Modify audio output device system/master volume on Windows

[zebranine]

Modify audio output device system/master volume on Windows

[MaxKellermann]

I don't understand what you are doing, partly because you did not say anything about your setup, and partly because I have never used Windows, and I don't know what "system/master volume" is.

[zebranine]

I have a Windows 11 PC hosting MPD as a service, various clients (Windows, Android).

Client volume changes seem to modify only the MPD application volume, rather than the host audio device volume at the operating system level.

This means that if the Windows audio device used by MPD is set at 25% volume (in the Windows mixer), MPD can only reach maximum 25% of potential system volume even when it is set internally to 100% volume.

The OS mixer volume overrides the MPD application volume. This could be overcome if MPD set the Windows mixer level for the audio device directly.

Screenshot of client displaying MPD vol vs OS audio device vol:

[zebranine]

Found a partial solution.

MPD will control Windows Mixer master volume if mpd.conf audio_output settings specify the following:

type "wasapi"
exclusive "yes"

This, however, means no other programs can use the audio device, so not ideal.