In short: If you want the best audio quality, turn audio normalization off. But if you dislike changing the volume during each song and are not concerned with audio quality, turn it on.
Nothing beats listening to the best version of a song. If you want to take your Spotify listening experience to the next level, you should take the time to learn about audio normalization.
What does enable audio normalization mean on Spotify?
On Spotify, audio normalization is a feature that tries to play all the music at more or less the same volume. Basically, it will try to keep the volume of all the songs consistent.
Songs are set at different volumes by their artists.
For example, most songs recorded in the 1980s and earlier are quieter. On the other hand, most songs made during the 1990s to the early 2010s are extremely loud.
The audio normalization feature is designed to prevent some music from blasting into your ears without you realizing it because some songs are louder than others.
Additionally, it’s not fun to have to change the volume between songs since music collections and playlists combine a lot of different tracks together.
When you switch the normalization feature on, Spotify will analyze the average volume of each track, then turn it up or down to match the target average volume.
That way, you get to listen to all the tracks at more or less the same volume.
Should I enable audio normalization on Spotify?
Audio normalization creates a more uniform listening experience but reduces the quality of audio output on Spotify. If you want the best audio quality, you should turn it off.
However, if you prefer the convenience and are not concerned with audio quality, you should turn it on so you don’t have to keep adjusting the volume every time a different song plays.
Here’s what a Reddit user had to say after switching off normalization:
“I turned off Volume Normalization for the first time and I was absolutely blown away at how much more detail was present. I heard things I never heard in songs, even at quiet volumes. I don’t have lots of experience in good audio, but the difference is very obvious.”
– Reddit user
Any kind of audio normalization, like the one you see on Spotify, often hampers sound and kills audio quality. Keep that in mind if you are considering whether to turn it on or off.
How to turn on/off audio normalization on Spotify
The audio normalization is turned on by default on Spotify. You can turn it on or off from the app settings. If you want to tweak this setting, here’s how to do it based on your device.
How to turn on/off Spotify audio normalization on Android
- Open the Spotify app.
- Tap the Settings (gear icon) on the top right of the screen.
- Scroll down until you see the “Normalize Volume” toggle.
- Turn the toggle on or off.
How to turn on/off Spotify audio normalization on iOS
- Open the Spotify app.
- Tap the Settings (gear icon) on the top right of the screen.
- Tap Playback.
- Scroll down until you see the “Enable Audio Normalization” toggle.
- Turn the toggle on or off.
The toggle will turn green if it is on and will turn gray when it is off. Once you have turned the toggle on or off, you can close the menu and start playing music on Spotify.
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