Spotify adds ‘Exclusive Mode’ audiophile feature for Windows PCs

Starting Tuesday, Spotify users will have access to “Exclusive Mode,” a new feature in the streaming service’s Windows app that can help maximize audio quality by giving the Spotify app full control over your device’s audio processing. According to Spotify, “your computer may alter audio before it reaches your DAC by resampling it, mixing other system sounds in, and changing the volume.” Turning on Exclusive Mode prevents this, which Spotify says allows for “Bit Perfect playback.” Exclusive Mode is currently only available to Spotify Premium users on Windows, but Spotify says it will also be coming to the Mac app “in a future release.” To try it out, go to the settings in the Windows Spotify app and select “Playback.” In this menu, select your audio device from the “Output” options then toggle on “Exclusive Mode.” Keep in mind, audio from other apps, as well as Spotify’s automix and crossfade features, won’t work while Exclusive Mode is turned on. Users on Spotify’s community forums have been requesting bit-perfect playback through an exclusive mode similar to features offered by other streaming services like Tidal and Amazon Music. In September, Spotify also launched an option for lossless audio, which offered subtle improvements over its existing high-quality option.