Windows shows multiple audio output from Spotify

[Apollo-Roboto]

Plan

Premium

Country

Canada

Operating System

Windows 10

My Question or Issue

Windows shows multiple audio output from Spotify, usually 2 to 3, only one of them actually outputs audio. I find it annoying as I often use the sound mixer for all my applications.

I'll attach a picture from the game bar (Win+G) and the sound mixer.

[awdawdwda2322333]

Yeah it's still an issue and I will keep bumping this thread for everyone.

Going to add some phrases here so people google searching will also find this thread.

Multiple Spotify sources, elgato multiple spotify, streamdeck spotify multiple, streamdeck+ spotify multiple, streamdeck spotify problem, streamdeck spotify issue, stream deck spotify multiple, stream deck spotify problem, more than one spotify in game bar, more than one spotify in windows volume mixer, multiple spotify windows volume mixer

[Yordan]

Thanks for the reports everyone!

Our tech folks are still looking into this. In the meantime, if there's only one additional copy of Spotify in the App volume and device preferences list, could you try the following to see if it helps:

Spoiler

1. With Spotify running, open Task Manager and switch to the Details tab.
2. Locate the Spotify.exe process that has the following command line:
   
   

   "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Spotify.exe" --type=utility --utility-sub-type=audio.mojom.AudioService --lang=en-US --service-sandbox-type=audio --string-annotations=is-enterprise-managed=yes --user-data-dir="C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\​

   
   Tip: if you don't see the Command line column, right-click on one of the columns at the top > Select column > make sure Command line is ticked.
   
   
3. This should remove the extra copy of Spotify. I'd also recommend toggling on Close button should minimize the Spotify window from the app's settings so that you don't have to restart the app and repeat this every time you close the window.

As always, we'll keep you posted as soon as we have any updates, stay tuned 👍

[12128498816]

I too am having this problem.

[awdawdwda2322333]

Looks like it was finally possibly fixed?  As of yesterday, I only show 1 Spotify source in my volume mixer.  Can anyone else confirm its fixed for them?

[12128498816]

Nope, not fixed for me on Spotify for Windows (64 bit) 1.2.52.442.g01893f92

[awdawdwda2322333]

Working for me on Spotify for Windows (64 bit)
1.2.52.442.g01893f92

I will update again if it reverts

[Vasil]

Hey folks!

Checking in to see if this issue remains for anyone in the thread 🙂 
In case it does, please let us know what your app version is, alongside your OS version.
Many thanks!

@awdawdwda2322333 @12128498816 
@Apollo-Roboto @tschoe18 

[apillar-au]

Nope, not fixed for me on Spotify for Windows (64 bit) 1.2.55.235.g5eaa0904

[Vasil]

Hey folks!

Thanks for the reports, this should now be resolved for everyone 🙂
If you still experience this try clearing your app's cached data and performing a complete clean reinstall of the app.
Make sure all your drivers and the firmware of your external speakers are up to date.

In case this doesn't help, share with us your device, OS version and Spotify app version, as well as what your external speakers are and what codecs they are using. Refer to the last screenshot in the thread for the latter.

Many thanks! We'll be on the lookout 🙌🏼

[masterofalljoes]

Hey, this still isn't fixed. Cleared cache, clean reinstall, no change.

From what I can tell, when Spotify is not open, Stream Deck only shows "Spotify" as an option for the dial menu. After Spotify is open and a song is playing, Stream Deck can then also see "2-Spotify" as an option for the dial menu. In my experience, if "Spotify" is selected for the dial menu, the visual icon for it in the touch strip is a light grey version of the square Spotify logo. If "2-Spotify" is selected, the visual icon for that appears in the standard Spotify green brand color. To me, this suggests that Stream Deck is pulling some other Spotify application that does not exclusively control the volume mixer function for Spotify.

At no point is there a second option for Spotify in the volume mixer menu. Hope this helps with the troubleshooting.

[masterofalljoes]

Here is the latest from this morning. I've had "2-Spotify" set on the dial menu since yesterday because that was working.

This morning, I booted the computer up and hit the Spotify button on my stream deck that opens the program and loads the Spotify profile with all the buttons. "2-Spotify" is greyed out. Remember from my last post, it was "Spotify" that would be greyed out but "2-Spotify" was always green.

I haven't see this error message before either:

Unable to connect to the audio router.

