Using the WASAPI output plug-in in MediaMonkey

WASAPI (Windows Audio Session API) is a Windows interface mode that allows an unmodified bitstream to be delivered to a sound device. It can also provide applications with exclusive access to audio devices, bypassing effects (e.g. system mixer) provided by the audio driver.

Before configuring WASAPI mode in MediaMonkey, you should install the appropriate audio drivers for your DAC and verify that the drivers are working. Usually, there aren’t any special settings or options in the drivers necessary to allow them to support WASAPI mode.


To configure WASAPI Mode in MediaMonkey, run MediaMonkey and:

  1. Go to Tools > Options > Output Plug-ins from the Main Menu
  2. Click the radio button next to MediaMonkey WASAPI output

The MediaMonkey player will now play sound via the WASAPI driver.

If there are problems with the sound (e.g. clicks) you can tweak the WASAPI settings to your liking or set it to use specific supported modes. For example:

  • If audio stutters make sure that you’ve updated the drivers for your audio chipset/card.
  • If you hear static whenever you use a DSP plugin or tag tracks, try enabling Exclusive mode. This mode has options for:
    • A specific format based on your audio hardware
    • Automatic choice of format (per track) – asks the card for supported modes and chooses the one that’s closest (best) for the source format of the track
    • Format of the original track – in case of driver problems, this mode won’t query the card and starts playback in the track’s original format. If that fails, it attempts to query the card.
  • Some devices don’t support event driven mode. Disable event driven mode and use push mode if you experience clicks between tracks
  • In some environments, increasing the buffer size to 500ms (via the Advanced settings) can solve playback problems.

If no sound plays via WASAPI, it can be due to a conflict caused when WASAPI exclusive mode is enabled in multiple applications (e.g. MediaMonkey 4 and MediaMonkey 5). In such cases, try disabling exclusive mode in the WASAPI settings (see below) and/or for the audio device (Click the speaker icon, then ‘Volume Mixer’, then click the output device e.g. ‘Speakers’, then click the ‘Advanced’ tab in Speaker Properties, and disable ‘Allow applications to take exclusive control of this device’).

To configure WASAPI:

  1. Go to Tools > Options > Output Plug-ins from the Main Menu
  2. Select ‘MediaMonkey WASAPI output’
  3. Click Configure
  4. On the MediaMonkey WASAPI output plugin configure page…
    1. Select Your WASAPI Compatible device as your output device (you may also select ‘Default device’ if you’ll be using your Windows default device for output).
    2. Check/Uncheck Exclusive Mode (as needed).
    3. Under Exclusive Mode select “Automatic choice of format (per track)”.
    4. If your device supports PUSH mode but not EVENT mode (like Emotiva DAC)
      1. Click Advanced.
      2. UNCHECK the box next to “Event driven Exclusive mode (recommended)” and “Event driven Shared mode (recommended)”.
      3. Click on OK till you go back MediaMonkey main screen and close options.

Applies to: ,

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