Spotify is introducing a new exclusive mode on desktop for listeners who care about audio quality. This feature gives you more control over the sound output, reducing system interference and enabling bit-accurate playback.
Simply put, your music can now be streamed through your headphones or speakers without being altered by your computer’s audio system. This update is currently available in the desktop app for Windows, with Mac support coming later.
What is Exclusive Mode in Spotify and how does it work?
Exclusive mode is designed for people who use external DACs or high-end audio setups where even small processing changes can affect the sound.
Typically, your operating system mixes audio from different apps that can resample or modify the signal. Exclusive Mode changes this by allowing Spotify to take full control of the audio output.
When you enable Exclusive Mode, Spotify bypasses the system mixer. This means your music is sent directly and unaltered to your audio device. This allows for bit-perfect playback that keeps the audio exactly as it should.
It also reduces interruptions from other apps. Because Spotify controls the output, other system sounds are blocked while you listen.
How do I activate exclusive mode in Spotify?
To first activate exclusive mode Connect your external audio deviceB. a DAC or an audio interface to your computer. If your system already has a headphone or speaker jack, it may have a built-in DAC.
Next, open the Spotify Desktop app and go to Settings. Scroll down to reproductionthen underneath outputselect your audio device from the drop-down menu. Once that’s set, turn it on Exclusive mode.
Spotify also recommends disabling certain features in its settings for optimal playback. These include Automix, Crossfade, Equalizer and Normalize Volume, all available under Settings > Playback.
If you want to disable it, go back to Settings and turn off Exclusive Mode. This will return audio control to your system, allowing other apps besides Spotify to play the audio.
Last September, Spotify brought higher quality audio to its users by finally introducing lossless streaming for premium users.
