Release v0.2.1

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

🚀 MASSIVE UPDATE... with no new "features"!

This one is big. In the last 24 hours, the Audio Core Engine that controls how we get your music into the game has been massively updated and optimized to give you the best audio experience yet! Things that started as guesswork are now pinned down to a science. 🎯

🎧 Audio playback optimizations all over the place
🛠️ General stability enhanced

The new Audio Core Engine also means easier, quicker, faster updates to the mod, and it makes future sister mods for other compatible streaming services much easier! 🙌

📣 Please share this mod with anyone you know who's playing!

---

🎧 v0.2.1: Audio Optimization

The big one: the music now plays much nicer with the game. Same Spotify casting and local music, way fewer hiccups. It runs on the same improved audio engine as the YouTube Music version.

🔁 Smoother song changes

The little hitch when the station moves to the next song (usually when the Now Playing popup shows up) is greatly reduced. A very faint one can still happen on some changes.

⏸️ Smarter pausing

The mod now notices when the game stops playing the station, holds your song, and picks up from the same spot. Your phone's play and pause still work like before.

🎯 Better song timing and handoffs

Song timing now uses the game's own song lengths, and Spotify and local music hand over to each other more reliably. Local songs pick up right where they stopped.

🔍 Still investigating

We're still looking into making your Spotify or local music pause, behind the scenes, during in-game wheelspins, rewinds, and race starts.

⚠️ One radio mod at a time

This uses the same D3DCompiler_47.dll as the YouTube Music version, FH2 Streaming Radio YTM, so you can only run one of the two. They use separate folders, and you can copy your MUSIC folder between them.

Install / update

1. Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files.
2. Your config.ini and cache folder are kept.
3. Turn DJ Voice OFF in the in-game Audio Settings, then switch to Horizon XS.

Something wrong?

Set log_level = debug under [debug] in spotify-radio\config.ini, play, then send spotify-radio\spotify-radio.log.

Release v0.1.5

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

🔧 v0.1.5: audio fixes and polish

No big new features this time. This one is all about making playback smoother and more reliable, for both Spotify and local music.

🎧 Audio stream fixes

• Reworked how the audio engine handles song changes and skips, aiming to resolve any choppy audio when you skip songs or switch between Spotify and local music. Song changes no longer make the game start a new song slot with a jingle; the music just carries on and the new title pops up.

🎵 Now Playing popup

The Now Playing popup has been optimized to pop up accurately when songs change.

▶️ Spotify starts playing automatically

Pick Forza Horizon 2 in Spotify and the music starts on its own, even if Spotify was paused. It resumes right where the song was. Want the old behavior? Set play_on_connect = false in config.ini.

🔊 Spotify volume now starts at 100%

It used to start at 70%. You can still change the starting volume with initial_volume in config.ini.

Install / update

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. If you changed your config.ini, your old settings keep working, but the new defaults (play_on_connect = true and initial_volume = 100) only appear in a fresh file. Delete or rename your config.ini and the mod writes a new one.

Release v0.1.4

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

🎮 NEW: Skip songs from your controller!

Hold LB + X to skip to the next song, whether it's coming from Spotify or your local music. No more reaching for Spotify mid-race! 🏎️💨

It works while the game is in front and playing your station, and the game still sees your buttons as usual, so nothing gets in the way of your driving.

Want different buttons? Change skip_combo in config.ini to any combo of two or more of these, joined with +: A B X Y LB RB LT RT Back Start LS RS Up Down Left Right (for example Back+RB). Don't want a shortcut at all? Set skip_combo = off.

Install / update

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. Your existing config.ini keeps working and uses the default LB + X combo. To see the new setting with its notes, delete or rename your config.ini and the mod will write a fresh one.

New config.ini setting: skip_combo

Release v0.1.3

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

Two new features this time, and both were requested by the community! Thanks for all the ideas, keep 'em coming. 🙌

🎨 Use your own station logo

Want your own art on the station? Drop a picture named logo.png or logo.jpg into the spotify-radio folder. The logo is 196x96, so a picture shaped about 2:1 (twice as wide as it is tall) fits perfectly. For the sharpest result, use 392x192 or 784x384. Other sizes work too, since the mod keeps the middle and rounds the corners. Take it out and the kitty comes back. 😻

⏸️ Music pauses when you're not listening

Now when you hit a menu, a cutscene, a loading screen, or switch to another station, your music pauses and picks right back up where it left off when you come back. No more missing half a song! Spotify will show it as paused, and if you pause or play from Spotify yourself, the mod won't mess with that.
Prefer the old live-radio style, where music keeps going in the background? Set pause_when_silent = false in config.ini.

Install / update

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. If you've customized config.ini, copy your settings into the new one. Then tune in to XS Radio, or whichever station you picked, and enjoy! 🏎️🎶

Release v0.1.2

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

What's new

• EXPERIMENTAL: The DJ is now automatically muted on your station only (controlled by mute_dj in config.ini).
• Fixed: The Now Playing popup now shows up when a new song begins.
• Local music: enhanced shuffle. The "no repeats" shuffle now carries over between game sessions.
• Separate volume for local music. If your local music is too loud or quiet compared to other stations or Spotify, adjust local_boost_db in spotify-radio\config.ini (default 5).

Install

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. To keep your settings, merge the new config.ini entries by hand. Allow the game on Private networks, then pick Forza Horizon 2 in your Spotify devices or add songs to spotify-radio\MUSIC, and tune to XS Radio, or whichever station you picked.

Release v0.04

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

What's new

• Default station is now XS Radio. I realized I'd picked a station that doesn't unlock until after a few championships! You can still choose any station to take over with station = in spotify-radio\config.ini, for example station = Innovative Leisure.
• LOCAL MUSIC SUPPORT! There's now a MUSIC folder inside spotify-radio. Drop your own songs in (MP3, FLAC, OGG, WAV, or M4A), and when Spotify isn't connected, they play on shuffle in game. Spotify can connect at any time, and if it disconnects, your local music resumes. No Premium is needed for local music.

Install

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. Allow the game on Private networks, then pick Forza Horizon 2 in your Spotify devices or add songs to spotify-radio\MUSIC. Then tune to XS Radio.

Release v0.03

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

What's new

• Station volume lowered to +5 dB (was +6 dB), because +6 dB had a little distortion with Spotify volume all the way up. You can still adjust it with boost_db in spotify-radio\config.ini (0 to 12, default 5).
• New station logo, a tribute to one of the sweetest little kitties that ever was, who always loved watching me play Forza Horizon 1 through 4. 😻 Set replace_logo = false in config.ini to keep the station's original logo.

Install

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. Allow the game on Private networks, then pick Forza Horizon 2 in your Spotify devices. Then tune to Innovative Leisure. Requires Spotify Premium.

Release v0.02

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

What's new

• Partial language and special-character support for song title and artist. The mod currently uses the special characters the game already has for its translations, so some characters are still missing. Full support is planned.
• Station volume raised by 6 dB. You can adjust it with boost_db in spotify-radio\config.ini (0 to 12, default 6).

Install

Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe and replace the old files. Allow the game on Private networks, then pick Forza Horizon 2 in your Spotify devices. Then tune to Innovative Leisure. Requires Spotify Premium.

Release v0.01

Caution

IMPORTANT: Go into the game's In-Game Audio Settings and TURN OFF the DJ Voice.

First test build. Drop D3DCompiler_47.dll and the spotify-radio folder next to Azimuth.exe, allow the game on Private networks, then pick Forza Horizon 2 in your Spotify devices. Then tune to Innovative Leisure. Requires Spotify Premium. See the README for details.