Are you noticing that weird “fading in and out” effect during each song transition on Spotify? Don’t worry, it’s not a bug. It’s actually a feature on Spotify to enhance your listening experience.
Let’s talk about Spotify’s crossfade.
Why does Spotify fade in and out?
The fade at the end of songs is a feature on Spotify called crossfade. It’s designed to remove the silence between tracks by overlapping 2 tracks, fading out of the first while fading in the next.
When two songs crossfade, there are no gaps between tracks. Both music just keeps on playing. This enhances the listening experience because there are no awkward pauses.
Crossfade is a technique, often used by DJs, that creates a smooth transition from one sound to another. The first source can fade out while the second fades in, and it all mixes together.
How does Spotify crossfade work?
Spotify crossfade works by overlapping 2 tracks, fading out of the first while fading in the next. It allows you to set a crossfade of anywhere between 1 and 12 seconds.
For example, if you set a crossfade of 5 seconds, the songs will fade as follows:
The first 5 seconds of the next song in the queue will begin to fade in. When there are 5 seconds remaining in the song currently playing, it will begin to gradually fade out.
After 5 seconds, the crossfade is complete, and you will be listening to only the next song.
How to change fade on Spotify
Crossfade is disabled on new Spotify accounts by default, but you can enable it and set it up fairly quickly on both mobile and desktop. Here’s how to change the fade on Spotify.
How to change fade on Spotify (mobile and tablets)
- Open the Spotify app.
- Tap Settings (gear icon in the top right corner).
- Scroll down and tap Playback.
- Under Crossfade, use the slider to adjust the amount of crossfade.
How to change fade on Spotify (desktop)
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Click on your username in the top right corner.
- Click Settings.
- Scroll down until you reach Playback.
- Enable the first option, Crossfade songs.
- Use the slider to adjust the amount of crossfade.
Spotify crossfade best setting
Once you enable crossfade on your Spotify account, the setting will be applied across all your songs, including playlists and albums, so it’s best to find the best balance that works for you.
How many seconds is the best Spotify crossfade?
The best Spotify crossfade setting is around 5 seconds. A shorter or longer crossfade may sound better, but the crossfade transition length is a matter of personal taste.
I suggest you experiment to find what works for you. There are groups of songs I love listening to with 12 seconds of crossfade, but I personally stick with 5 seconds of crossfade on Spotify.
Spotify crossfade not working (fixed)
Activating crossfade on Spotify is pretty straightforward. However, some people run into the issue of crossfade not working. Your Spotify crossfade is not working because of 2 reasons:
- You can’t set crossfade when using Spotify Connect.
- The Gapless Playback toggle is switched OFF.
- Your Spotify app is not up to date.
If the problem persists, open Spotify, turn the crossfade off, and then restart Spotify. Then, turn the crossfade back on and change the value. Hopefully, this works for you.
You can always contact Spotify to help you diagnose the problem. Based on my experience, their support team has always been helpful and quick to solve problems.
Related articles: