Subtle cracking in audio every 3-4 seconds

[adamtierney]

I'm on a new PC and I'm getting subtle crackling audio every 3-4 seconds when I use Spotify on my PC. It happens whether I use the Windows App, or the website version. It ONLY happens with Spotify, not when playing audio through sites like YouTube or local files through Media Player. It happens whether I stream through Spotify or play downloaded files. I've tried adjusting all settings within Spotify, reinstalling, adjusting all settings in Windows, and adding firewall exceptions. I am playing through WIRED headphones, through a USB-C connection.

Why is this happening?? I use Spotify constantly as I work, but this is unbearable. Any tips? Spotify is literally the ONLY audio program on this PC doing this, and again, it does it both on- and offline, in-app and in-browser.

[Eni]

Hey there @adamtierney, 

Thanks for getting in touch about this here in the Community. 

First up, would you mind trying if the same happens if you listen to Spotify directly from the PC without the headphones? Also, could you check if the issue persists with different headphones?

On another note, if you're using any VPNs, make sure to turn it off while using the app as it can affect its performance. It'd also be helpful if you could give a different internet connection a go to see if that does the trick. You can try creating a hotspot on your phone and using that. 

Let us know how it goes.