You’re hosting music bingo, the crowd is vibing, and then—BOOM—the next song blasts through the speakers at twice the volume. Half the room winces. Someone spills their drink. The vibe takes a hit.
Volume inconsistency is one of the most common complaints in music bingo, and it’s completely fixable. Here’s what’s happening and how to solve it.
Why Volume Levels Vary Between Songs
Music isn’t mastered at the same volume. A 1970s rock track, a 2020s pop hit, and a classical piece were all mixed differently. When you throw them into a playlist and play them sequentially, the volume jumps are jarring.
This problem gets worse with:
- Mixed-era playlists: 80s tracks are often quieter than modern songs
- Genre diversity: Classical vs. EDM vs. acoustic have wildly different levels
- Remastered vs. original: Same song, different versions, different loudness
- Live recordings: Typically quieter than studio versions
Solution #1: Enable Spotify’s Volume Normalization
If you’re running Spotify music bingo, this is your easiest fix.
In Spotify settings:
- Go to Settings
- Find “Audio Quality” or “Playback”
- Enable “Normalize volume”
Spotify will automatically adjust each track to a similar perceived loudness. It’s not perfect, but it handles 80% of the problem with zero effort.
Important: This setting applies to your account, so enable it on whatever device you’re using for the event.
Solution #2: Use a Compressor
For professional results, run your audio through a compressor. This evens out the dynamic range, making loud parts quieter and quiet parts louder.
Hardware option: A basic compressor pedal or rack unit between your audio source and the mixer.
Software option: Most DJ software includes built-in compression. Serato, Rekordbox, and VirtualDJ all have this feature.
Settings to start with:
- Ratio: 3:1 or 4:1
- Threshold: -10 to -15 dB
- Attack: Fast (under 10ms)
- Release: Medium (100-200ms)
Tweak from there based on how your playlist sounds.
Solution #3: Pre-Master Your Playlist
If you have time before the event, you can normalize your entire playlist manually:
- Export your songs to audio files (or download them)
- Run them through audio software like Audacity
- Use the “Normalize” effect to bring all tracks to the same peak level
- Import the normalized files back into your playback system
This gives you the most control but takes time. Worth it for recurring events where you use the same playlist repeatedly.
Solution #4: Manual Gain Riding
The old-school approach: keep your hand on the volume knob and adjust between songs.
This works if you’re comfortable with it and paying attention. It’s how DJs have handled this problem forever. But it’s easy to get distracted during music bingo when you’re also managing cards, winners, and the crowd.
Pro tip: If you’re manually adjusting, make your adjustments between songs, not during. Subtle fader moves mid-song are fine, but big jumps are noticeable.
Solution #5: Choose Consistent Songs
When building your playlist, consider volume consistency as a factor:
- Stick to one era when possible (an ”80s Night” playlist will be more consistent than a “best of all time” list)
- Check remasters: Often louder than originals
- Preview problem tracks: Test your playlist before the event and note songs that need manual adjustment
What About Music Bingo Software?
Some music bingo software includes built-in volume normalization. This is a huge advantage because it handles the problem automatically without you touching Spotify settings or external gear.
When evaluating software, ask:
- Does it normalize audio between tracks?
- Does it work with your music source (Spotify, local files, etc.)?
- Can you adjust the normalization level?
If volume consistency matters to you (and it should), this feature is worth prioritizing.
Quick Fixes for Tonight’s Event
Event is in an hour and you’re reading this in a panic? Here’s your emergency checklist:
- Enable Spotify normalize: 30 seconds, huge improvement
- Test your playlist now: Play through it and note any volume outliers
- Mark problem songs: Know which tracks need manual adjustment
- Start at moderate volume: Give yourself room to turn up if needed
- Stay near the controls: Don’t walk away during song transitions
The Professional Setup
If you’re hosting music bingo regularly, here’s the setup that eliminates volume problems:
- Spotify with normalization enabled as your music source
- Audio interface to get clean signal to your mixer
- Light compression on the output channel
- Limiter as a safety net to catch any remaining spikes
- Test run before every event
This might sound like overkill, but your audience will notice the smooth, professional audio even if they can’t articulate why.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t max out volume to compensate: If one song is quiet, don’t crank everything—the next song will destroy people’s ears.
Don’t use random YouTube versions: Volume levels are completely unpredictable with YouTube rips.
Don’t ignore the problem: Hoping nobody notices doesn’t work. They notice.
Don’t use party mode/crossfade: These features can cause overlapping audio that makes volume issues worse.
Why This Matters
Jarring volume changes pull people out of the experience. They go from enjoying the music to being startled by it. Every time someone winces at a loud song or strains to hear a quiet one, you’ve lost a bit of their engagement.
Smooth audio says “professional.” Chaotic audio says “amateur.” Your crowd might not know why they preferred one music bingo night over another, but this is often the invisible difference.
Need software that handles volume automatically? Try Bingofy—we built it with hosts in mind, including the annoying audio problems nobody talks about until they happen.