MIXXX Stuttering on Windows 11

Applies to: MIXXX users on Windows 11 (24H2 / 25H2).

Symptom

MIXXX stutters or drops the stream every time it changes tracks. Started after a recent Windows update.

What's happening

The Windows 24H2 and 25H2 updates changed how Windows hands audio over to apps. Every deck swap, MIXXX asks Windows to do a tiny bit more work and the audio stack chokes for a split second. That's your glitch.

Loads of people are hitting this right now. It's not MIXXX, it's not your PC, it's not the stream.

Quick fix to try first

Before going to ASIO4ALL, which is fiddly to set up, try this. It worked in our testing and is a lot less hassle.

1. In MIXXX, open Options > Preferences (or press Ctrl+P).

   

2. Go to Sound Hardware in the left panel. Set:

   • Sound API: Windows DirectSound
   • Audio Buffer: 46.4 ms

   Click Apply, then OK.

   

3. Play a track and keep an eye on the CPU Load meter at the top of the MIXXX window, especially during track transitions. If it turns yellow or red, this fix isn't enough for your machine, move on to ASIO4ALL below.

   

If the CPU Load meter stays green and the stuttering is gone, you're done. No need for ASIO4ALL.

The fix: ASIO4ALL

ASIO4ALL. Free, been around forever, totally safe. It lets MIXXX skip the broken Windows audio path and go more or less straight to your sound card.

Read this before you install

ASIO takes your sound card for itself when MIXXX is open. So while you're DJing:

• SL viewer will go silent and you may need to relog after the set
• Browser / Discord / YouTube may go silent
• Anything else using the same output, silent

That's not a bug, that's just how ASIO works. Close MIXXX and it all comes back. If you need viewer sound or Discord while streaming, run them off your phone or a second device.

We cannot stress this enough: people install ASIO4ALL, lose SL sound mid-set, and panic. It's fine. It's supposed to do that.

Install and setup

Download: ASIO4ALL 2.20.1

1. Download and install. Defaults are fine.
2. Open MIXXX.
3. Go to Preferences > Sound Hardware.
4. Sound API: ASIO
5. Click Query Devices.
6. Main output: pick ASIO4ALL v2.
7. Output: (Mic, if you use it) ASIO4ALL v2.
8. Sample Rate: 44100 Hz
9. Click Apply, then OK.
10. Play a test track, then let it run for a few transitions to make sure it holds.

If it's still glitching

Try these in order:

• Bump the ASIO4ALL buffer to 1024. Open ASIO4ALL from the taskbar (lower right corner near the clock, looks like a green play button in a square).
• In MIXXX, go to Preferences > Waveforms and set waveform type to Empty.
• In MIXXX, go to Library > Analyze Entire Library. This makes sure MIXXX isn't analyzing tracks on the fly during transitions.
• Open Windows sound settings. Find your output device, open Properties, and turn off all Enhancements and Spatial Audio.
• Press Win + R, type powercfg.cpl, and set your power plan to High Performance.

If the ASIO device list is empty

1. Click Query Devices again.
2. If still empty: close MIXXX fully and reopen.
3. If still empty: reboot.
4. If STILL empty: your sound card driver probably needs reinstalling. Grab it from your motherboard or laptop manufacturer's site.

Still stuck?

IM Caine in-world with:

• Your Windows build (press Win + R, type winver)
• Whether the CPU meter in MIXXX is going yellow or red
• What sound card you're using

Happy streaming!