How to listen to music on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8: from standard player to Hi-Fi sound

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is one of the most popular smartphones of the brand, which is still actively used due to balanced characteristics and support for updates. However, many owners are faced with questions: how to adjust the music playback, which apps to use for better sound, and why sometimes tracks are interrupted or distorted. This article will help you understand everything from basic listening methods to advanced settings for music lovers.

We’ll look at not only the standard methods (built-in player, YouTube Music, Spotify), but also less obvious options: connecting external drives, setting up the equalizer for Xiaomi headphones, as well as solving typical sound problems. We’ll pay special attention to optimizing the battery during long-term listening – this is true for the Redmi Note 8 with its 4000 mAh battery capacity.

If you've just bought this smartphone or want to improve your sound quality, read on. And for those who prefer streaming services, we've put together a comparison table with the pros and cons of each.

1. Standard player Mi Music: features and settings

Redmi Note 8 preinstalled the Mi Music app (or Russian firmware) and supports the main audio formats: MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, as well as playlists to start listening to:

1. Open the Mi Music app (an icon with a note on a white background).
2. Allow access to files at the first start.
3. Click Local Music → Choose a track or album.

To improve the sound, go to Settings → Equalizer and select one of the preset profiles (Rock, Pop, Jazz) or adjust the sliders manually. Note: the equalizer only works with wired headphones or a smartphone speaker - for Bluetooth devices it turns off.

💡

If the player does not display tracks from the memory card, reboot the smartphone or check the path to the /storage/emulated/0/Music folder - sometimes files are copied to a different directory.

Cons of the standard player:

• 🔊 No support for Hi-Res Audio (High Resolution).
• 📁 Inconvenient sorting of files by folder.
• 🔄 There is no Crossfade (smooth transition between tracks).

Streaming services: which to choose for Redmi Note 8

If you prefer listening to music online, the Redmi Note 8 has all the popular services available: YouTube Music, Spotify, Yandex Music, Apple Music, and others. However, not all of them are equally well optimized for Xiaomi devices.

For the Redmi Note 8, we recommend Yandex Music, which drains the battery the least and supports caching tracks to a memory card. If sound quality is important, choose Spotify with an Extreme (320 kbps) setting, but be prepared for a faster discharge.

Important for owners of Redmi Note 8: when listening through streaming services, turn off the function "Autolightness" in the screen settings - this will reduce the load on the processor and extend battery life by 15-20%.

3. Connecting Bluetooth headphones: step-by-step instructions

For wireless music listening on the Redmi Note 8 suitable for any Bluetooth headphones, including models from Xiaomi (Redmi AirDots, Mi True Wireless Earbuds).

1. Activate the pairing mode on the headphones (usually hold the power button for 3-5 seconds until the indicator blinks).
2. On your smartphone, go to Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth.
3. Turn on Bluetooth and select headphones from the list of available devices.
4. Confirm the conjugation (if necessary, enter the PIN-code, usually 0000 or 1234).

After connecting, check the sound quality:

• 🎧 If the sound is interrupted, reduce the distance between your smartphone and headphones or reboot both devices.
• 🔋 If the headphones discharge quickly – turn off the Absolute Volume function in Bluetooth settings (section Additional).
• 🔊 To improve bass, turn on Mi Sound Enhancer mode in the sound settings (available on the MIUI 12+).

Headphones are charged at more than 30%|Distance to smartphone ≤ 10 meters|Bluetooth settings disabled "Energy saving mode"|Checked the absence of interference from other devices (Wi-Fi, microwaves)-->

If the headphones are not connected:

⚠️ Note: Redmi Note 8 with firmware MIUI 11 and below may occur pairing error with devices on the chip Qualcomm (for example, Sony) WH-1000XM3). Solution: Update the firmware to MIUI 12+ or reset the network settings (Settings) → System system → Resetting settings → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth).

4.Music from memory card: how to transfer and listen to tracks

The Redmi Note 8 supports microSD cards up to 256GB (FAT32 or exFAT) to listen to music from an external drive:

1. Insert the card into the slot (located on the left end of the smartphone, combined with a tray for SIM).
2. Connect your smartphone to your PC and copy the tracks to your folder /storage/XXXX-XXXX/Music (where XXXX-XXXX — card).
3. Open Mi Music and update the library (Settings → Update the media library).

If the player can't see the files:

• 📂 Check that the tracks have a supported format (MP3, FLAC, WAV).
• 🔄 Restart your smartphone after copying files.
• 🛠️ Install an alternative player (such as Poweramp or a Poweramp). VLC), Which works better with external storage.

To save space on the memory card, use compression of tracks in MP3 192 kbit / s - the difference in quality will be minimal, and the volume of files will decrease by 2-3 times.

5. Advanced sound settings: equalizer and Hi-Fi

For music lovers, Redmi Note 8 offers several ways to improve sound:

Built-in equalizer:

• Open Settings → Sound and vibration → Equator.
• Choose a preset profile or set up sliders manually (we recommend increasing 60Hz for bass and 10kHz for high frequencies).

Sound enhancement applications:

• 🎵 Poweramp Equalizer – supports Hi-Res Audio and works with any player.
• 🔊 ViPER4Android — requires root rights, but gives maximum customization (including virtual surround).
• 🎧 Wavelet – optimizes sound for specific models of headphones.

Settings for Bluetooth:

• Enable aptX or AAC in Bluetooth settings (available for headphones that support these codecs).
• Turn off Absolute Volume to avoid distortion at high volume.

💡

To activate Hi-Res Audio on Redmi Note 8, you need to use an external DAC (for example, Xiaomi USB-C to 3.5mm Adapter) and a player with support for 24-bit/96kHz (for example, USB Audio Player PRO).

6. Solution to Sound Problems: Cods, cliffs, low volume

Typical problems when listening to music on the Redmi Note 8 and their solutions:

If the sound is completely lost:

⚠️ Note: Redmi Note 8 after update to MIUI 13 may cause a bug to turn off the audio in the headphones. Temporary solution: switch the output to the speaker and back through the Quick Settings panel. MIUI 12.5 or waiting for a patch.

To diagnose hardware problems, use the speaker test:

1. Dial the dialer code ##4636##.
2. Select Equipment Testing → Audio.
3. Test both the speaker (top and bottom) and the microphone.

7. Battery optimization for long-term listening

Listening to music is one of the most energy-consuming tasks on the Redmi Note 8, especially when using Bluetooth or streaming services.

• 🔋 Enable Power Saving Mode in Battery Settings (Limit background activity).
• 📶 Turn off your mobile data or Wi-Fi if you are listening to offline tracks.
• 🔊 Reduce the volume to 60-70% – this will reduce the load on the amplifier.
• 🌑 Activate the Dark Theme and reduce the screen brightness to 30%.

Battery consumption comparison (Redmi Note 8 test with MIUI 12.5):

• Local tracks (Mi Music): ~5% per hour
• Spotify (online, 320 kbps): ~12% per hour.
• YouTube Music (video off): ~8% per hour
• Bluetooth + equalizer: ~15% per hour.

💡

Using wired headphones instead of Bluetooth saves up to 40% of battery life over long-term listening (a 5-hour play test).

FAQ: Frequent questions about music on Redmi Note 8