Music Stutter/Lag When Screen is Off

**jhtheking** · 01-01-2012, 08:30 PM

When playing some songs the music will stutter when the screen turns off, but plays fine when the screen is on. I've tried looking for a solution and the only one I have found is to first root your phone, but I would rather just have music play smoothly without having to root it.

Is anyone else having this issue/ anyone have ideas to fix this?

If you're having this issue go to and star it so it can be fixed.

**wootang00** · 01-02-2012, 05:00 AM

i restarted my phone and it fixed the problem

**jhtheking** · 01-02-2012, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by wootang00

i restarted my phone and it fixed the problem

I did too and it didn't.

**MikeC_513** · 01-02-2012, 05:27 PM

my phone is rooted, and i've had the same problem, but not very often. just letting you know so you don't go through rooting if you didn't want to for any other reason.

**JustJoey** · 01-03-2012, 10:11 AM

I downloaded PowerAmp from the Market, and increased its buffer to 750, and that solved the issue. It also solved the issue I had with lots of my MP3s having the same album art image.

**astraelraen** · 01-03-2012, 02:14 PM

Are you having this issue with streaming files or files that are actually on your Nexus?

We were out a lot this weekend and I was streaming from Google Music and Amazon MP3 and both seemed to have this issue. I couldn't tell if it was just a network issue or a problem with the handset/Google/Amazon.

**jhtheking** · 01-04-2012, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by astraelraen

Are you having this issue with streaming files or files that are actually on your Nexus?

We were out a lot this weekend and I was streaming from Google Music and Amazon MP3 and both seemed to have this issue. I couldn't tell if it was just a network issue or a problem with the handset/Google/Amazon.

It's with files actually on the Nexus. All of my music is available offline so I never stream at all. Kinda disappointing since I had long been looking forward to ditching my ipod.

**yosteve** · 01-04-2012, 06:53 AM

Been streaming music on my external speaker all week before bed (using the sleep function). Yesterday, the signal went to (sounded like an am radio station) every time the screen went off, really strange.

**Terrigno** · 01-04-2012, 07:00 AM

That does sound strange. It sounds like Googles Built in apps might have a slight issue. I dont use the Music App to much even though I have about 10 songs uploaded to the cloud. But I actually seem to get that stutter when watching a video I recorded with the phone. Then Ill rewind back to make sure that part wasnt messed up and it will play smooth. So Im thinking that might be Googles Music and Videos apps they use that might be causing that. With others saying that alternative players make it work fine, Im starting to believe that. Which is good, cause the actual phone doesn't have a problem.

**clicq0** · 01-04-2012, 12:29 PM

Just wanted to say that I just noticed this issue today with the default Google Music app. It only happens on some of my music though, so I assume these are either VBR or higher bitrate.

The files are fine, as they play on my iphone and computer perfectly.

LTE Galaxy Nexus with stock 4.0.2.

**mallocfailure** · 01-05-2012, 01:32 PM

I was having this stuttering while the screen is off issue too - but I figured out that if I go into the Google Music menu on the "Now Playing" screen, choose Sound Effects, and turn the EQ on, the issue goes away!
I don't think I had this issue before I installed Volume+... I haven't had a chance to see if disabling Volume+ fixes it - they may not be related. Anyone having this issue without Volume+ installed?

**jhtheking** · 01-05-2012, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by mallocfailure

I was having this stuttering while the screen is off issue too - but I figured out that if I go into the Google Music menu on the "Now Playing" screen, choose Sound Effects, and turn the EQ on, the issue goes away!
I don't think I had this issue before I installed Volume+... I haven't had a chance to see if disabling Volume+ fixes it - they may not be related. Anyone having this issue without Volume+ installed?

I'm about to try your fix now, but I have Volume+ disabled and it still stutters. I hope what you did works! Thanks

Edit: Didn't work

Edit 2: It actually works a little better but you actually have to adjust the settings.. If I put the fx booster to the "hip hop" feature there is almost no stutter, but if I keep it on "flat" it doesn't help. I generally don't like applying any type of changes to my music though. I also completely uninstalled Volume+ to no avail.

**datdudeukno** · 01-07-2012, 04:26 PM

Also having this same issue. But I can't play music through the default music app to begin with. I don't know what that's about. All the music was transferred from the computer, saved to the internal memory, but the music app doesn't show ANY of it. Had to download winamp from the market. That shows all the music, so I know it's there. But even playing music through winamp, I have the problem you are talking about. Basically sounds like a CD skipping. Only when the screen is off.

**dtice03** · 01-15-2012, 10:39 PM

Having this issue also. I've verified that it happens both with the stock music app and with Winamp. I even disable the stock music app and it still happens on Winamp. This is music actually stored on my Nexus btw, no streaming. It happens with Volume+ both installed and uninstalled. So far, it seems to only happen on music that is of 320 kbps quality. I have entire albums in 320 kbps and it affects every song. Other music that is not in 320 kbps quality seems to work just fine. This has to be weirdest bug I've ever encountered and it's really annoying.

**Patrick Schroedl** · 01-16-2012, 12:21 AM

I experience a very noticeable stutter/lag when a notification sound interrupts my music. The notification sound itself is what stutters.

Is this part of what we're discussing a fix for here?

**Dukins** · 01-16-2012, 07:32 AM

Yeah I noticed this too. Pretty annoying. I even tried using an alternate music app but still stutters. Fix it GOOGLE lol.

**GolferChris68** · 01-16-2012, 08:56 AM

It's also an issue with streaming services like Slacker, Pandora and Spotify. All exhibit the same issue. Pretty sad that something as basic as this doesn't work in Google's flagship android phone. This should have been caught and fixed in their testing.

**Nashional** · 01-16-2012, 10:45 AM

I'm having the same issue with notification sounds distorting music.

**tdiggitydog** · 01-16-2012, 12:34 PM

Report it to google

**coloneljames** · 01-17-2012, 09:48 AM

Originally Posted by Feudal1

It's also an issue with streaming services like Slacker, Pandora and Spotify. All exhibit the same issue.

same

**Dr0me** · 01-17-2012, 11:47 AM

having the same issue as well.. it seems as if the device lowers the amount of resources available when the phone goes into sleep mode and causes it to skip.. REALLY annoying..

starred the issue on the link provided..

Originally Posted by datdudeukno

Also having this same issue. But I can't play music through the default music app to begin with. I don't know what that's about. All the music was transferred from the computer, saved to the internal memory, but the music app doesn't show ANY of it. Had to download winamp from the market. That shows all the music, so I know it's there. But even playing music through winamp, I have the problem you are talking about. Basically sounds like a CD skipping. Only when the screen is off.

try changing the settings to "offline music only" before I did that there was a bunch of nonsense showing on my library of music..

**tx_tuff** · 01-17-2012, 04:07 PM

I listen to Google Music (on lne music and off line music) plus a stream app that plays a local AM station and have not had any problem with stutter or lag. Maybe I'm just lucky.

**GolferChris68** · 01-17-2012, 09:06 PM

Some more details... Google Music streaming works fine on my Nexus on it's "high audio quality" setting. And Slacker when playing at lower audio quality runs fine. It's only when I change it to "Best" that it starts to pause and stutter after a few songs once the screen has gone to sleep. I have played with various settings and tools to figure this out - seems to be a "lost audio focus" message or event involved. Definitely either an ICS problem, something with phone firmware, or the Slacker application itself.