Poor audio volume using Android Auto and Spotify

[dstskp]

Hi,

I use my Andoid phone in my car via Android Auto

Google Pixel 3aXL

Andrid version 9

Spotify version 8.5.17.676

Vauxhall Astra - 

Unit R4.0 

HW version: E2
SW versiom: IP25.1.1(1.25.1.10)A
IPL version: 1.0.0.0

The volume on Spotify is very low. Other music streaming apps i have (Plex) seems to be fine, but spotify is very low

I've seen a few people have this issue, so i've tried toggling the following options:

Normalise volume

Different EQ settings

Setting volume to loud

High quality (at least)

Downloading playlists

Disabling EQ

What gets me is that when you play a song, its quiet. If i skip throug tracks, the first second is loud (well, would be normal volume, but as my stereo is set very high to hear it, its very loud) and then it goes back to being quiet. This is for all tracks!

If i change the bluetooth volume on my phone, as although it connecte via USB, i believe all audio goes through bluetooth still, it makes no difference. Loud, quiet, silent, music plays at the same volume

On a different note, if i change the audio input whiel using Spotify, to DAB radio say, toggle through FM, AM etc kac to USB (AA) there is no longer any sound from any app - Google maps stops talking to you, Spotify is playing, but you cant hear it. Activating the Googler assistant voice command doesnt make the beep sound to say its ready for a command, its completely dead.

The only ways i have found around this is to remove the USB cable from my phone, plug it back in and re-lauch AA. Not ideal, plus if you do this a few times AA just completely stops coming up on the car ehad unit, until the car is turned off and started again.

The other way seems to be to pause Spotify, open Plex, play a song, pause it, play it, and then i can hear that song. I can then stop Plex songs, toggle back to Spotify and play, and hey presto i can hear Spotify, Google Maps starts talking to me again (telling me ive gone the wrong way from fking aroudn with the screen for too long)

Not great

Anybody have any similiar issues or advise, im all ears please!!

[GomezSpot]

I am seeing the same, exact issue.

[Eoghy]

Same problem. Is there a fix for this?

[GomezSpot]

I had a similar issue.  I was able to resolve the issue by uninstalling and reinstalling the Spotify app.  I have a Pixel 3XL, not the 3aXL, but I don't know if that will make a difference.

[dmccord2003]

I had a similar issue with my Vauxhall Intellilink system. Tried everything that was mentioned above. I managed to fix it though by turning off the Adapt Sound on my galaxy s10 under settings > sound and vibration > sound quality and effects. Seems to restrict the volume if you are of a certain age!

[AlBou1977]

Having same issue, sound from Spotify using AA is lower than radio at same volume.

Tryed some tips : disable routing audio USB in dev options, disable audio effect, ect ... nothing works.

Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro latest update and AA latest revision.

[niander]

Having the exactly same problem! And I have just noticed how this happens when I started using YouTube Music as well. After some testing I can now see how the first seconds if not milliseconds are ok but then the volume and sound quality get worse.

[Jeremy]

Hi there folks,

Thank you for your posts in the Community.

Can you do the following:

• Make sure your app and devices’ software are up-to-date
• Make sure your device is connected to the internet
• Restart the app
• Restart your car (by turning the ignition off then on again)
• If possible, delete the Spotify app then reinstall it

If you experience this with different apps it might be a good idea to contact Android support.

If that doesn't do the trick, can you send us a recording when you use Spotify and another app so that we can here the difference directly from your end?

We'll keep an eye out for your replies.

Take care!

[BigTuna40]

Been looking for a resolution to this for years. I tried all the useless fixes like restarting and updating app, etc. Tried different phones in different vehicles and all the same. Radio volume and other app volume is normal, switch to Spotify and it is like half volume. Searched online for fixes multiple times and adjusted every audio setting I could find. Nothing makes a difference. It is Spotify for sure. Played same song in car on both Spotify and Amazon Music. Amazon is noticeably louder, about the same volume as radio. Spotify is much quieter. You shouldn't have to turn up your volume to 40 to listen to Spotify and then back down to 8 so you don't blow your ears out when you listen to any other source.  

[Henrico_cigars]

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[sheesh_44]

Instead of asking for verification of problem, which has been mentioned by many across different car/phone models, perhaps you can suggest some other solution apart from above (which many have already said they've tried and found to not work).

[manyluv]

Speaking from an audio engineering experience: I have the same issues, but don't think is in the car only.

When I master songs for Spotify distribution, I have to take into account that Spotify normalizes all songs at the source at -14db.

This is for audio safety reasons, and to avoid any kind of clipping on any device.

But each streaming app has its own decibel policies, from what I know Spotify has the lowest volume as output, as it's the most used audio streaming platform on the planet and it wants to be sure all songs play great.

Now, when we are at home, or running with earbuds, we don't notice that, just because you don't switch between different sources. 

So, I guess it's not something it can be fixed anytime soon.

From my experience with my latest car (Peugeot 2008 1.5HDI Allure) and my phones (Xiaomi Redmi 8Pro and iPhone SE 2022) both CarPlay and AA sound way fatter and louder when streaming via USB cable than Spotify directly via Bluetooth.

One thing you can try tweaking a bit is the EQ. Every car got its own EQ on the radio+Spotify has its own+your phone has its own=3 EQs sound awful. You just have to leave 1 on and turn all the others off. My advice is to turn off your phone EQ and also the Spotify EQ, and rely solely on your car EQ, as in any effects cascade, the final output is the one able to better command the optimal hearable sound.

Hope it helps!

P.S. I guess if you have one of the latest car models with all the bells and whistles and the interactive panel directly streaming audio apps via your car ( vs connecting through your phone) it should definitely sound better and louder, as in any chain, the more nodes you put, the weaker.

[sheesh_44]

Thanks for all the info you provided.  Just wanted to comment on the point of Spotify normalising the music.  Not sure how true this is because one of my other peeves is that song volume changes on playback even when I have normalise setting set to on.

[Ibanez1769]

It's crappy Android Auto's volume control. If you play spotify alone through Bluetooth the audio is great, but as soon as Android auto starts volume drops because it takes over. Currently trying to find a way to exempt spotify to run independent from Android auto

[Metalbrat]

It has got nothing to do with phone models. I had the same problem with my earlier Xiaomi Android phone one year before but it was automatically resolved after a month. Maybe it had something to do with Spotify updates. Now i have changed my phone to Vivo Android and i am facing same issue.

[JenBev]

I seem to be having the exact same issue after a Spotify update. Returning Spotify equalizer settings to normal has helped a bit with the sound quality reduction using android auto. Annoying though because I like to boost the bass.

[FerdieSchoeman]

Same problem but I think it is the relationship between Android Auto and Spotify. If I Play Spotify music in my car directly through Bluetooth and not through Android Auto the sound volume is very close to the Radio or other source media. Once I connect Android Auto and play Spotify it is I would say half the volume it should be.

[JenBev]

I am having the same issue with android auto and spotify. Disabling the equalizer helps with the volume reduction but then I lose the extra bass that I love .

[grfxguy53]

After trying all the other proposed solutions I could find on various forums, this is what worked for me.

1. On your Android phone, open Spotify and start playing anything.

2. Now go your phone's volume settings. When Spotify is playing it will add it's own level control to the volume settings. Adjust that and you should get your volume back on Android Auto. I would suggest starting with about 70% and adjust from there.

[BigTuna40]

Adjust volume in android volume settings or in the spotify app?