If you’re not happy with the way your music sounds on Spotify, the platform’s EQ settings offer a quick fix to fine-tune your sound, without spending a dime on headphones or other listening gear.
Let’s take a look at the best EQ settings offered by Spotify, and identify how you can find the one that can take your listening experience to the next level.
Behind the insights
I’m a seasoned audiophile, producer, and audio engineer with over 15 years of experience in the industry.
I listen to music across media and streaming platforms, so I invested countless hours trying to make the most of my listening equipment in all circumstances.
Spotify is a crucial platform I use for both pleasure and work, which is why I’ve strived to enhance the beauty of every music genre through its dedicated EQ.
I divided my selection into three parts. The first section is about what I believe are the three best presets offered by Spotify. At the time of writing, Spotify offers 22 presets you can use to customize your sounds.
They all do their job, and are definitely a great starting point to personalize your listening experience depending on your taste.
In the second part I’ll show you a couple of custom-made EQ settings I’ve used for a while.
The final part is about all the other presets available, which you should definitely check out regardless of my preferences.
Presets
1. Classical: Best all-rounder
To me, this is by far the best-sounding preset. Not because it’s perfect, but because it does justice to every song and across genres.
The subtly enhanced bass works well with acoustic genres, soft EDM, and rock, while the enhanced treble add energy and variety to genres like jazz, classical, and pop.
If you don’t know anything about EQ and listen to a lot of different music genres, this preset is a great starting point.
2. RnB: Best for bass-heavy genres
The RnB preset works well for anything that requires a deep bass: hip-hop, EDM, drum and bass (check out how any of The Prodigy’s albums sound with this preset).
The mix of cavernous bass and agile treble is galvanizing but without sacrificing the overall balance of the soundscape.
If you like it but are looking for something more subtle, you can lower the 60 Hz section to the same level as the 15 kHz or opt for the Hip-Hop preset.
3. Rock: Best for rock, metal, and singer-songwriters
A more energetic version of the Classical one, the Rock preset gives more depth and power to a rhythmic section, and the extra treble gives guitar solos more energy and dynamism.
I found this preset to work really well with classic rock (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple) and metal (Black Sabbath, Megadeth).
For more extreme bands like Slipknot, Gojira, and the like, you might want to push the low end a bit higher.
Tailored settings
4. Bass Extravaganza
Do you need more bass? Try out this setup and see how it works for you.
I love bass-heavy music, but hate it when the low-end overshadows everything else. With these settings, I hear everything with clarity, while leaving enough room for the treble and mid to shine.
5. For audiophile gear only
If you have a budget headset, this EQ setup will make it seem like your audio system is breaking apart, so try it only if you have a good hi-fi system or pair of headphones.
But with the right equipment, these settings will take your listening experience to a new level.
The soundstage will be clear, balanced, and powerful, with a deep bass and vibrant high end that’ll work together to create a cohesive image.
In my opinion, it’ll work well across genres, but hi-fi systems with a neutral signature might require additional tweaks, depending on what you’re listening to.
All the other presets
Here are all the other presets Spotify offers. Bear in mind that each one of them is customizable, so you can use them as a starting point for your personalized sound signature.
- Flat: The name says it all. This preset offers a balanced sound without emphasizing any specific frequencies. Ideal for those into neutral sound signatures.
- Acoustic: Boosts mid-high frequencies to give a wider sound. Great for folk and live recordings because it enhances natural reverb.
- Bass Booster: A deeper bass that works well for genres that benefit from it, like hip-hop, EDM, and reggae.
- Bass Reducer: Softens low frequencies and makes mid and treble shine. It works well with acoustic, classical, and folk music, but it seems to me it sucks the life out of music sometimes.
- Dance: Creates a dynamic and energetic sound with powerful low and high-end.
- Deep: Great for ambient and deep house music, this preset gives more space to lower midrange and bass frequencies, bringing to life an immersive sound.
- Electronic: Punchy and bass-heavy sound for galvanizing EDM genres like house and techno. Less sharp than Dance.
- Hip-Hop: Emphasizes low-end frequencies but leaves enough room for the mid and treble to appreciate lyrics.
- Jazz: Nuanced boost to midrange and high frequencies that give you a smooth and analog-like sound.
- Latin: Quite balanced, with enhanced midrange and treble frequencies to emphasize rhythmic patterns.
- Loudness: Boosts both bass and treble for power. It adds a galvanizing effect to all genres, especially rock and EDM.
- Lounge: It gives a gentle boost to lower frequencies while mid-frequencies take center stage. Great for chill-out and jazz music.
- Pop: Gives a vibrant and dynamic sound with vocals as the focal point.
- Piano: Another great preset designed to enhance the natural resonance of a piano. It can also be used for classical and acoustic performances.
- Treble Booster: Enhances higher frequencies, which can work well with pop, jazz, and some classical music.
- Treble Reducer: Lowers high frequencies, which fits with heavy metal or EDM.
- Vocal Booster: Focuses on midrange frequencies, so it’s great for podcasts, live recordings, and anything with plenty of words in it.
- Small Speakers: An interesting and useful preset that magnifies midrange frequencies while reducing extreme bass and treble. This is the one I use in my small studio space at home.
- Spoken Word: Like the Vocal Booster, Spoken Word prioritizes clarity in the midrange, so it’s great for podcasts. It reduces both bass and treble to avoid overshadowing vocals.
Final thoughts
All in all, adjusting your EQ settings on Spotify is the best way to improve your listening experience without investing in better-quality gear. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about how sound works, and how to make the most of your audio equipment.
If you’re looking for a high-fidelity level of music reproduction, Spotify might not be the best streaming platform for you. However, it does offer plenty of sound customization options that can make casual music listening more engaging and enjoyable. So put your headphones on and start tweaking those frequencies!
