Some YouTube Music users report mysterious volume drop after latest update

If you’ve noticed yourself cranking up the volume on your favorite jams lately, you’re not alone. A growing chorus of YouTube Music users is reporting a mysterious volume drop that’s turning their daily soundtracks into a faint echo of what they used to be. For many, it feels like the app has suddenly caught a case of the “low volumes” after a recent update — and it’s causing quite the stir.

Once upon a time, YouTube Music was the life of the audio party, blasting tracks with a punch that left its main sibling, YouTube, in the dust. The issue appears to have cropped up on both Android and iOS devices, with users noticing they’re having to crank up their car stereos, earphones, and speakers way higher than usual just to reach a satisfying volume level.

I thought my hearing had gone bad overnight while others assumed their headphones or speakers had malfunctioned. But as more listeners chimed in, it became clear: something’s up with YouTube Music. Some savvy users suspect the culprit might be an overzealous volume normalization setting — a feature designed to level out audio inconsistencies between tracks. While “Stats for Nerds” still insists content loudness is at 100%, the reality seems different. The drop is especially noticeable when switching between tracks, with some songs sounding fine and others whispering faintly.

If you’re as baffled and frustrated as I am, there’s a workaround that’s helping some users: uninstalling the latest update. Downgrading to the previous or any older version on Android has restored the app’s former glory for me and several others. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for iOS users, leaving them stuck until Google gets its act together.

Another hack that’s been making the rounds involves enabling Dolby Atmos settings on your device, specifically the “movie” option. While it’s not a perfect solution, it does add some much-needed oomph to the sound. For the true audio nerds, there’s also the painstaking workaround of finding higher-loudness versions of tracks on YouTube Music and adding those to your playlist. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

This hiccup comes as YouTube Music has been rolling out some genuinely cool new features, like Pin to Speed Dial” customization and enhanced playlist tools. But this isn’t the first time Google’s platforms have stumbled — remember YouTube videos freezing at 59 seconds or that weird dark mode bug that made text invisible when commenting on videos? It’s almost becoming a rite of passage for avid users to deal with these tech gremlins.

Google hasn’t yet officially acknowledged the volume drop, but the uproar is impossible to ignore. Loyal YouTube Music subscribers, many of whom migrated over from the dearly departed Google Play Music, are hoping for a quick fix. If not, some might start dusting off their Spotify or Apple Music accounts.