Keeping your music playing when your laptop is closed on Windows 11 isn’t exactly a hidden trick, but it can be kinda annoying to figure out if you’re not used to messing around with power settings. Sometimes, default behavior makes your laptop go to sleep or turn off your music the second you shut that lid—frustrating, especially if you’re jamming during a commute or working with external speakers and want to keep things flowing. Here’s the lowdown on how to keep it all going without diving into some complicated hacks.
How to Keep Music Playing When Laptop is Closed Windows 11
This involves tweaking the power options, so your laptop doesn’t decide to nap when the lid’s shut. Basically, you’re telling Windows: “Hey, don’t sleep, just keep going,” even if the lid is down. It’s helpful if you’re using external speakers or headphones, or just hate the default sleep behavior.
Step 1: Open Control Panel
Type Control Panel in the search bar next to the Start button and hit Enter. Yep, the classic way. You’ll need this to change some deeper settings.
On some setups, this might be a bit slow, or Windows might open the new Settings app instead—either way, look for Power Options within Control Panel or Settings.
Step 2: Access Power Options
Click on Hardware and Sound, then find and select Power Options. On Windows 11, sometimes it’s in the new Settings, so you might want to open Settings > System > Power & battery, then scroll to Additional power settings for the classic mode.
Step 3: Change Plan Settings
Next, pick your active power plan (probably recommended) and hit Change plan settings. Here’s where you tell Windows what to do when you close the lid.
Step 4: Adjust Advanced Power Settings
Click on Change advanced power settings. This is where the magic happens. The window that pops up has a ton of options, so be prepared.
Step 5: Modify Lid Close Action
Scroll down to Power buttons and lid (it might be collapsed, so click the plus sign). Then find the setting for Lid close action. On some setups, it’ll show as On battery and Plugged in.
Change both to Do nothing. Yep, that means closing the lid won’t put your laptop to sleep or turn off your music. Just be aware—because of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary, sometimes this doesn’t stick immediately or needs a reboot to take effect.
Once that’s done, your music can keep playing, even if you shut the lid. Expect your laptop to stay awake and running, which is perfect for external audio or just not wanting to stop your playlist.
Tips for Keeping Music Playing When Laptop is Closed Windows 11
- Make sure your laptop’s plugged in if you’re planning to leave it quietly running for a while—battery drain can be a pain.
- External speakers or headphones are your friend here. Better sound, less heat buildup.
- Keep an eye on temps; laptops can heat up if they’re closed and working hard, so maybe toss in a cooling pad if it’s gonna run long.
- Check for Windows updates regularly, especially if power settings seem to act funky after updates.
- If your laptop has a battery conservation feature or special power modes, double-check those don’t override your custom settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will keeping my laptop open harm the battery?
Not exactly, but it tends to use more power than sleep or hibernate. Better to keep it plugged in if you’re leaving it on for hours. Just note, over time, always leaving it on in that state isn’t ideal — heat can shorten battery life.
Can I still use my laptop with an external monitor while the lid is closed?
Absolutely. Once you set Lid close action to Do nothing, your external display should stay active—they call it “clamshell mode” sometimes.
Will my laptop overheat if I keep it closed?
Potentially, yeah. It depends on your model, workload, and cooling system. If it starts feeling hot, crack the lid open a bit or use a cooling pad. It’s kind of weird how heat can build up when the air vents are partially blocked, even with the lid down.
Do these settings affect all power plans?
Not automatically. You’ll need to tap into each plan separately and set the Lid close action to Do nothing for each. Because every plan can behave differently.
Can I revert back to the default settings?
Yeah, just go back in Power Options and reset to default or change back the Lid close action to Suspend or whatever it was before. Pretty straightforward.
Summary
- Open Control Panel or Settings.
- Go to Power Options.
- Change Plan Settings.
- Adjust Advanced Power Settings.
- Modify Lid Close Action to “Do nothing.”
Fingers crossed this helps someone keep their music flowing without fuss. Usually, once you set it, it sticks — but sometimes Windows can be quirky about saving these choices. The main thing is to remember to check your power plan and plan around the battery life and heat considerations. In the end, it’s just a little tweak that could save hours of frustration or just make your commute a lot more chill.