Volume normalization


Userlevel 4
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Sonos needs volume normalization. Even services that have it such as Spotify pandora and Apple Music are not normalized when playing on Sonos.

142 replies

Userlevel 2
It has been a year since this request. Has it been implemented?
Userlevel 2
Struggling with the same here. This seems such a simple feature. Why is it not there yet?

It has been a year since this request. Has it been implemented?

Hi there, Tampadoug. Thanks for posting and welcome to the Community. I am happy to forward this along to the team for consideration and visibility. Thanks again for the feedback and keep it coming.



???????

Idk honestly how complex the solution would be to volume normalization, but I’m annoyed that Sonos has neither fixed the problem, nor even responded to multiple requests over such a long time span.

Somehow I managed to buy a house full of Sonos speakers in the last couple of years....wasn’t hard to accomplish even though I have an extraordinarily busy life.

If Sonos isn’t interested, maybe I should reconsider.....
Userlevel 2
Badge +1
Volume normalization is very much needed, whether playing a spotify playlist or sonos playlist with songs across several app. This really needs consideration! I cant imaging it is a difficult feature to add. So annoying to constantly be adjusting volume all the time.
Userlevel 1
At least for Spotify, their normalization does not cross onto their web player or third party apps/speakers/etc. Why? I'm not that smart and have no idea. But this is from Spotify's website:

What is Loudness Normalization and why is it used?

Audio files are delivered to Spotify from distributors all over the world and are often mixed/mastered at different volume levels. We want to ensure the best listening experience for users, so we apply Loudness Normalization to create a balance.
It also levels the playing field between soft and loud masters. Louder tracks have often been cited as sounding better to listeners, so Loudness Normalization removes any unfair advantage.
Note: The web player and Spotify apps integrated into third-party devices (such as speakers and TVs) don’t currently use Loudness Normalization.

Source: https://artists.spotify.com/faq/mastering-and-loudness#my-album-is-deliberately-mastered-to-have-some-tracks-softer-than-others

Could Spotify and Sonos work together to make it happen? Prolly? Hopefully they'll find a way because even when playing from a Spotify playlist, some songs are very quiet and some are very loud and fiddling with the volume control all the time is annoying.

Hopefully they find a solution!
Userlevel 1
I'd just like to second this one. It would be really useful.
Userlevel 1
I third this...almost woke up the kids switching from TV to Spotify. Volumes vary from source to source but feel like my speakers should normalize for the fluctuations!
Userlevel 1

Lack of volume normalisation with Spotify is the biggest disappointment of otherwise good product. Please create an option to use volume normalisation as soon as possible. Changing volume from track to track is a real PITA.

Userlevel 2
Please add this feature!
Userlevel 2
Struggling with the same here. This seems such a simple feature. Why is it not there yet?
Userlevel 1
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This is a no-brainer

 

SONOS; you have to fix audio normalization, period! We want to listen to playlists without a volume roller coaster-experience. This is way past due and should not be an issue in 2020.

I’m invested in these products and I think you’ve done a great job, except this issue; and it’s not a small one. You’re bleeding costumers and new ones will think twice when they hear about this.

Please don’t give us another generic answer. Give us real and honest communication; and whatever you need to do - get it done now!

I’m usually a composed character but this ludicrous drives me crazy. Probably because I’m an engineer and appreciate thought through-solutions; which is why I bought your products in the first place.

 

get it done!

Userlevel 7
Badge +19
Hi there, Tampadoug. Thanks for posting and welcome to the Community. I am happy to forward this along to the team for consideration and visibility. Thanks again for the feedback and keep it coming.
Userlevel 1
Fourth here ... same problem here ..
Userlevel 1

I just joined what is supposed to be the premium listening experience of Sonos, and am very surprised that you have not worked out this basic issue with Spotify, after what I see is *years* of complaints about the issue (volume normalization). Hundreds of thousands of your customers are using Spotify with your speakers. Spotify's volume normalization works great with other speakers and wireless headphones. Sonos, stop washing your hands of your responsibility to work out this very obvious, annoying failure of the Spotify/Sonos integration, and pick up the phone and call Spotify today and work it out. I think you both can afford to do this. Thank you.

