# Mopidy doesn't release sound card on stop

**URL:** <https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/mopidy-doesnt-release-sound-card-on-stop/3372>\
**Category:** Misc\
**Created:** [July 20, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/mopidy-doesnt-release-sound-card-on-stop/3372 "2019-07-20T13:13:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fatg3erman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/fatg3erman/32/880_2.png) [@fatg3erman](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/fatg3erman)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 1:13pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/mopidy-doesnt-release-sound-card-on-stop/3372/1 "2019-07-20T13:13:14Z")

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Running Mopidy on a Pi 3B+ (stretch) using the Pi DAC Pro. I’m also using the latest Mopidy-Alsamixer so I can use the Pi DAC’s hardware volume control.

```
[audio]
output = alsasink card-name=IQaudIODAC
mixer = alsamixer

[alsamixer]
card = 0
control = Digital

```

This all works, but when I stop playback Mopidy seems to keep hold of the sound card - if I try to play audio from any other program it says it can’t open the audio device. Not sure if this is a Mopidy thing, or an Alsamixer thing so I don’t know where to start to look.

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**Author:** ![kingosticks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/858c86/32.png) [@kingosticks](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/kingosticks)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/mopidy-doesnt-release-sound-card-on-stop/3372/2 "2019-07-20T14:29:25Z")

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If you _pause_ Mopidy it’ll retain the audio card. If you _stop_ Mopidy it’ll release the audio card. Some clients actually pause rather than stop, despite showing a conventional stop icon. Are you sure you are really stopping Mopidy?

You can also configure an ALSA dmix plugin so multiple processes can use the audio card at the same time.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fatg3erman](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.mopidy.com/fatg3erman/32/880_2.png) [@fatg3erman](https://discourse.mopidy.com/u/fatg3erman)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2019, 6:43pm UTC](https://discourse.mopidy.com/t/mopidy-doesnt-release-sound-card-on-stop/3372/3 "2019-07-20T18:43:44Z")

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Thanks for the response. I was definitely stopping Mopidy, but in any case I changed the config from using card-name to the specific direct hw: device (not dmix) and now it seems to be working normally again. Very strange.