Plexamp headless - playback stuck bouncing at 00:01 forever

Plex Labs
1

Server Version: 1.42.2.10156 Player Version: Plexamp 4.12.4 (headless Linux ARM64)

Running Plexamp headless on a few Raspberry Pi 5s (Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm and Debian Bookworm). Intermittently hit this issue where playback gets stuck looping at the very start of a track - goes to 00:01, jumps back to 00:00, 00:01, 00:00, forever. Never errors out, just keeps trying.

The weird thing is toggling the audio device in settings immediately fixes it. Doesn’t matter what I switch to - just the act of changing it unsticks whatever’s wrong.

Happening across different DAC hardware (RPi DAC Pro and HiFiBerry DAC), so doesn’t seem hardware-specific. Fresh installs, running as a systemd service. Doesn’t happen every time, which makes it hard to reproduce.

Anyone else hit this? The fact that the device toggle fixes it makes me think something in the audio init path isn’t getting properly set up on certain launches.

2

Not sure this will fix it, but try the password reset procedure in the FAQ here, and let us know.

3

Tried the password reset procedure and no change, still happens intermittently.

The interesting thing is the first Q&A in that doc describes exactly my symptom (flips back without playing) and my workaround (re-select audio device). So this seems like a known audio init issue rather than account-related. I hope there an actual fix in the works rather than “toggle the device” every time this happens.

1 Like
4

might help to post logs from headless after the issue occurs

and does it matter whether you’re controlling from browser vs from plexamp mobile or desktop app ?

5

Control method doesn’t seem to matter. I control via mobile app, mac or web. Same issue happens regardless.

Got logs. Nothing during the stuck/bouncing state – No entries – But when I toggle the audio device (which fixes it), this appears:

ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1000:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave

thanks!

6

i think that’s what shows when the audio device isn’t available (disappears, another app is using it, etc)

there should be more in plexamp logs at ~/.cache/Plexamp/log … the ALSA error is from system logs

7

Found the logs!

In ~/.cache/Plexamp/log/Plexamp.1.log I can see it stuck at 89ms for about 94 seconds while reporting “state playing”:

Dec 14, 2025 18:50:05.638 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:50:21.244 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:50:36.849 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:50:52.455 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:08.060 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:23.666 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:39.271 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 89 token true.

Then I toggled the audio device:

Dec 14, 2025 18:51:49.392 [Javascript] INFO - HttpServer: [100.105.182.123] GET /settings/values name=audioDeviceUuid
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:51.176 [Javascript] INFO - HttpServer: [100.105.182.123] PUT /settings name=audioDeviceUuid&value=hw:2,0
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:51.177 [0x2088f060] DEBUG - BASS: Setting audio interface:  -> hw:2,0.
Dec 14, 2025 18:51:51.177 [0x2088f060] DEBUG - BASS: Resetting device (soft: 0, force: 1, initialized: 1).

Right after that it started working:

Dec 14, 2025 18:52:10.909 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 20299 token true.
Dec 14, 2025 18:52:26.499 [Javascript] INFO - PlayQueue: Sending timeline in state playing time 35899 token true.

Hope this helps!

2 Likes
8

interesting … don’t think i’ve seen or heard of this issue before … perhaps full logs might show some additional detail or context

are these recent / new installs, or are they previously good installs that are now misbehaving ?

9

Mix of both actually. The bedroom Pi was a fresh install of 4.12.4 last week - worked great at first, then started doing this a day or two later. The dark living room Pi has been running longer and does the same thing intermittently.

plexamp-dec14.log (3.8 MB)

10

it’s possible the audio devices are switching index after a reboot … if you only need the audio HAT, you can edit the /boot/firmware/config.txt file to keep other on board audio devices from showing up …

for example, comment out this line

# dtparam=audio=on

and modify this line (add ,noaudio to the end)

dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d,noaudio

not sure which of those are required for a pi5, but shouldn’t hurt to do both

after saving and rebooting, the audio HAT should show as the only available output … if index switching after reboots is causing your issue, this should prevent it

11

I have experienced this as well. What I noticed was when it happens to me the server dashboard shows the song playing as normal. But plexamp shows what you describe. If i stop from the server side using the dashboard to stop playback. It unsticks plexamp. I havent had it happen in awhile next time it does I will get logs. I suspect changing libraries has something to do with it getting stuck. But I haven’t had time to force it to glitch.

1 Like
12

Hey,

Problem related Plexamp Flatpak/AppImage - Does not start playback until audio device switched

Still not fixed after months.

13

did you try to downgrade to 4.12.3?

14

I have this issue often too. It seems to be when the Pi cant work out what audio device to use. Since the last big update to RpiOs Or plexamp…cant tell which but about 6 months ago, ive had this issue.

Plexamp sees a dozen audio devices and most often chooses the one i dont want. I have tried disabling all other audio in .conf but still persists. I’m using USB dac and dac must be on and connected then Pi restarted for it to see the DAC. Sometimes it has to be unselected and reselected from the web interface or the dreaded playback o.oo-o.o1 loop starts.

Seems like a bug to me.

15

I downgraded to 4.12.3 and it solved all my problems. my relationship with my wife is better, even.

1 Like
16

I’m actually seeing this on any sort of casting. Casting from an Android Tablet (Plexamp App) to a LG Soundbar, Casting from a desktop (Plex Web) to the same LG sound bar (LG soundbar works okay with other apps e.g. Tidal, Spotify).

I’m thinking its Server related somehow.

17

I have the exact same problem from time to time. I need to go to http://192.168.1.xx:32500 and in settings to re-select the output device through the « cast » icon, even if there is only one output device.

18

Thanks, toggling the audio device worked under Settings → Playback → Audio Output fixed this for me.

19

I can confirm, switching between audio devices solves the problem :+1:

20

I have exactly the same issue when using USB DAC connected to Arcam A25. It seems to have only started very recently but nothing in my system has changed so quite confused.

Changing the output via the Plexamp headless webpage temporarily fixes the issue but it’s not sustainable. Feels like a bug to me, but I think may push me towards Wiim.