Spotify has introduced a new feature titled “Windows PC Exclusive Mode.”
The feature gives audiophiles the ability to achieve seamless playback by taking exclusive control of their computer’s audio device.
Released on March 18, the feature bypasses the Windows system mixer, which normally resamples audio and mixes system sounds, to deliver music exactly as it was mastered.
When enabled, exclusive mode prevents the operating system from altering sample rates, adding notification sounds, or adjusting the volume level before the audio reaches an external DAC or audio interface.
In an announcement, Spotify explained: “Without exclusive mode enabled, your computer can alter the audio before it reaches your DAC by resampling it, mixing other system sounds, and changing the volume.”
To test the feature, users must obtain a premium account. Once subscribed to the premium tier, find the outlet in the playback menu in settings.
Select your external audio device and activate “exclusive mode”.
Users are also urged to disable Automix, Crossfade, Equalizer and Normalize Volume for optimal results.
The mode is not available for music videos or podcasts. Additionally, when active, other apps cannot play sound through the selected device until the user disables the feature.
It is important to note that the exclusive feature only improves the audio but does not improve the audio quality, which remains at 320 kbps Ogg for desktop streaming.
