As an audio expert here’s 4 things I would change if I had access to your Spotify account

Audio expert Steve Helliker from Ultimate Stream shares insights into Spotify’s playback settings that can help millions get more from their streaming service.

Spotify is the most used streaming service in the world, with over 350 million users worldwide. The platform is highly accessible and offers an immense music catalogue for people to explore.

However, Spotify trades off some of its music quality for this availability, with rivals such as Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, and Apple Music offering a wider range of listening options with varying levels of quality.

Steve Helliker, hi-fi music streaming expert and founding director of Ultimate Stream, shares his advice on getting the most out of your Spotify subscription:

“Most people simply press play on their preferred music when using streaming services, but there are a number of playback settings you may not know about that can vastly improve your listening experience.”

Equaliser settings

The equaliser allows you to adjust the audio frequencies of your music. Spotify provides 5-6 adjustable nodes that alter playback.

Increasing deeper frequencies while reducing higher ones emphasises the bass, making it ideal for hip-hop and electronic music, whereas the opposite is better suited to classical music.

To access the equaliser, go to Settings and Privacy > Playback > Equaliser. You can manually adjust all the nodes or choose from a range of preset options to best suit your listening preferences.

Preset equaliser settings include:

• Pop
• R&B
• Rock
• Acoustic
• Bass Boosted
• Vocal Booster

Audio quality

You can also adjust the quality level of your music, with four settings ranging from Low to High (plus a fifth setting, Very High, available to Spotify Premium subscribers). This allows you to control playback quality when using the app and can be set separately for Wi-Fi and mobile streaming.

One thing to be aware of is that listening in High or Very High quality while on mobile data will use more data, so be mindful of your usage when changing this setting.

Mono audio

Disabling mono audio creates a more spatial sound and allows you to hear the music as the artist intended. This is particularly important for tracks where certain sounds are designed to play across different headphones.

While some may not always enjoy this experience, real audiophiles will likely want to hear songs in their original format.

This setting is often automatically turned off, but this may not be the case for every user, so it’s important to check your settings.

Loud/Normal/Quiet

You can also choose a volume level in the Playback settings, selecting between Loud, Normal, and Quiet. These settings allow you to adapt your listening experience to your environment:

• Loud – Ideal for parties
• Normal – Best for everyday listening
• Quiet – Perfect for relaxed listening or enjoying finer details in music

Spotify’s settings warn of a loss of audio quality when selecting Loud, but Normal and Quiet do not affect audio quality. While Normal is recommended for most users, switching between Quiet and Loud in the right situations can enhance your listening experience.

Steve Helliker is a streaming and hi-fi expert with nearly a decade of experience at Ultimate Stream, supporting clients in maximising their home streaming experience.