Why does my music pause when the display goes off?

[jcgc]

Music pauses when display goes off

Surface 3 running Win 10.

I have the power settings to turn the display off in 10 minutes but to never turn off the computer when plugged in. Yet, when I have music playing and the display turns off the music stops. Tapping the start button or any key and the screen lights up and the music resumes. Should add that the entire music library resides on the microsd card.
What am I doing wrong?

 

[Ed Boland]

Re: Music pauses when display goes off

I'm assuming you're using Groove to play your music?

This might help:

(it doesn't have anything to do with Groove or whatever you're using to play your music... I just wanted to lock in the first answer lol)


Advanced power settings.

Right click on the Start button and go right into Control Panel. Then Hardware and Sound, Power Options. From there, it doesn't matter what "power plan" you have set, just click on "Change plan settings" over on the right hand side. Then click "Change advanced power settings"

Now you're on the real power settings menu. Scroll down to the bottom, and there should be a "Multimedia settings". Pop that open and under "When Sharing Media", make sure it's set at "Prevent Idling to Sleep"



Try this and report back. Hope it helps!

 

[jcgc]

Re: Music pauses when display goes off

Ed, sorry but I am just now seeing this. Apparently, I am not getting notifications of replies. Will changing that setting leave the display on or will it go off?

 

[eusty]

The problem isn't the display, but it going into sleep. Ed's tip stops it going into sleep if it's playing music.

 

[jcgc]

The problem isn't the display, but it going into sleep. Ed's tip stops it going into sleep if it's playing music.

It occurred to me that I have the settings to never go to sleep while plugged in, which it was. However, I have it also set to turn the display off in 10 minutes if no activity and that is what it did. Also, in response to Ed. I was using Media Monkey, my preferred music manager. With Groove Music it continues to play when the display goes off.

Have no problem like this with my Win 8.1 laptop. Not sure if this is some Surface 3 problem or Win 10.

 

[BaritoneGuy]

It is because Media Monkey does not understand the connected standby sleep state. The surface uses it instead of the regular sleep state that a laptop uses. Essentially with the screen off the surface is in this connected standby. Only solution is to use a media player that understands this. Most of the "modern" ones from the app store should work, but not desktop ones.

 

[jcgc]

It is because Media Monkey does not understand the connected standby sleep state. The surface uses it instead of the regular sleep state that a laptop uses. Essentially with the screen off the surface is in this connected standby. Only solution is to use a media player that understands this. Most of the "modern" ones from the app store should work, but not desktop ones.

I had heard something about this and thanks for the info. From your comment I am assuming that it doesn't affect a normal laptop? I ask because I am thinking about upgrading my year old Win 8.1 Dell and I would rather not lose the ability to use MM for playing music with it.

 

[actx76092]

Hello - I am having this problem with all my music playing apps. . Roon, Qobuz, Tidal, etc. I followed your directions but on my SP3 with Win10, there are no multimedia options in the Power Plan section?

Any other ideas? This is quite frustrating!

Thanks