How to Make Spotify Louder and Sound Better

If your Spotify music sounds quiet or muddy, you can fix both loudness and audio quality without changing your hardware. This guide shows you how to adjust Spotify’s built-in volume and sound settings, and how to use your device’s equalizer to get a cleaner, louder sound.

What You’ll Need

A Spotify account (free or Premium)
The Spotify app on your device (phone, tablet, desktop, or web)
Access to your device’s system volume and, ideally, an equalizer (most phones and computers have one built-in)

Step-by-Step

Open Spotify and go to Settings. Tap your profile picture (or the gear icon) at the top of the Home screen. On desktop, click the arrow next to your name and choose “Settings”.
Turn on “Normalize Volume” (or set it to “Loud”). In the “Playback” section, find “Normalize Volume”. On mobile, switch it on. On desktop, you’ll see a drop-down menu: choose “Loud” to make all tracks play at the same, louder level. This prevents quiet songs from staying quiet.
Set the volume level to “Loud”. On mobile, after enabling Normalize Volume, you’ll see a “Volume Level” option. Select “Loud” (it’s the default on some devices, but make sure it’s not set to “Quiet” or “Normal”).
Increase the streaming quality. In the same Settings menu, find “Audio Quality” (or “Music Quality”). For mobile, choose “Very High” (Premium only) or “High” if you’re on free. For desktop, select “Very High” or “High”. This doesn’t directly make it louder, but it reduces compression, so the sound is clearer and less distorted at high volumes.
Turn off “Enable Audio Normalization” (desktop only). On the desktop app, if you want maximum loudness, you can disable the “Enable Audio Normalization” checkbox. This stops Spotify from adjusting volume between tracks, so each song plays at its original recorded level—often louder. (On mobile, you can’t turn it off completely, but “Loud” is the next best thing.)
Use your device’s equalizer. Spotify doesn’t have a built-in equalizer on most platforms, so you’ll use your phone or computer’s. On iPhone: Settings > Music > EQ. On Android: Settings > Sound > Equalizer (or use the app’s built-in equalizer if available). On Windows: use the Sound settings or your sound card’s software. On Mac: use the built-in “EQ” in Music app or a third-party app.
Boost the right frequencies. In the equalizer, try a “Loudness” or “Rock” preset, or manually raise the lower and higher bands (e.g., +3 dB at 60 Hz, +2 dB at 1 kHz, +3 dB at 10 kHz). Avoid boosting all bands equally—that just adds distortion. A slight V-shape works well.
Check your device’s volume and any “Volume Limit” settings. On Android, go to Settings > Sound > Volume and make sure the media volume is maxed. On iPhone, check Settings > Music > Volume Limit and set it to the maximum. On Windows, right-click the speaker icon and open Volume Mixer to ensure Spotify isn’t lower than other apps.
Close other apps that might be using audio. Some apps can reduce Spotify’s volume if they’re playing audio in the background. Close them or pause them.
Restart the app. After changing settings, close Spotify completely and reopen it to make sure the changes take effect.

Common Mistakes

Turning on Normalize Volume but not setting it to “Loud”. If you leave it on “Normal”, Spotify will actually reduce loud songs to match quiet ones, making everything quieter.
Boosting the equalizer too much. Crank every slider to +6 dB and you’ll get distortion, not louder sound. Keep boosts under +4 dB.
Forgetting to check the volume mixer on desktop. Spotify can be at 100% in the app but only 30% in Windows’ Volume Mixer.
Using low-quality streaming. If you’re on mobile data and have “Automatic” quality, Spotify may stream at a lower bitrate, which sounds muffled and less loud.
Assuming the app’s volume slider is the same as the system volume. The slider inside Spotify only controls the app’s output, not your device’s total volume.

Tips

Use a preamp or gain boost if your equalizer has one. Some equalizers (like on Android) have a “Preamp” slider. Raising it by +3 to +6 dB makes everything louder, but watch for clipping (distortion).
Try the “Loudness” equalizer preset. It’s designed to boost perceived loudness without making everything sound harsh.
If you’re listening on headphones, check if they have a built-in DAC or amplifier. Some high-end headphones have their own volume control that can be turned up independently.
For desktop, consider using the “Volume Boost” feature in Windows (if available). Right-click the speaker icon, go to Enhancements, and enable “Loudness Equalization”. This makes quiet sounds louder.
Remember that louder isn’t always better. If you’re constantly turning the volume up, you may be damaging your hearing. Use a safe listening level.

Troubleshooting

Still not loud enough? If you’ve done all the steps and it’s still quiet, try these:

Check if the song itself is quiet. Some older recordings are naturally quieter. Try a different track to see if it’s the song, not the app.
Restart your device. A simple reboot can fix audio driver glitches.
Update Spotify. Go to your app store and check for updates. Older versions may have bugs.
Reinstall the app. If nothing works, uninstall and reinstall Spotify. This resets all settings to default, but you can re-apply the steps above.
Check your device’s audio output. If you’re using Bluetooth, some speakers/headphones have their own volume limit. Try wired headphones to see if the problem is the Bluetooth connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Spotify have a built-in equalizer? Not on most platforms. The mobile app (iOS/Android) has a basic equalizer in settings, but on desktop you’ll need to use your system’s equalizer or a third-party app.

Why does my Spotify sound quieter than other apps? This is usually because Spotify’s volume normalization is set to “Quiet” or “Normal”. Change it to “Loud” in settings. Also check your device’s volume mixer to make sure Spotify isn’t turned down.

Will turning off normalization damage my speakers? No, but it can cause sudden loud volume changes between songs. It won’t damage speakers, but be careful when switching from a quiet to a loud track.

Does Premium make Spotify louder? No, Premium doesn’t directly affect loudness. It gives you higher streaming quality (320 kbps vs 160 kbps), which sounds clearer and less compressed, but the volume level is the same.

Why does Spotify sound worse on Bluetooth? Bluetooth compresses audio, which can reduce quality and loudness. Check your Bluetooth device’s volume and make sure it’s not at a low level. Also, some devices have an “Absolute Volume” setting that can cause issues.

Can I make Spotify louder than the maximum volume? Yes, using an equalizer with a preamp boost or a third-party volume booster app. But be careful: pushing the volume beyond the device’s limit can cause distortion and potentially damage speakers or your hearing.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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