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Find where the silence occurs before changing settings: between playlist tracks, at the end of a repeated file, during network playback, or when the audio output changes. Each points to a different cause. A loop setting can replay a file or playlist, but it cannot remove silence encoded into the audio or guarantee that the playback system transitions without a pause.
First, locate the gap
Listen for the exact boundary where the sound drops out. Note whether it happens every time at the same point, only between separate tracks, intermittently during a network-fed stream, or when playback switches devices or formats. This distinction matters: track-transition settings, file loops, playlist loops, and buffering address different layers.
- Between tracks: Check the player’s gapless or transition settings.
- At the end of one file as it repeats: Check the loop source and inspect the file’s start and end.
- Intermittently during network playback: Investigate buffering and interruptions in the playback pipeline.
- When an output device or format changes: Check whether the transition resets or reconfigures the audio device.
Remove pauses between tracks in Spotify
Spotify distinguishes Gapless playback from Crossfade. Gapless playback is intended to remove pauses between tracks. Crossfade overlaps the end of one track with the beginning of the next, changing the sound rather than simply removing a pause. Automix is a separate transition feature. For continuous sleep ambience, start by checking Gapless playback; use Crossfade only if you want the tracks to overlap. Spotify documents these features at Gapless playback and Crossfade.
Check the connection and audio mode
- Spotify says transition settings cannot be configured while using Spotify Connect. If a setting is unavailable, check whether playback is being controlled through Connect.
- On Windows, Spotify’s Exclusive Mode takes control of the selected audio device, preventing other apps from playing through it. Spotify also says Automix and Crossfade are disabled in this mode. Check the Exclusive Mode state if those controls are unavailable or behave differently than expected. See Spotify’s Exclusive Mode guidance.
Loop a file or playlist in OBS Studio
In OBS, use the loop control that matches the source you have configured. A Media Source is for a media file; a VLC Video source can play a list of items. Their loop settings do not establish that the audio itself has a seamless boundary.
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For one file: Media Source
- In your scene’s Sources list, select the Media Source that contains the sleep-sounds file.
- Open its properties and enable Loop so the file plays again when playback completes.
- Apply the change and listen through the end-to-start boundary. If the pause happens at the same point on each repeat, check the file boundary as well as the source setting.
For a list of files: VLC Video source
- Select the VLC Video source containing the playlist and open its properties.
- Enable Loop Playlist to repeat the list of items.
- If the playlist uses network sources, note the available Network caching (ms) setting. OBS documents the control, but does not specify one buffer value that prevents every interruption; adjust only as a targeted troubleshooting step and listen for the result.
OBS’s source controls are described in its Media Sources documentation. Loop and Loop Playlist govern replay; they do not remove silence included in the source file or promise seamless output.
Check the audio file’s loop boundary
If silence recurs at precisely the same end-to-start point, the file boundary is a likely place to investigate. A looping player starts the file again; it does not necessarily trim encoded silence or join its final audio samples smoothly to its opening. Check the beginning and end of the actual file, not just the player’s loop indicator. A file can also have an abrupt change in level or ambience at the boundary even when it contains no literal silence.
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Gapless playback can be technically demanding. GStreamer’s documentation notes that the next file must be buffered before the current one ends, audio boundaries must be well defined (particularly for compressed formats), pipeline changes must occur without pausing, and the audio device must not reset—or its switch must itself be gapless. It also cautions that edge cases and bugs are not uncommon. These are reasons to diagnose the whole playback route rather than assume one codec or setting will fix every gap. See GStreamer’s gapless playback design notes.
Troubleshoot network-fed playback and output changes
For an intermittent gap rather than a repeatable file-boundary pause, follow the playback path around the moment the silence occurs. Network buffering, a source or pipeline change, incompatible decoders, or an audio-device reset can interrupt continuity. GStreamer’s playback design documentation discusses buffering for network sources and continuity across certain input changes when decoders are compatible. It does not prescribe a universal buffer size or guarantee seamless playback for every setup.
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- Check whether the source is local or network-fed and whether interruptions coincide with a source change.
- Check whether the audio output device, sample format, or decoder changes at the same boundary.
- Test the same loop through the full playback route and under the conditions you actually use, including the intended output device.
- If a browser player fails to start or resume, consider autoplay restrictions only at that start or resume point. Spotify’s Web Playback SDK notes that some browsers require user interaction to trigger playback; this does not establish autoplay policy as a cause of gaps in already-running playback. See Spotify Web Playback SDK documentation.
Common symptoms and fixes
| Symptom | Likely layer to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A pause between Spotify tracks | Track-transition setting or connection mode | Check Gapless playback; distinguish it from Crossfade. Check whether Spotify Connect or, on Windows, Exclusive Mode affects available controls. |
| A pause at the same point every time one file repeats | Loop source or audio-file boundary | Confirm the correct source is looping, then inspect the file’s start and end for silence or a discontinuity. |
| A pause between items in an OBS playlist | Playlist source and transition pipeline | Confirm the source is VLC Video and Loop Playlist is enabled; for network items, investigate caching and the playback route. |
| Random short gaps during network playback | Buffering, source changes, decoder or device transitions | Observe whether the interruption aligns with a network-source or pipeline change, decoder change, or audio-device reset. |
| Playback does not start or resume in a browser | Browser autoplay policy | Try the user interaction required by the browser; treat this as a start/resume issue, not proof of a cause for gaps during uninterrupted playback. |
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