diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp b/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
index 7d9d407ed1..934181e5c0 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSound.cpp
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ RageSoundParams::RageSoundParams():
 	m_StartSecond = 0;
 	m_LengthSeconds = -1;
 	m_FadeLength = 0;
-	m_Volume = -1.0f; // use SOUNDMAN->GetMixVolume()
+	m_Volume = 1.0f;
 	m_Balance = 0; // center
 	speed_input_samples = speed_output_samples = 1;
 	m_bAccurateSync = false;
@@ -574,10 +574,6 @@ int RageSound::GetPCM( char *pBuffer, int iSize, int64_t iFrameno )
  * playing, Stop is called. */
 void RageSound::StartPlaying()
 {
-	// If no volume is set, use the default.
-	if( m_Param.m_Volume == -1 )
-		m_Param.m_Volume = SOUNDMAN->GetMixVolume();
-
 	ASSERT( !m_bPlaying );
 
 	/* If m_StartTime is in the past, then we probably set a start time but took too
@@ -885,6 +881,12 @@ float RageSound::GetVolume() const
 	return m_Param.m_Volume;
 }
 
+float RageSound::GetAbsoluteVolume() const
+{
+	float f = m_Param.m_Volume * SOUNDMAN->GetMixVolume();
+	return f;
+}
+
 void RageSound::LockSound()
 {
 	m_Mutex.Lock();
diff --git a/stepmania/src/RageSound.h b/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
index 386947bac2..329e2bc103 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
+++ b/stepmania/src/RageSound.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ public:
 	virtual int GetSampleRate() const = 0;
 	virtual RageTimer GetStartTime() const { return RageZeroTimer; }
 	virtual float GetVolume() const = 0;
+	virtual float GetAbsoluteVolume() const = 0;
 	virtual int GetID() const = 0;
 	virtual CString GetLoadedFilePath() const = 0;
 	virtual bool IsStreamingFromDisk() const = 0;
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ struct RageSoundParams
 
 	void SetNoFade() { m_FadeLength = 0; }
 
-	float m_Volume;
+	float m_Volume;	// multiplies with SOUNDMAN->GetMixVolume()
 
 	/* Pan: -1, left; 1, right */
 	float m_Balance;
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ public:
 	float GetPlaybackRate() const;
 	RageTimer GetStartTime() const;
 	float GetVolume() const;
+	float GetAbsoluteVolume() const;	// factors in SOUNDMAN->GetMixVolume()
 	int GetID() const { return m_iID; }
 	void SetParams( const RageSoundParams &p );
 	const RageSoundParams &GetParams() const { return m_Param; }
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
index 907cd97570..b2dfdda29c 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_ALSA9.cpp
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ bool RageSound_ALSA9::stream::GetData( bool &bEOF )
 		bytes_read += got;
 		bytes_left -= got;
 
-		RageSoundManager::AttenuateBuf( buf, got/sizeof(int16_t), snd->GetVolume() );
+		RageSoundManager::AttenuateBuf( buf, got/sizeof(int16_t), snd->GetAbsoluteVolume() );
 
 		if( bytes_left > 0 )
 		{
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_DSound.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_DSound.cpp
index 6555cde27a..d55278408b 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_DSound.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_DSound.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ bool RageSound_DSound::stream::GetData( bool init, bool &bEOF )
 	 * fill anything in FLUSHING; in that case, we just clear the audio buffer. */
 	if(state != FLUSHING)
 	{
-		pcm->SetVolume( snd->GetVolume() );
+		pcm->SetVolume( snd->GetAbsoluteVolume() );
 
 		int bytes_read = 0;
 		int bytes_left = len;
diff --git a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
index e390bac719..36c91d1a32 100644
--- a/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
+++ b/stepmania/src/arch/Sound/RageSoundDriver_Generic_Software.cpp
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ void RageSound_Generic_Software::DecodeThread()
 		{
 			/* The volume can change while the sound is playing; update it. */
 			if( sounds[i].state == sound::PLAYING || sounds[i].state == sound::STOPPING )
-				sounds[i].volume = sounds[i].snd->GetVolume();
+				sounds[i].volume = sounds[i].snd->GetAbsoluteVolume();
 		}
 
 		/*
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ void RageSound_Generic_Software::StartMixing( RageSoundBase *snd )
 	s.snd = snd;
 	s.start_time = snd->GetStartTime();
 	s.sound_id = snd->GetID();
-	s.volume = snd->GetVolume();
+	s.volume = snd->GetAbsoluteVolume();
 	s.buffer.clear();
 
 	/* Initialize the sound buffer. */