Where to find Spotify's equalizer and what it does

Spotify has a built-in equalizer that lets you shape how music sounds — boosting bass, treble, or midrange frequencies to match your taste or your headphones. The equalizer lives in your app settings, not in the now-playing screen, so most people never find it. On desktop, it's under Preferences. On mobile, it's buried in Settings.

The equalizer works by letting you raise or lower different frequency bands. If your headphones sound thin, you can boost the bass. If vocals sound muffled, you can lift the midrange. Spotify gives you a slider for each band, plus a handful of preset profiles — like "Bass Booster" or "Treble" — that do the work for you.

One thing to know upfront: the equalizer only affects what you hear through that device. If you switch to a different phone, tablet, or computer, the settings don't follow you. You'll need to set it up again on each device.

Key Takeaways

  • On desktop, open Preferences, scroll to "Playback", and look for the equalizer toggle and presets.
  • On mobile (iOS and Android), go to Settings, tap "Playback", and select your equalizer preset or create a custom one.
  • Spotify offers preset profiles like Bass Booster and Treble, or you can manually adjust individual frequency sliders.
  • Equalizer settings are device-specific and do not sync across your phones, tablets, or computers.

How to turn on the equalizer in Spotify on Windows and Mac

Open Spotify and click the gear icon in the top right corner to enter Preferences. Scroll down the left sidebar until you see "Playback". Click it, and you'll see an "Equalizer" toggle near the top of the panel. Turn it on.

Once the equalizer is on, a dropdown menu appears below it. Click the dropdown to see Spotify's preset profiles: Flat, Bass Booster, Bass Reducer, Classical, Electronic, Flat, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Latin, Loud, Metal, Piano, Pop, R&B, Rock, and Treble Booster. Select whichever one sounds closest to what you want. If none of them fit, you can skip to the next section to build your own.

The presets are a good starting point because they're tuned by Spotify's audio team. If you pick Bass Booster and it sounds too heavy, you can always dial it back by adjusting the sliders manually — you don't have to stick with the preset exactly as it is.

How to turn on the equalizer in Spotify on iPhone and Android

Open Spotify and tap the gear icon (Settings) at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap "Playback". You'll see "Equalizer" listed there. Tap it to open the equalizer panel.

Just like on desktop, you'll see a list of presets. Tap the one you want — Bass Booster, Treble, Rock, Pop, and so on. The change takes effect when ready, so you can tap back and forth between presets while a song is playing to hear the difference.

If you're using an iPhone, note that Spotify's equalizer works alongside your phone's built-in EQ (in Settings > Music > EQ). If you've already set a custom EQ in your phone's Music settings, Spotify's equalizer will layer on top of it. This can sometimes sound odd, so if Spotify sounds strange, check your phone's Music settings and set it to "Off" first.

How to create a custom equalizer setting

If the presets don't match what you want, you can build your own. On desktop, open the equalizer (Preferences > Playback > Equalizer toggle on), then click the dropdown and select "Custom". On mobile, tap the equalizer in Settings > Playback, then tap "Custom".

You'll see a row of sliders, each one controlling a different frequency band. The bands are usually labeled by frequency in hertz (Hz) — for example, 32 Hz for very deep bass, 8 kHz for crisp treble. Drag each slider up to boost that frequency or down to cut it. The middle position is neutral — no change.

A few rules of thumb: if vocals sound buried, try lifting the 1 kHz to 4 kHz range (the midrange). If the music sounds harsh or fatiguing, try lowering the 8 kHz to 16 kHz range (the upper treble). If the bass feels weak, boost the 60 Hz to 250 Hz range. Start small — a small boost or cut is usually enough. Large moves can sound unnatural.

Once you've adjusted the sliders the way you like, your custom setting is saved automatically. The next time you open the equalizer, your custom sliders will be there.

When to use each preset and why

Spotify's presets are designed for specific music genres and listening situations. Bass Booster lifts the low end, which works well for hip-hop, electronic, and dance music where the kick drum and bass line are central. Treble Booster lifts the high end, which can help if your headphones sound dark or if you're listening to acoustic guitar or strings and want more detail.

Classical is tuned for orchestral music — it tends to preserve the full range without exaggerating any one part. Jazz does something similar but often with a slight lift in the midrange to bring out the warmth of instruments like saxophone and piano. Rock and Metal both boost the midrange and treble slightly to make guitars and drums punch through.

Pop is a gentle, balanced preset that works for most modern music. If you're not sure where to start, try Flat (which is no change at all) and then experiment with one preset at a time. You'll quickly learn which ones suit your ears and your headphones.

Troubleshooting: why the equalizer might not be working

If you've turned on the equalizer but don't hear any change, first check that you're using the right device. Spotify's equalizer only works on the device where you set it. If you set it on your phone and then switch to your computer, the computer won't have that setting — you'll need to set it up there too.

Second, make sure you're not using a Bluetooth speaker or headphones that have their own equalizer app. Some wireless speakers and gaming headsets have a companion app that can override Spotify's EQ. If you're using one of those, try turning off the speaker's EQ first to hear Spotify's settings clearly.

Third, if you're on iPhone, check your phone's built-in Music EQ (Settings > Music > EQ). If it's set to anything other than "Off", it will layer on top of Spotify's equalizer and can muddy the sound. Set it to "Off" and try again.

If the equalizer toggle is grayed out or won't turn on, try closing Spotify completely and reopening it. If that doesn't work, restart your device. Equalizer bugs are rare, but a restart usually clears them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same equalizer setting on multiple devices?

No. Spotify's equalizer settings are stored on each device separately and don't sync across your account. You'll need to set up the equalizer on each phone, tablet, or computer you use. If you use the same preset on all of them, you can at least keep things consistent.

Will the equalizer work with Spotify Connect or when I'm casting to a speaker?

No. When you use Spotify Connect to play music on a different device — like a smart speaker or a receiver — the equalizer from your phone or computer doesn't travel with the stream. Only the device you're controlling from will have its own equalizer active, if you've set one up.

Does the equalizer use more battery on my phone?

Not noticeably. The equalizer is a lightweight audio filter and won't drain your battery any faster than normal Spotify playback.

Can I save multiple custom equalizer settings and switch between them?

Spotify only lets you save one custom setting at a time. If you want to switch between two different custom EQs, you'd have to manually adjust the sliders each time. For most people, picking one of the presets or one custom setting and sticking with it works fine.

What's the difference between Spotify's equalizer and my headphones' built-in EQ?

Spotify's equalizer is software-based and works inside the app. Your headphones' EQ (if they have one) is hardware-based and works at the speaker level. Both can be active at the same time, which sometimes sounds good and sometimes sounds muddy. If you have both, try turning off one to hear the other clearly, then decide which you prefer.