How do I play music at 2x speed on Android?
Playing music at 2x speed on Android phones means speeding up the tempo of songs so they play twice as fast. This allows you to listen to songs in half the time. Some benefits of speeding up music playback on an Android device include being able to listen to more songs in less time, making upbeat songs even more energetic, and potentially improving focus or productivity while listening.
Check Default Music App Settings
The first step is to open your phone’s default music app, such as Google Play Music, Samsung Music, or another pre-installed app, and look for speed or playback settings. Many default music apps have an option to adjust the playback speed.
For example, in the Google Play Music app, tap on the song that is currently playing. In the playback screen, you will see a speed option that allows you to increase or decrease the playback speed of that song. Many other default music apps like Samsung Music have a similar speed adjustment setting.
If you don’t see a speed adjustment option, check the app’s settings menu. There may be a setting to enable speed controls. The ability to adjust playback speed is a common feature in most default music apps nowadays.
If you still can’t find a speed adjustment after thoroughly checking the default music app’s settings, you may need to use a third-party app as described in the next sections.
Use Third-Party Apps
One of the easiest ways to play music at 2x speed on Android is to use a third-party music or media player app. Many popular apps like VLC media player, Rocket Player and Poweramp include speed adjustment options to customize your listening experience. These apps can override the system default speed and allow you to enjoy your music library at faster speeds.
Here are some top third-party Android apps to try for 2x music playback:
- VLC Media Player – Offers playback speed options up to 2x.
- Rocket Player – Lets you adjust speed up to 2x with an on-screen slider.
- Poweramp – Includes a tempo and pitch adjuster to alter playback speed.
The main advantage of using a third-party app is you can leave the system or default music app settings untouched. Just launch the third-party app when you want accelerated playback. Experiment with different apps to find one with speed controls and other features you prefer.
Try VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is a popular open-source media player for Android that allows you to easily control playback speed. You can download and install the VLC app for free from the Google Play Store.
Once installed, open a music file in VLC and tap on the screen to bring up the playback controls. Look for the speed option, which is often represented by a button with a running person icon. Tap this to open speed adjustment settings.
VLC provides a wide range of speed control from 0.25x up to 4x normal speed. You can smoothly adjust speed using a slider. VLC also has an option to adjust audio pitch along with speed to maintain relative pitch at higher speeds. This helps avoid distorted high-pitched audio at very fast settings.
Overall, VLC Media Player provides robust speed control options perfect for listening to music and other media at double speed or slower on your Android device.
Use Rocket Player
Rocket Player is a popular Android music player app that has robust speed control options. To use Rocket Player for 2x speed playback:
First, download and install the Rocket Player app from the Google Play Store. Rocket Player offers a free version with ads or a paid version without ads.
Once installed, open Rocket Player and go to the settings. Under “Sound,” you can enable the equalizer and adjust the playback speed. Rocket Player allows you to set custom playback speeds up to 2x.
The main advantage of Rocket Player is the granular speed control. You can fine-tune the speed to 1.1x, 1.5x, 1.8x, etc. It also features playback speed widgets and shortcuts on the app itself for easy adjustment during music playback.1
So if you want more customizable speed options beyond the default Android music app, Rocket Player is an excellent option for playing music at 2x speed.
Install Poweramp
Poweramp is a popular Android music player app known for its robust audio configuration options. It allows you to easily adjust the playback speed of your music on Android.
Poweramp has a clean, customizable interface and supports many music file formats. It also includes a 10-band equalizer and detailed audio settings. One of Poweramp’s standout features is the ability to adjust playback speed from 10% to 500% of the original tempo.1
To change the playback speed in Poweramp:2
- Open the Poweramp app and start playing a song.
- Tap the equalizer icon on the bottom toolbar.
- Select the “Time” tab at the top of the equalizer screen.
- Use the slider to adjust the playback speed up or down.
With these simple steps, you can easily speed up or slow down your music in Poweramp. It’s a handy way to tweak the tempo of songs on your Android device.
Change System-Wide Speed
You can adjust the default playback speed for all media apps on your Android device using the developer settings. According to this Quora post, go to Settings > System > Developer options. Scroll down and you’ll find an option to change the “Animator duration scale” which controls the speed of animations system-wide. Setting this to a lower value like 0.5x will speed up animations and media playback in any app.
Note that this affects the playback speed in all media apps on your device, not just music. While convenient, some apps may not be optimized for playback at higher speeds so you may encounter issues. Use this option with caution and adjust the speed gradually to find a comfortable setting across your apps.
Consider Hardware Limitations
Faster music playback can impact your phone’s battery life and data usage. The processor has to work harder to play the audio at an accelerated pace. This drains the battery faster than normal playback speed. It also requires streaming or loading more audio data in a shorter timespan, using more mobile data if you’re not on WiFi.
Lower-end phones may struggle with audio quality when speeding up music. The processor may not be powerful enough to render the audio clearly at quicker speeds. You may hear artifacts, clipping, or muddy sound, especially with more complex music. High-end phones generally have sufficient processing power, but there can still be limits.
Before using accelerated playback frequently, test it out while monitoring your phone’s temperature. If it’s getting hot, your phone may be getting overworked. Consider upgrading your device if speed adjustments routinely cause quality or overheating issues.
Other Speed Adjustment Tips
In addition to changing the actual playback speed, there are some other tricks you can use to make music seem faster or slower:
Adjust the EQ – Boosting the treble and cutting the bass can make music seem brighter and more energetic, creating a perceived speedup effect. This works especially well for songs with prominent basslines.
Change the pitch without altering tempo – Using an app like PitchLab Lite, you can shift the pitch higher to make songs seem faster. This method maintains the original tempo while making the melody and vocals sound sped up.
According to research cited in this article, our perception of tempo can change based on our state of mind. When we’re energized and focused, music may seem faster. When relaxed or fatigued, songs can sound slower even at the same BPM.
Manipulating EQ and pitch can simulate this effect, essentially “tricking” your brain into perceiving tempo changes that aren’t really there. Use these tricks carefully to enhance your listening experience.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve gone over the main methods for playing music at 2x speed on Android, let’s recap the key points.
The easiest options are to check your default music app for a built-in speed adjustment setting, or download a popular third-party app like VLC Media Player, Rocket Player, or Poweramp. These apps allow quick access to speed controls from within the player interface.
If you want to change playback speed system-wide, you can enable developer options and adjust the global animation speed setting. This will make all media play faster.
The main benefits of speeding up your music include fitting in more songs during a workout, powering through long playlists or albums faster, and even potentially improving focus while listening. Just keep in mind that playback quality may suffer on lower-end phones if pushed too fast.
In closing, with the right music app and a few adjustments, you can easily listen to songs at double or even triple speed on your Android phone. Find the method that works best for your needs.
