Google’s history with music services has been complicated, much like its messaging apps. Things have calmed down recently since Google handed over music services to the YouTube team. The YouTube Music app still has its issues, but it’s finally getting a long-awaited feature: consistent volume.
Listening to a full album from start to finish isn’t as common anymore because of unlimited music access. As you jump from one song or genre to another, the volume can change a lot between tracks, which can be jarring and even damaging to your ears. For example, if you’re listening to a soft ballad and then suddenly hear a loud, heavy guitar riff, it can be a shock.
Consistent volume is a feature that adjusts the volume level across different tracks, so they’re all about the same loudness. It builds on a feature from the YouTube app called “stable volume,” which adjusts the volume continuously during a video. However, stable volume was turned off for music videos.
It’s unclear exactly how consistent volume works, but it likely won’t change the volume within a song. Unlike stable volume, which is adjusted on a video-to-video basis, consistent volume on YouTube Music is a global setting, so it should make genre transitions smoother without altering how the song sounds.
Consistent volume is available in YouTube Music version 8.15 and later on Android and iOS. You can find it in the app settings under the “Playback” section. However, it might not be available for everyone yet, as Google rolls out updates in stages. Some users are already seeing the option, while others have to wait for the full rollout. Stay tuned for more such news.