Version .593 auto starts dolby equalizer

[Aaaaq]

Latest version of Spotify premium auto-enables the Dolby atmos equalizer on android 12+ when playback starts. If I turn dolby off from the phone's audio settings, spotify enables it again on the next song it plays. dolby just creates distortions and i don't like what it does to the sound, please address this in your next release,

Thank you.

[OscarDC]

Hey @Aaaaq,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and welcome. 

To start investigating this case, and to make sure we cover all the basics, we'd recommend performing a clean reinstall of the app by following the steps in this article. 

If the issue persists, include in your next response the make, model, and OS version of your device, along with the Spotify version you're currently running to continue investigating the case.

Lastly and if possible, it would also be great if you could record a short video where we can take a better look as we couldn't replicate the behavior from our end. You can attach it to your next response by using the Insert Video option in the post editor. You can also upload it to YouTube or Google Drive and share the link with us (make sure the video has the permissions for anyone to watch it).

We'll be on the lookout. 

[Aaaaq]

Hi,

This issue occurs on all 2025 versions of Spotify.  

I uninstalled the current google play version, and installed an older APK from december 2024 (version .459) and it doesn't enable atmos on playback start.

I have a Sony xperia 1 II with android 12, and that's the only music app that auto enable dolby atmos when music starts playing. This doesn't happen with apple music or internal audio players like poweramp.

[Novy]

Hey @Aaaaq,

Thanks for the reply!

This is odd, especially since Spotify does not support Dolby Atmos at the moment. We'd suggest giving it a try with a different mobile device if possible, just to make sure the issue is not related to your specific device.

Another thing you could try is having someone else, like a friend or a relative, log in to their own account using your device to see if that makes any difference. If this is not possible, you can also create a new account for testing purposes.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

[Aaaaq]

Hi,

Dolby atmos is the default equalizer for most Sony & Samsung devices, spotify supports many external equalizers and directs to them through the playback menu settings. However, Spotify doesn't decode streaming media encoded in atmos (or "spatial sound") which is a completely different feature (think of playing an mp3 vs playing dolby formats like ac3).

Somewhere along the 2025 updates Spotify code started giving a direct command for the device to switch on the equalizer (doesn't matter which equalizer, it can be dolby or any other internal device eq).

[Dessi]

Hey @Aaaaq,

Thanks for the reply!

I tried reproducing the issue on my end, but my Dolby Atmos wasn't auto-enabled after I turned it off manually from my phone's settings. It seems like the equalizer only works when playing through an external device like headphones or a speaker, for example. Can you confirm if you have anything connected when this is happening? In case you have, it's worth disconnecting from the external device you're using to see if that makes a difference.

Let us know how it goes.

[Aaaaq]

Hi,

This happened regardless of external devices being connected or disconnected. Sony devices are capable of using the equalizer with the internal speaker.

Also, spotify 2025 versions don't seem to handle the external equalizer very well, it creates drastic volume changes when transitioning between songs and at the beginning of the playback. Again, spotify 2024 versions do not have this issue.

[Dessi]

Hey @Aaaaq,

Thanks for getting back to us!

As we haven't received any other reports about this, it's worth checking with your device's manufacturer in case they're aware of something that might be causing this.

We’re regularly looking for opportunities to enhance the user experience for everyone, so your feedback on this is greatly appreciated. In the meantime, make sure you're always running the latest version of Spotify so you don't miss out on any updates.

The Community is here if there's anything else you need assistance with.

[Aaaaq]

Hi,

it's not a device issue, already checked that. This happens only on spotify versions 2025 and up, and does not happen on 2024 or earlier versions, or any other music app.

Please forward this to your developers, I'm sure they can solve this.

Thank you.

[Zacabeb]

I'm having the exact same problem on my old Sony Xperia 1, but not on a Sony Xperia 1 IV. Dolby "Atmos" Dynamic mode is enabled automatically when opening Spotify or changing songs.

The same thing seems to have started happening with YouTube lately, so it might be related to some Android API. The problem is that Google doesn't listen to users. If Spotify forwards the issue, maybe it could get fixed.

[indigo444]

Same on a Galaxy S9+ (old I know). Gonna roll back to an older APK cause it's driving me nuts.

[MK3Rebel]

Android 10 user here on a Samsung Galaxy Note9, this issue is driving me NUTS!

[MK3Rebel]

Allow me to show how easily reproducible this is. It's happening to me on an older OS version so clearly this isn't a mobile device issue.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Android 10, latest Spotify version.

[Goofy-nr1]

Hi

I have this issue as well on my xperia 1 v. The volume is all over the place, and the sound quality is kinda poor.

It just happened all of a sudden. 

[Aaaaq]

Seems like a known issue from the replies here, just had to be addressed. This is beyond sound preference, the bug creates serious volume distortions and ruins the listening experience. Please forward this to your developers and keep us posted, Thank you.

[GabryB06]

Hi, I'm having this issue too.

Samung Galaxy A40, Android 11, Spotify version 9.0.44.478

[Ivelina]

Thank you to everyone that's posted in this thread, folks.

We'd like to look further into what's happening here and it would be very helpful if you could send us the make, model and OS-version of your devices, as well as the exact Spotify-version that you're using.

We'll be on the lookout!

[Ghost_Sniper]

Hi, I'm having this issue too. Spotify turns on dolby atmos itself when switching tracks.

Samsung galaxy s9 plus, android 10. Spotify version 9.0.44.478

[Eni]

Hey folks, 

Thanks for all the info you've sent so far. 

We've passed it on to the relevant team to be looked into. We'll keep you posted as soon as we have any updates. 

Cheers! 

[LunarObserver]

Update on Dolby Atmos Auto-Activation Bug (Android + Spotify) 

Hey everyone, 

After extensive testing, I can confirm that the issue occurs when Spotify is set to "Very High" streaming quality. This setting seems to send a system-level signal to trigger the device's default audio enhancer, which on many Samsung and Sony devices is Dolby Atmos. This isn't related to Spotify streaming in Atmos format — it's about how the app interacts with system-level audio processing. 

Key findings: 

The bug does not occur on all devices, only on those where Atmos is deeply integrated into the audio stack as a priority EQ/effect (e.g., Samsung S9+, S22 Ultra, Sony Xperia). 

The problem starts appearing around Spotify version 9.0.32.x to 9.0.34.x, depending on the build. 

Toggling the quality setting to "Very High" triggers the bug. Setting it back to "Automatic" or lower removes the effect. 

This is not a bug with Dolby Atmos per se, but with how Spotify requests the highest-quality output, which some OEMs interpret as a signal to activate audio enhancements. 

We've tested this across multiple versions. Clean versions without the bug include 9.0.30.642, 9.0.32.206, 9.0.32.272, and 9.0.32.468.

Conclusion: Spotify needs to adjust how its app communicates with Android’s audio routing flags — especially for Very High Quality. It should not force or trigger system EQs unless explicitly requested by the user. A fix would likely involve excluding or overriding OEM interpretation of these requests, or at least providing a toggle to opt out of automatic audio routing enhancements. 

Hope this helps others struggling with the same issue. I’ve already reported it to support and shared logs from their test app — hopefully this gains enough traction to be addressed properly.