diff --git a/DOCS/interface-changes/audio-set-media-role.txt b/DOCS/interface-changes/audio-set-media-role.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..60b74eb33fe8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DOCS/interface-changes/audio-set-media-role.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+add --audio-set-media-role, disabled by default. This effectively changes the behavior for ao_pipewire
diff --git a/DOCS/man/options.rst b/DOCS/man/options.rst
index dd69902ededf7..53af9a1d27307 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/options.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/options.rst
@@ -2387,6 +2387,14 @@ Audio
     if you want to force a different audio profile (e.g. with PulseAudio),
     or to set your own application name when using libmpv.
 
+``--audio-set-media-role=<yes|no>``
+    If enabled, mpv will set the appropriate media role on supported audio
+    servers to indicate whether mpv is playing a video or an audio-only file.
+    This is disabled by default since per media role volumes have often caused
+    unexpected and confusing behavior.
+
+    Default: no.
+
 ``--audio-buffer=<seconds>``
     Set the audio output minimum buffer. The audio device might actually create
     a larger buffer if it pleases. If the device creates a smaller buffer,
diff --git a/audio/out/ao.c b/audio/out/ao.c
index ee76b702ea580..91402fff1536b 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao.c
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ const struct m_sub_options ao_conf = {
         {"audio-client-name", OPT_STRING(audio_client_name), .flags = UPDATE_AUDIO},
         {"audio-buffer", OPT_DOUBLE(audio_buffer),
             .flags = UPDATE_AUDIO, M_RANGE(0, 10)},
+        {"audio-set-media-role", OPT_BOOL(audio_set_media_role),
+            .flags = UPDATE_AUDIO},
         {0}
     },
     .size = sizeof(OPT_BASE_STRUCT),
@@ -180,6 +182,7 @@ static struct ao *ao_alloc(bool probing, struct mpv_global *global,
         .log = mp_log_new(ao, log, name),
         .def_buffer = opts->audio_buffer,
         .client_name = talloc_strdup(ao, opts->audio_client_name),
+        .set_media_role = opts->audio_set_media_role
     };
     talloc_free(opts);
     ao->priv = m_config_group_from_desc(ao, ao->log, global, &desc, name);
diff --git a/audio/out/ao.h b/audio/out/ao.h
index 8fde69cb37210..ce044fdc473a7 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao.h
+++ b/audio/out/ao.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ struct ao_opts {
     char *audio_device;
     char *audio_client_name;
     double audio_buffer;
+    bool audio_set_media_role;
 };
 
 struct ao *ao_init_best(struct mpv_global *global,
diff --git a/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c b/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
index 7bce2d42638cc..f483ccc8e8d8b 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_audiotrack.c
@@ -304,10 +304,12 @@ static int AudioTrack_New(struct ao *ao)
         MP_JNI_EXCEPTION_LOG(ao);
         tmp = MP_JNI_CALL_OBJECT(attr_builder, AudioAttributesBuilder.setUsage, AudioAttributes.USAGE_MEDIA);
         MP_JNI_LOCAL_FREEP(&tmp);
-        jint content_type = (ao->init_flags & AO_INIT_MEDIA_ROLE_MUSIC) ?
-            AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC : AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE;
-        tmp = MP_JNI_CALL_OBJECT(attr_builder, AudioAttributesBuilder.setContentType, content_type);
-        MP_JNI_LOCAL_FREEP(&tmp);
+        if (ao->set_media_role) {
+            jint content_type = (ao->init_flags & AO_INIT_MEDIA_ROLE_MUSIC) ?
+                AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_MUSIC : AudioAttributes.CONTENT_TYPE_MOVIE;
+            tmp = MP_JNI_CALL_OBJECT(attr_builder, AudioAttributesBuilder.setContentType, content_type);
+            MP_JNI_LOCAL_FREEP(&tmp);
+        }
         jobject attr = MP_JNI_CALL_OBJECT(attr_builder, AudioAttributesBuilder.build);
         MP_JNI_LOCAL_FREEP(&attr_builder);
 
diff --git a/audio/out/ao_pipewire.c b/audio/out/ao_pipewire.c
index 9900cb7a31da2..4ffe1b8657c17 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_pipewire.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_pipewire.c
@@ -577,7 +577,6 @@ static int init(struct ao *ao)
     struct pw_properties *props = pw_properties_new(
         PW_KEY_MEDIA_TYPE, "Audio",
         PW_KEY_MEDIA_CATEGORY, "Playback",
-        PW_KEY_MEDIA_ROLE, ao->init_flags & AO_INIT_MEDIA_ROLE_MUSIC ?  "Music" : "Movie",
         PW_KEY_NODE_NAME, ao->client_name,
         PW_KEY_NODE_DESCRIPTION, ao->client_name,
         PW_KEY_APP_NAME, ao->client_name,
@@ -588,6 +587,10 @@ static int init(struct ao *ao)
         NULL
     );
 
+    if (ao->set_media_role)
+        pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_MEDIA_ROLE,
+                          ao->init_flags & AO_INIT_MEDIA_ROLE_MUSIC ? "Music" : "Movie");
+
     if (pipewire_init_boilerplate(ao) < 0)
         goto error_props;
 
diff --git a/audio/out/ao_pulse.c b/audio/out/ao_pulse.c
index 1b29be09eea84..6b9b141d99af0 100644
--- a/audio/out/ao_pulse.c
+++ b/audio/out/ao_pulse.c
@@ -405,6 +405,11 @@ static int init(struct ao *ao)
     }
     (void)pa_proplist_sets(proplist, PA_PROP_MEDIA_ICON_NAME, ao->client_name);
 
+    if (ao->set_media_role)
+        (void)pa_proplist_sets(proplist, PA_PROP_MEDIA_ROLE,
+                               ao->init_flags & AO_INIT_MEDIA_ROLE_MUSIC
+                               ? "music" : "video");
+
     if (!(format = pa_format_info_new()))
         goto unlock_and_fail;
 
diff --git a/audio/out/internal.h b/audio/out/internal.h
index 2fecf86f2603d..85fa7775759ce 100644
--- a/audio/out/internal.h
+++ b/audio/out/internal.h
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ struct ao {
     // Application name to report to the audio API.
     char *client_name;
 
+    // Whether mpv should set the media role to the audio server
+    bool set_media_role;
+
     // Used during init: if init fails, redirect to this ao
     char *redirect;