Spotify adds Exclusive mode - Bypasses computer's own audio processing, offers best possible quality
Petteri Pyyny
18 Mar 2026 11:49
Streaming service Spotify has released a new feature aimed at users particular about sound quality - so-called audiophiles. The new exclusive mode offers the ability to play music on a computer as purely and bit-perfectly as possible, without the computer's own audio processing altering the original sound. The feature is available for Windows and will also be coming to Macs later.
Exclusive Mode is enabled from the settings of the Spotify desktop application. When the mode is activated, Spotify takes control of the computer's audio output - for example, via an external DAC converter - and completely bypasses the operating system's own audio processing. By completely bypassing the computer's operating system audio processing, it is possible to avoid loss of sound quality and the mixing of the operating system's own sounds with the music. As a result, the user hears the music as close as possible to how it sounded in its original form.
Enabling the feature requires the user to have an external DAC or other audio interface - in practice, many computers' built-in headphone or speaker ports are also compatible with exclusive mode.
The mode also brings some limitations. When exclusive mode is active, other applications cannot play audio through the selected audio device at all, meaning, for example, operating system notifications will not be heard. Additionally, certain Spotify features, such as automix and crossfade, are not available in Exclusive Mode. Furthermore, music videos and podcasts do not support exclusive mode.
The new playback mode has been a long-awaited feature, especially for users who have invested in high-quality audio reproduction and use Spotify on their computers. Combined with Spotify's recently added lossless mode, the new playback method offers the most benefit. The arrival of the feature has generated widespread praise in communities like Reddit.
Here's how to enable the setting:
- update the Spotify Windows app to the latest version
- open the three-dot menu in the top left corner
- select Edit and then Preferences
- scroll down the settings below the equalizer, where the option can be found
The mode cannot be used with Bluetooth headphones, where music is compressed lossily anyway.