s\S]*?)<\/script>/gi)]
+    .map((match) => match[1] ?? "")
+    .join("\n");
+  if (!scriptBodies) return false;
+
+  return (
+    /\.\s*volume\s*=/i.test(scriptBodies) ||
+    /\b(?:gsap|tl|timeline|tween)\s*\.\s*(?:to|fromTo|set)\s*\([\s\S]{0,2000}\bvolume\s*:/i.test(
+      scriptBodies,
+    )
+  );
+}
+
 export async function runProbeStage(input: ProbeStageInput): Promise<ProbeStageResult> {
   const {
     projectDir,
@@ -109,10 +125,10 @@ export async function runProbeStage(input: ProbeStageInput): Promise<ProbeStageR
 
   const probeStart = Date.now();
   const hasAutoStartVideos = compiled.html.includes("data-hf-auto-start");
-  const hasScriptedAudio =
-    composition.audios.length > 0 &&
-    /<script\b/i.test(compiled.html) &&
-    /\b(?:volume|data-volume)\b/i.test(compiled.html);
+  const hasScriptedAudio = hasScriptedAudioVolumeAutomation(
+    compiled.html,
+    composition.audios.length,
+  );
   const needsBrowser =
     composition.duration <= 0 ||
     compiled.unresolvedCompositions.length > 0 ||