diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSpinner.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSpinner.cs
index f10d11827b..d1a6463d72 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSpinner.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu/Objects/Drawables/DrawableSpinner.cs
@@ -83,8 +83,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
 
         private SkinnableSound spinningSample;
 
-        private const float minimum_volume = 0.0001f;
-
         protected override void LoadSamples()
         {
             base.LoadSamples();
@@ -101,7 +99,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
 
                 AddInternal(spinningSample = new SkinnableSound(clone)
                 {
-                    Volume = { Value = minimum_volume },
+                    Volume = { Value = 0 },
                     Looping = true,
                 });
             }
@@ -119,7 +117,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Osu.Objects.Drawables
             }
             else
             {
-                spinningSample?.VolumeTo(minimum_volume, 200).Finally(_ => spinningSample.Stop());
+                spinningSample?.VolumeTo(0, 200).Finally(_ => spinningSample.Stop());
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
index 97f1d1c91d..65f34aba3e 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Screens/Play/PauseOverlay.cs
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
 
         protected override Action BackAction => () => InternalButtons.Children.First().Click();
 
-        private const float minimum_volume = 0.0001f;
-
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
         private void load(OsuColour colours)
         {
@@ -38,10 +36,8 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
             AddInternal(pauseLoop = new SkinnableSound(new SampleInfo("pause-loop"))
             {
                 Looping = true,
+                Volume = { Value = 0 }
             });
-
-            // SkinnableSound only plays a sound if its aggregate volume is > 0, so the volume must be turned up before playing it
-            pauseLoop.VolumeTo(minimum_volume);
         }
 
         protected override void PopIn()
@@ -56,7 +52,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Screens.Play
         {
             base.PopOut();
 
-            pauseLoop.VolumeTo(minimum_volume, TRANSITION_DURATION, Easing.OutQuad).Finally(_ => pauseLoop.Stop());
+            pauseLoop.VolumeTo(0, TRANSITION_DURATION, Easing.OutQuad).Finally(_ => pauseLoop.Stop());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
index 11856fa581..cf629f231f 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Skinning/SkinnableSound.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
         public override bool RemoveWhenNotAlive => false;
         public override bool RemoveCompletedTransforms => false;
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Whether to play the underlying sample when aggregate volume is zero.
+        /// Note that this is checked at the point of calling <see cref="Play"/>; changing the volume post-play will not begin playback.
+        /// Defaults to false unless <see cref="Looping"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// Can serve as an optimisation if it is known ahead-of-time that this behaviour is allowed in a given use case.
+        /// </remarks>
+        protected bool PlayWhenZeroVolume => Looping;
+
         private readonly AudioContainer<DrawableSample> samplesContainer;
 
         public SkinnableSound(ISampleInfo hitSamples)
@@ -86,7 +96,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Skinning
         {
             samplesContainer.ForEach(c =>
             {
-                if (c.AggregateVolume.Value > 0)
+                if (PlayWhenZeroVolume || c.AggregateVolume.Value > 0)
                     c.Play();
             });
         }