Where to find the equaliser on Spotify

The equaliser on Spotify is built into the app itself — you do not need to read anything extra. On desktop, open Spotify, play a song, and look for the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the bottom left corner of the player. Click it, then select Equaliser. On mobile, tap the song that is playing at the bottom of your screen, swipe up, and look for the equaliser icon (it looks like three vertical bars of different heights). Tap it to open the equaliser panel.

If you do not see the equaliser option, make sure you are running the latest version of Spotify. Older versions sometimes hide this feature. Check your app store for updates and reinstall if needed.

Key Takeaways

  • The equaliser is in the player menu on desktop (three horizontal lines) and in the now-playing screen on mobile (vertical bars icon).
  • Spotify offers preset equaliser profiles like Bass Booster, Treble Booster, and Podcast, or you can adjust individual frequency sliders yourself.
  • Changes you make in the equaliser explore only to the device you are using — adjusting it on your phone does not change the sound on your computer.
  • If the equaliser option is missing, update your Spotify app to the latest version available in your app store.

Using Spotify's preset equaliser profiles

Spotify includes several ready-made equaliser settings designed for different types of music and listening. When you open the equaliser, you will see a dropdown menu at the top with options like Normal (the default flat setting), Bass Booster, Treble Booster, Podcast, Soft Rock, and Loud. Each preset adjusts the frequency balance in a different way.

Bass Booster pushes low frequencies forward, making drums and bass lines more prominent — useful for hip-hop, electronic, or dance music. Treble Booster lifts the high frequencies, making vocals and cymbals clearer, which works well for acoustic or vocal-heavy tracks. The Podcast preset flattens the midrange slightly to make speech easier to follow. Soft Rock and Loud are genre-specific presets that balance frequencies for those styles. Try each one while a song is playing to hear the difference in real time.

Adjusting individual frequency sliders manually

If none of the presets match what you want, you can adjust the equaliser by hand. Below the preset dropdown, you will see five vertical sliders, each controlling a different frequency band: 32 Hz (very low bass), 64 Hz (bass), 250 Hz (lower midrange), 1 kHz (midrange), and 4 kHz (treble). Drag any slider up to boost that frequency or down to reduce it.

Moving a slider up makes that frequency louder; moving it down makes it quieter. For example, if vocals sound buried in a song, drag the 1 kHz slider up slightly to bring them forward. If the bass is overwhelming, pull the 32 Hz and 64 Hz sliders down. Small adjustments usually work better than large ones — a quarter to half inch of movement is often enough to hear a real change. Once you adjust the sliders, Spotify saves your custom setting automatically.

Understanding what each frequency band does

The five frequency bands control different parts of the sound spectrum. The 32 Hz band handles the deepest bass — the rumble you feel more than hear. The 64 Hz band is where kick drums and bass guitar live. The 250 Hz band controls the lower midrange, which affects warmth and body in vocals and instruments. The 1 kHz band is the heart of the midrange where most vocals sit, so adjusting it changes how prominent singers sound. The 4 kHz band handles treble and brightness — cymbals, hi-hats, and sibilance (the "s" sound in speech) live here.

If a song sounds muddy or unclear, the problem is usually in the lower midrange (250 Hz) or lower bass (32 Hz and 64 Hz). If it sounds thin or harsh, the issue is often in the treble (4 kHz). Experiment with small moves in one band at a time so you can hear what each one does.

Saving and switching between custom equaliser settings

When you adjust the sliders, Spotify does not ask you to name or save your settings — it straightforward remembers your last adjustment. If you want to switch back to a preset, tap the dropdown menu and select it. Your custom slider positions will still be there if you go back to manual mode, but Spotify does not let you save multiple custom profiles with different names.

If you want to use different equaliser settings for different types of music, you will need to adjust the sliders each time you switch. Some users keep a note of their favourite slider positions (for example, "Bass Booster: 32 Hz at +3, 64 Hz at +2") so they can recreate them quickly. There is no way to name or store profiles within Spotify itself, so this workaround is the closest option.

Why the equaliser sounds different on different devices

The equaliser you set on your phone does not carry over to your computer, tablet, or other devices. Each device has its own equaliser settings. This happens because Spotify treats each device as separate — the app on your phone stores its own settings, and the app on your desktop stores different ones. If you want the same sound across devices, you will need to adjust the equaliser on each one.

This also means that if you use Spotify on a speaker or smart home device, those devices may have their own equaliser controls separate from the Spotify app. A Google Home speaker, for example, has its own audio settings that work alongside Spotify's equaliser. Check the device's own settings if you want to adjust the sound there.

Troubleshooting when the equaliser is not working

If you adjust the equaliser sliders but hear no change in the sound, first check that you are actually moving the sliders — sometimes the touch area is small and taps do not register. Drag slowly and watch the slider move on screen. If the sliders move but the sound does not change, restart the Spotify app completely. Close it fully (not just minimise it) and open it again.

If the equaliser option is missing entirely, update Spotify from your app store. Older versions sometimes do not include the equaliser feature. On desktop, Spotify updates automatically, but on mobile you may need to manually check for updates. If you have updated and the equaliser still does not appear, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. If the problem persists after that, contact Spotify support — there may be a technical issue with your account or device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the equaliser work with all music on Spotify?

Yes, the equaliser applies to everything you play on that device — songs, podcasts, audiobooks, all of it. However, some songs are mixed so heavily that the equaliser has less effect. A song that is already compressed or limited in its original mix may not respond as much to equaliser adjustments as a song with more dynamic range.

Can I use the equaliser with Spotify on a Bluetooth speaker?

The Spotify app's equaliser works on your phone or computer, but once the audio is sent to a Bluetooth speaker, the speaker's own audio processing takes over. Adjust the equaliser in the Spotify app first, then use the speaker's own controls (if it has them) for additional tweaking. Some speakers have no equaliser control at all.

Will changing the equaliser affect my battery life?

No. The equaliser is a software adjustment that happens inside the app — it does not use extra processing power or drain your battery any faster than normal playback.

What is the difference between the equaliser and the volume slider?

The volume slider makes everything louder or quieter equally. The equaliser changes the balance between different frequencies — it can make bass louder while keeping treble the same, for example. You can use both together.

If I turn off the equaliser, do my settings get deleted?

Spotify does not have an on/off switch for the equaliser. To return to the default flat sound, select Normal from the preset dropdown, or move all five sliders back to the middle position (zero).