You can manually start the audio router by opening 'C:\Program Files\Elgato\Volume Controller\ElgatoAudioControlServer.exe'.

I did what the error said, closed and reopened Stream Deck but nothing happened.

 

[masterofalljoes]

Tried again today and was met with a different set of circumstances. Not sure why.

I booted up my PC and this time, my Spotify multi-action button wouldn't open the Spotify app. The manual software detection volume controller on the dial menu wasn't showing an error. It looked normal, as if I had just added it for the first time, with no application selected in the drop-down menu.

I checked my Spotify profile on Stream Deck (the standard one that you can download from Stream Deck Marketplace) and it had an error saying that no such application for Spotify existed at the previously set location. I tried to find the spotify.exe file but I couldn't. That prompted me to uninstall and reinstall Spotify again. I read that depending on whether you download the spotify app from the Windows Store or directly from Spotify, the location where the app is saved changes. I re-downloaded it directly from Spotify since that installation location made more since and would be easier to find.

I could select the application in Stream Deck now so that worked but the multi-action button to open Spotify and switch to my Spotify Profile in Stream Deck still wasn't opening the app. So then I created a shortcut of the app and pointed Stream Deck to the shortcut to open that instead. That worked, but I had to redo all of my Spotify BarRaider connections and manually readd all of my Start Playlist buttons, which was a pain.

I was also able to set Spotify to the volume controller. As you can see in the image, I still have options for "Spotify" and "2-Spotify", the latter of which is the only one that works and only appears after I've played a song on Spotify. Hopefully this holds but I have no idea why any of this occurred this way.

[Vasil]

Hey @masterofalljoes,

Thanks for the detailed post and for sharing your issue with the Community!
I believe your best course of action in this situation would be to reach out directly to the Stream Deck manufacturer, which by the looks of things is Elgato. Hopefully they'd have some further insight into what might have gone wrong here.

Feel free to circle back with us after this! We're here for you in case there's anything else in the meantime 🙂

[awdawdwda2322333]

noooooooooooooooooooooooooo the dreaded second Spotify in windows volume controller returned today:/

Spotify for Windows (64 bit)
1.2.66.447.g4e37e896

[Ivelina]

Hey again @awdawdwda2322333,

Thank you for returning in the thread and for sending us the app version.

We had a look, but there don't seem to be other recent similar reports of this and it doesn't seem to be a trending issue at the moment. With this said, we suspect that there may be an issue with your current setup.

Could you let us know if you've performed any troubleshooting steps lately after the most recent app update and if anything made a difference for you? Did the behavior reoccur after the update?

We'll be on the lookout for your response. 

[awdawdwda2322333]

It went back to normal today.  No idea why.  I'll take it, since it had been fixed for months.  Thank you!

[Susan_GP]

Hi @awdawdwda2322333,

Thanks for keeping us updated.

We're glad to know everything is working now. If you ever need help with this or anything else, don't hesitate to let us know.

Cheers!

[Tarakesh83]

Worked for a while here but now its way worse than before.

Sometimes the app is switching outputs villy nilly even in the middle of a song.

Then i have to do up to 5 restarts to get it back on the output i want but even then it sometimes starts playing on the wrong output and only switches after a couple of seconds.

Also volume slider in the app is completly useless, does nothing.

App version Spotify for Windows (64 Bit) 1.2.66.447.g4e37e896

Come on spotify, it cant be that hard to get stable audio output.

[Maria]

Hey @Tarakesh83,

Thanks for following up!

Just to make sure we cover all bases, could you let us know the exact troubleshooting steps you've tried since this issue resurfaced for you? For example a clean reinstall, clear stored cache, run the app as an administrator, updating the OS/sound drivers, etc. This will help us avoid repeating steps as well.

As you also mention experiencing issues with the volume slider, it's worth switching off the communication settings, as well as Exclusive Mode and audio enhancements in Windows to see if you notice any difference. You can do so by following these steps:

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Sound > Sound Control Panel, switch to the Communications tab and set "When Windows detects communications activity" to Do nothing.
2. Head back to the Playback tab, then right-click your audio output device and select Properties. In the new window that pops up, switch to the Advanced tab and untick "Exclusive Mode" + "Enable audio enhancements".

Keep us posted!

[obloomed]

This is still an issue in 2025 lol