Group Session - Volume level is linked across all users on PC

[Emptylord]

Brief description of the issue: We started a group session on our mobile devices (because that's currently the only way we've found to do it). We changed our devices to our respective Computers. However, our volume level is forced to be the same. When we first transitioned, he complained he couldn't hear anything - then he turned it up and deafened me. We then had a fight over the volume slider like we were on a screenshare. We tried to re-create the group several times. We used Windows Volume to circumvent Spotify's volume level but that was awkward. his issue was not present when using the mobile app - we were able to control our volume separately.

All we want to do is be able to listen to the same music at the same time, and also both be able to contribute to the playlist. 

Steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Open the app, take a print screen of the code and send it to your friend.
2. He opened his app and held his camera over the code.
3. We each changed our active device to our computer.

Your device and operating system (e.g. MacBook Air, 10.10 OSX) We are both Windows 10.

Type of Spotify account you have (Free/ Premium): We are both on (separate) Family Premium plans.

The app version of Spotify you’re using: Up to date. 

[OneByBoo]

Hi there @Emptylord

thanks for reaching out to the community !

What's causing the issue here is that if use the group session to play on desktop, switching the volume through the volume slider influences the volume music plays on everyone's device.

Important to mention that, on mobile, you'll be to use that volume slider and control the volume level for your own device normally.

Furthermore, when using Connect from one desktop app to connect to another desktop app, adjusting the volume slider adjusts the overall volume of the device for the device that plays music.

There's an idea you might be interested in supporting here.

However, that doesn't happen if you try to use Connect from the desktop app to a mobile app - the volume slider on the desktop app is grayed out and you need to adjust the volume on the mobile device using the mobile device's volume controls.

If you try to control a desktop app from the mobile app while on Connect, that works too (adjusting the volume from the mobile phone changes the desktop app's volume).

You can also find more info on the Group Sessions here.

Let me know if this had shed some light 🙂

[ChrisJ4231]

• Hello, I am also having this issue with my friends but we are on mobile devices only. It was alarming and is definitely a bad design and makes no sense. 

[Mihail]

Hey @ChrisJ4231,

Thanks for searching for the answer you need here!  

When you join a Group Session only with mobile devices and select to listen On my own device the volume control should not affect other listeners. Could you folks perform a clean reinstall using the steps here and let us know if the issue still persists. Also does it play a difference who created the Group Session? It would be great if you could also post a recording of the problem. You can use the Insert Video option in the post editor to do this. Just make sure to hide any private/sensitive info.

Keep us posted how you get on.