diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/BackgroundMode.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/BackgroundMode.kt
index e0f622d63..8378e9128 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/BackgroundMode.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/BackgroundMode.kt
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import com.github.libretube.api.obj.Streams
 import com.github.libretube.constants.BACKGROUND_CHANNEL_ID
 import com.github.libretube.constants.IntentData
 import com.github.libretube.constants.PLAYER_NOTIFICATION_ID
-import com.github.libretube.constants.PreferenceKeys
 import com.github.libretube.db.DatabaseHolder.Companion.Database
 import com.github.libretube.db.obj.WatchPosition
 import com.github.libretube.extensions.TAG
@@ -32,8 +31,8 @@ import com.github.libretube.extensions.toID
 import com.github.libretube.extensions.toStreamItem
 import com.github.libretube.util.NowPlayingNotification
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper
+import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper.loadPlaybackParams
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayingQueue
-import com.github.libretube.util.PreferenceHelper
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.MediaItem
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.PlaybackException
@@ -223,13 +222,6 @@ class BackgroundMode : Service() {
             }
         }
 
-        // set the playback speed
-        val playbackSpeed = PreferenceHelper.getString(
-            PreferenceKeys.PLAYBACK_SPEED,
-            "1"
-        ).toFloat()
-        player?.setPlaybackSpeed(playbackSpeed)
-
         fetchSponsorBlockSegments()
     }
 
@@ -244,6 +236,7 @@ class BackgroundMode : Service() {
             .setAudioAttributes(PlayerHelper.getAudioAttributes(), true)
             .setLoadControl(PlayerHelper.getLoadControl())
             .build()
+            .loadPlaybackParams()
 
         /**
          * Listens for changed playbackStates (e.g. pause, end)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/activities/OfflinePlayerActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/activities/OfflinePlayerActivity.kt
index 5072bb5d6..d56276ea0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/activities/OfflinePlayerActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/activities/OfflinePlayerActivity.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import com.github.libretube.ui.base.BaseActivity
 import com.github.libretube.ui.extensions.setAspectRatio
 import com.github.libretube.ui.models.PlayerViewModel
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper
+import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper.loadPlaybackParams
 import com.github.libretube.util.WindowHelper
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ class OfflinePlayerActivity : BaseActivity() {
                     }
                 })
             }
+            .loadPlaybackParams()
 
         playerView = binding.player
         playerView.setShowSubtitleButton(true)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
index 17a16914e..3df84e776 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ import com.github.libretube.util.LinkHandler
 import com.github.libretube.util.NavigationHelper
 import com.github.libretube.util.NowPlayingNotification
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper
+import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper.loadPlaybackParams
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayingQueue
 import com.github.libretube.util.PreferenceHelper
 import com.github.libretube.util.SeekbarPreviewListener
@@ -1346,6 +1347,7 @@ class PlayerFragment : BaseFragment(), OnlinePlayerOptions {
             .setHandleAudioBecomingNoisy(true)
             .setAudioAttributes(PlayerHelper.getAudioAttributes(), true)
             .build()
+            .loadPlaybackParams()
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/views/CustomExoPlayerView.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/views/CustomExoPlayerView.kt
index 5e06f40fb..c740b5d78 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/views/CustomExoPlayerView.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/views/CustomExoPlayerView.kt
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import android.widget.TextView
 import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
 import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleOwner
 import com.github.libretube.R
-import com.github.libretube.constants.PreferenceKeys
 import com.github.libretube.databinding.DoubleTapOverlayBinding
 import com.github.libretube.databinding.ExoStyledPlayerControlViewBinding
 import com.github.libretube.databinding.PlayerGestureControlsViewBinding
@@ -36,9 +35,7 @@ import com.github.libretube.util.BrightnessHelper
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerGestureController
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayerHelper
 import com.github.libretube.util.PlayingQueue
-import com.github.libretube.util.PreferenceHelper
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
-import com.google.android.exoplayer2.PlaybackParameters
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.Player
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.text.Cue
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.trackselection.TrackSelector
@@ -92,9 +89,6 @@ internal class CustomExoPlayerView(
         if (isControllerFullyVisible) hideController() else showController()
     }
 
-    // saved to only load the playback speed once (for the first video)
-    private var playbackPrefSet = false
-
     private val hideControllerRunnable = Runnable {
         hideController()
     }
@@ -127,17 +121,6 @@ internal class CustomExoPlayerView(
         // don't let the player view hide its controls automatically
         controllerShowTimeoutMs = -1
 
-        if (!playbackPrefSet) {
-            player?.playbackParameters = PlaybackParameters(
-                PlayerHelper.playbackSpeed.toFloat(),
-                1.0f
-            )
-            PreferenceHelper.getBoolean(PreferenceKeys.SKIP_SILENCE, false).let {
-                (player as ExoPlayer).skipSilenceEnabled = it
-            }
-            playbackPrefSet = true
-        }
-
         // locking the player
         binding.lockPlayer.setOnClickListener {
             // change the locked/unlocked icon
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/util/PlayerHelper.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/util/PlayerHelper.kt
index 916ea78b2..06a8395ac 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/util/PlayerHelper.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/util/PlayerHelper.kt
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ import com.github.libretube.enums.AudioQuality
 import com.github.libretube.enums.PlayerEvent
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.DefaultLoadControl
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.LoadControl
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.PlaybackParameters
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioAttributes
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ui.CaptionStyleCompat
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.video.VideoSize
@@ -342,6 +344,12 @@ object PlayerHelper {
             false
         )
 
+    private val skipSilence: Boolean
+        get() = PreferenceHelper.getBoolean(
+            PreferenceKeys.SKIP_SILENCE,
+            false
+        )
+
     fun getDefaultResolution(context: Context): String {
         return if (NetworkHelper.isNetworkMobile(context)) {
             PreferenceHelper.getString(
@@ -459,4 +467,16 @@ object PlayerHelper {
             )
             .build()
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Load playback parameters such as speed and skip silence
+     */
+    fun ExoPlayer.loadPlaybackParams(): ExoPlayer {
+        skipSilenceEnabled = skipSilence
+        playbackParameters = PlaybackParameters(
+            playbackSpeed.toFloat(),
+            1.0f
+        )
+        return this
+    }
 }