Please SONOS dev team add this feature!!!

When I switch on my Sonos-system from the TV to a radio-station and then to a Spotify-playlist and then to a Sonos-playlist and then to a podcast, I HAVE TO CHANGE THE SONOS VOLUME EVERY TIME. CHILDREN OR NEIGHBOURS ARE WOKEN UP IN THE FEW SECONDS WHILE CHANGING VOLUME.

This is something that Sonos has to solve, not the providers.
If Sonos detects the minimum and maximum during a certain service, they can start the new service with the same minimum and maximum. The user can change if he wants, but the change of service will not be detected by the neighbours!

Just bought a 5.1 Sonos setup and was very surprised to see the volume normalization is not implemented. Very annoying and I hope Sonos will soon figure out how to add this feature. 

Userlevel 5
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Depends what sort of music you listen to. 

I like a lot of classic and sound track albums, they often go from very quiet to very loud between tracks, it is how they are meant to be, volume normalisation tries to get them all at the same level. 

It is like having a TV where the TV automatically adjusts each scene for a 120nits white point, it will make every scene look like a mid summer day in the Bahamas, however, if the day is meant to be dull and overcast that is how I want to see it. 

 

The Sonos connect added in some Volume Normalisation a couple of years back, I noticed it because some albums I know well sounded well weird. You lost the dynamics between the ultra quiet tracks that went into the really loud ones. Peter someone on here worked out that if you set the volume to 88 (rather than fixed line out) it went back to normal, not ideal, but a work around. 

Volume normalisation is great when listening in my shop, at home at parties etc. But when I want to shut the door, turn down the lights and listen properly to albums with big dynamic changes to them I would want the ability to turn it off. 

Userlevel 1
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christmas day and my playlist is al over the place volume-wise - come on sonos, when we going to see this actioned?  it doesnt matter what the level is set at - just need some consistency

Same. Wife asked me to rebuild xmas playlist with albums/songs that had consistent volume. Really big difference in some tracks. Notice it with the Apple music ‘Pure Pop’ playlist too. It’s very loud sometimes, and normal others.

christmas day and my playlist is al over the place volume-wise - come on sonos, when we going to see this actioned?  it doesnt matter what the level is set at - just need some consistency

Omg. This issue has been around for years and as someone that changed my ecosystem over to Sonos its extremely disappointing to say the least. 
 

The issue happens with any of the streaming services. Has Sonos even given us a status update on this? As a company whose sole focus is audio, why hasn’t this been addressed yet?

That you mention that there are only 129 replies in 4 year's is unbelievable for me.

 

I have this installation for a year and from the first week I mentioned this problem. Never a response from sonos. At that time I searched the internet for a solution. At that moment it was clear that a lot of users had the same problem and that this problem was already known for several years but that there was still no solution from Sonos.

From this last response that only 129 people have this problem means that Sonos is not recognizes the problem. So I regret that I spent more than 2000€ to a system that has no stable volume. 

 

Userlevel 5
Badge +4

Make sure it is optional. 

 

Not everyone wants to butcher their music with it. 

common Sonos, very disappointing for a so called high end system. I have been listening to different playlist from spotify, i.e. spotify time capsule.  and the differences between the songs sound level is annoying, even such that I changed to my old fashion receiver and connected spotify via my phone and aux.  With tears in my eyes i have to say that i am very disappointed in Sonos that sound level normalization is not possible. I see no further reason to invest in sonos systems and return to my old fashioned Technics dolby surround system. The attitude of Sonos towards this issue exists for multiple years and,yet, still no solution for sound level normalisation for streaming services  from Amazon prime, Deezer, Soundcloud, Spotify etc.

Userlevel 7
Badge +23

In the decade+ of using Sonos, I have never once thought I needed my music normalized. You can’t please all the people all the time, I guess.

Userlevel 5
Badge +10

Is this for real?? Seriously Sonos hasn’t fixed this?? Come on! 
 

how many years are people gonna ask for this and do they even look at this forum or are we wasting our time?

 

after years of asking-please just add this important feature!

 

 

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