This New Spotify Setting Could Improve Your Audio Instantly

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Spotify is rolling out a new feature for Windows users aimed at improving audio quality for those who want a more accurate listening experience. The feature, called Exclusive Mode, allows the Spotify app to take full control of your computer's audio output so music can be played back exactly as it was mastered.

Under normal circumstances, your operating system can interfere with audio before it reaches your headphones or speakers. This can include resampling, or adjusting volume levels along the way. With Exclusive Mode enabled, Spotify bypasses all of that. The app essentially locks in control of the audio path, preventing other sounds from playing and ensuring the signal isn't altered before it reaches your DAC, or digital-to-analog converter.

The result is what's often referred to as bit-perfect playback, meaning the audio you hear matches the original source without additional processing from your system. That said, getting the most out of it still depends on the rest of your setup. To fully take advantage of the feature, you'll want to use wired headphones or speakers connected to a DAC, along with Spotify's lossless streaming option, to avoid introducing any limitations elsewhere in the chain.

For now, Exclusive Mode is only available on Windows, but Spotify says support for macOS is planned for a future update.

Enabling the feature is straightforward for Spotify Premium subscribers. Just open the app, head into Settings, scroll down to the Playback section, and toggle on Exclusive Mode under the Output options. Once activated, both lossless audio and bit-perfect playback are included as part of the standard $13 per month Premium subscription, with no additional cost required.