Spotify not using correct audio output from the start

[matdorsz]

Plan

Premium

Country

Poland

Device

PC + S.M.S.L DL200 DAC via USB (but with the same exact problem via coax connection)

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

I'm having troubles with Spotify app output device after every launch. My default device is set in windows settings (USB DAC), but whenever I'm running spotify it plays through my monitor speakers first. Only after I change output to the monitor and back to DAC sounds plays through right output. It's extremally annoing. I've alreadt tried to even disable all other outputs, but then Spotify displays info that it cannot play selected song right now (for all songs ofc...). Please help me figure it out.

[Yordan]

Hi @matdorsz!

Could you check if the correct output device is set for Spotify? You'll find a detailed guide on how to do that here.

In case the device is automatically reset to your monitor speakers when you open Spotify, check if you have any other software installed that may have control over the output device (such as your DAC's settings), as it's possible they have a feature which changes the audio output device when you launch a certain app (in this case Spotify).

Keep me posted on this. Cheers!

[matdorsz]

Hi @Yordan,

Yes, I've checked this before - Spotify settings are set to default device. When i changed it to DAC - it played on monitor speakers regardles of chosen output on windows. As for external apps - after reading your suggestion I've installed driver for my DAC (XMOS USB DAC driver) - it does resolve the issue, but only in a certain way that for me is not acceptable - I'd need to switch to USB 1.1 mode to use the driver - but it drops the sound bitrate from 384 to 48.

Happy to try some other suggestions if you have any 🙂

Cheers!

Mateusz

[Yordan]

Hey again Mateuz!

I think the issue is coming from the sample rate you've set for your DAC, as Spotify supports a sample rate of up to 192 kHz. Could you confirm that everything works fine on your end if you set your DAC to anywhere between 44.1 and 192 kHz?

At the moment, you don't necessarily need a high sample rate for Spotify, since Premium offers an audio quality of up to 320 kbps, so running 44.1 or 48 kHz would be just fine.

@matdorsz

[SamuraiKal]

Plan

Premium

Country

USA

Device

Desktop

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

Spotify doesn't load the correct audio output on startup and sometimes after running for a long time.  It will choose a device I don't use as its output . I go to the volume mixer in Windows and see that it has "Default" selected for Spotify's output, I change the dropdown for Spotify to any device, then change it back to "Default", and it starts working.  Spotify is the only application I have this issue with.  This started happening months ago (maybe December or January) and I've been hoping it would get fixed with an update, but it is persisting.

The audio output device I use is a Creative Labs Sound BlasterX G6.

[SamuraiKal]

@Yordan - I'm not sure why Spotify would care what bit rate the audio driver is outputting on initial startup, when it outputs to that audio driver just fine after swapping it back and forth in the volume mixer.  Every other app on my computer outputs at whatever rate it supports, and the audio driver handles the difference.  Having the audio driver at a higher bitrate than the applications allows the audio driver to translate the waveforms more precisely even if the input bitrate is lesser and the audio is noticeably cleaner.  This issue also didn't happen until an update in November-January (I'm not sure exactly when since it's been so long ago).

[omgacat520]

Agree with SamuraiKal here, I can "force" spotify to play and it sounds noticeably better after forcing it, and it should just work out of the box imo.

[New user]

On my windows 10 laptop sound output is my ue boom 2 speaker, not my headphones however when I play music the sound is played through my headphones. When I unplug my headphones there is no sound being played on any audio devise at all. However playing on any other website or app it will play on my ue boom 2 speaker or whatever devise I have selected for my sound output which doesn't happen on spotify.

[Pavelicii]

I resolved the issue by disabling audio enhancements in the Windows sound settings for the device.