How To Normalize Volume in Spotify

If you’ve ever listened to music on a device, headphones plugged in; chances are you’ve experienced a sudden rise in volume when the song changes. It can be alarming and leave your ears ringing for a while afterward.

But why does this happen?

Different artists record their music at different levels depending on the genre. For example, ballads are relatively softer than hip hop or heavy metal. So, when your music player hops from one song to another, unless they are the same style, you’ll likely experience a volume change.

To alleviate this sharp change and to prevent you from having to adjust your volume frequently, Spotify has included a feature for premium users, called “Volume Normalizing,” that condenses the sound, keeping it regulated at a consistent volume. In most cases, this feature comes enabled with the Spotify app, but not always.

The guide below will show you how to activate or deactivate the “Volume Normalization” in Spotify for your listening pleasure.

How to Turn Normalization On or Off in Spotify on an Android

Spotify’s “Volume Normalization” is a neat feature that enables you to listen to your music at a more regulated volume – ideal for when you’re reading or concentrating on another task. If you have an Android phone or device and you want to turn this feature on or off, here is how you go about it:

1. Launch the Spotify app on your Android device.
   
2. Tap the home icon (an image of a little house) and wait for the home screen to open.
   
3. Click on the “Settings” icon on the top-right corner of the Home screen. (A cog or gear usually depicts this icon.)
   
4. Scroll down the menu until you reach the “Normalize Volume” toggle.
   
5. Depending on whether you want this feature enabled, slide the toggle to turn it on or off. When turned on, the toggle turns green; when it is deactivated, the toggle will be grey.
6. You can now close the menu and start playing your music.

Remember that you can’t change your audio settings when playing music on another device using Spotify Connect. You will need to disconnect, change your settings, and then reconnect.

How to Turn Normalization On or Off in Spotify on an iPhone

If you listen to Spotify on your iPhone and find that the volume is a little lackluster, you can deactivate the “Normalize Volume” feature. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open the Spotify app on your iPhone.
   
2. Click on the “Home” icon.
   
3. Next, tap on the “Settings” icon on the top-right of the screen.
   
4. From the menu that opens, select the “Playback” option.
   
5. Here, you will scroll until you find the “Enable Audio Normalization” toggle.
   
6. Slide the toggle to turn it on or off. When activated, the toggle will turn green; when the function is off, it will be grey.
   
7. Close the menu.

Once you have followed these steps, your Spotify music app will play your tunes at your chosen level.

How to Turn Normalization On or Off in Spotify on the Mac App

The great thing about Spotify is that you can play it on various devices, including desktop and laptop computers. However, changing your “Normalize Volume” settings on a computer is different from changing them on a phone or tablet. The steps that follow show you how to enable or disable this feature on the Mac app:

1. Open your Spotify app.
   
2. Navigate to the menu bar and click on the drop-down arrow (a small downwards-facing arrow) next to your name and profile photo.
   
3. From the menu that opens, select “Settings.”
   
4. Scroll through the Settings menu until you find “Audio quality.” Click on this option.
   
5. Find the “Normalize Volume” toggle and slide it to the left or right, depending on whether you want to activate this feature or turn it off. If the function is disabled, the toggle will be grey; it will be green if enabled.
   
6. Close the menu.

How to Turn Normalization On or Off in Spotify on the Windows App

If you use Windows instead of a Mac computer, you will need to use a unique method to enable or disable Spotify’s “Normalize Volume” feature. However, it is a simple task to do, and here is how you go about it:

1. Open your Spotify app on your Windows computer.
   
2. At the top of the screen on the menu bar, click the drop-down arrow. Doing this will bring up a drop-down menu. From this menu, choose “Settings.”
   
3. From the settings menu, click on “Audio Quality.”
   
4. Scroll down until you find the “Normalize Volume” toggle. Slide it to the right to enable this feature (the toggle will turn green), or slide it to the left to disable the function (the toggle will turn grey).
   
5. You can now close this menu.

Once you have activated “Normalize Volume,” Spotify will play your music at a regulated volume. Deactivating the toggle will allow your music to play at the various sound levels at which it was initially recorded.

How to Turn Normalization On or Off in Spotify on the Web Player

If you don’t want to download the Spotify app onto your devices, the music streaming service also has a Web app that allows you to stream your music online. This app also gives you the option to regulate the volume of the music you want to stream. Here is how to go about activating or deactivating this function:

1. Open the Spotify web app.
   
2. Navigate to the “Home” icon on the left-hand menu.
   
3. Make your way to the “Settings” icon, usually depicted by a cog or gear symbol.
4. Scroll down to “Audio Quality” and select it.
   
5. Once in this menu, find the “Normalize Volume” toggle and either slide it right to enable it or swipe the toggle left to deactivate this setting. When activated, the toggle will turn from grey to green.
   
6. Navigate to the home screen.

Once this setting is enabled, the Spotify web player will compress the volume of your music to play it all at the same volume level.

Playback Perfection

Normalizing the volume on Spotify to regulate the sound levels of each song is quick and easy once you know how to go about it. Following the simple steps in this guide will have you optimizing your sound in no time, so you can enjoy your music the way you want.

Have you normalized the volume on your Spotify app before? Did you use a method similar to those outlined in this guide? Let us know in the comments section below.