Spotify won't play unless Exclusive Mode enabled

[adamyoung]

When using a Jabra headset (Evolve2 75 via Jabra Link 390) audio can only be heard if Exclusive Mode is enabled.  All other apps work without issue.

Any suggestions how to fix this issue?

Plan

Premium

Country

UK

Device

Laptop

Operating System

Windows 11

My Question or Issue

[OscarDC]

Hey @adamyoung,

Thank you for reaching out to the Community and welcome. 

This type of issue may happen because Windows Shared Mode could be rejecting Spotify's audio stream format or routing it incorrectly. So first, we'd recommend:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter to open the legacy Sound Control Panel.
2. Under the Playback tab, right-click your Jabra Link 390 and select Properties.
3. Go to the Advanced tab.
4. Under Default Format, change the drop-down menu to 16-bit or 24-bit, 44100 Hz (CD Quality).
5. Click Apply, then restart Spotify and try playing music with Exclusive Mode disabled. 

If the issue persists, would you mind checking if this happens when using the Web Player?

We'll be waiting for your response. 

[SRicK91]

Hello!

I'm experiencing the same issue, just with a different sound device.

Using the latest Spotify client on an up to date Windows 11 desktop (25H2) with a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx V2 sound card.

I have Spotify on "System Default", but I get this message on any song:

"Can't play this content

Exclusive mode is on, so this content won't play. Turn it off in Settings to keep listening."

Turning Exclusive mode ON lets me play music, but killing every other sound on the system is just not ideal for everyday use.

Your suggestion of changing (lowering!) the sound format made no difference. Tried both 16bit and 24bit 44100 Hz.

The issue is not present in the web player, since that has no Exclusive Mode feature (My guess it's handled on browser level).

I don't expect a "Yes, now this dedicated music player won't play music on some devices because of some bug" response. My work is somewhat customer service too.

Just letting you know it's happening, and I hope my info was useful.

If there's anything I can try, please let me know, until then, I'm gonna wait this one out in the web player.

[AlejaR]

Hey there @SRicK91,

Thanks for your reply here and for the info shared.

This is indeed odd. We'd recommend performing a clean reinstall of the app to see if that makes any difference. By doing that, you can make sure the stored cache is not leading to this behavior.

If the issue persists, we'd like to check:

• The exact Spotify version you're running.
• Did you notice if this started to happen after a specific event, such as an OS update?
• A video recording of this issue. You can attach the video in your next reply in mp4 format or upload it to YouTube or Google Drive and make it public.
  Note: Be aware this is a public space, so please don't share any personal info in the video.

Keep us in the loop!