diff --git a/src/mediaplayer.h b/src/mediaplayer.h
--- a/src/mediaplayer.h
+++ b/src/mediaplayer.h
@@ -219,15 +219,29 @@
     /// \param name name of the output to set
     /// \returns \c true when setting was successful, \c false otherwise
     bool setAudioOutput(const QByteArray &name)
-    { return libvlc_audio_output_set(m_player, name.data()) == 0; }
+    {
+        mOutputName = name;
+        return libvlc_audio_output_set(m_player, name.constData()) == 0;
+    }
 
     /**
      * Set audio output device by name.
      * \param outputName the aout name (pulse, alsa, oss, etc.)
      * \param deviceName the output name (aout dependent)
      */
     void setAudioOutputDevice(const QByteArray &outputName, const QByteArray &deviceName)
-    { libvlc_audio_output_device_set(m_player, outputName.data(), deviceName.data()); }
+    {
+        // According to comments at https://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?t=98766
+        // the output device needs to be set after the media is set: that is, after
+        // the call to libvlc_media_player_set_media() in MediaPlayer::setMedia().
+        // So we save away the 'outputName' and 'deviceName' parameters here and
+        // set them in MediaPlayer::setMedia() if provided.
+        mOutputName = outputName;
+        mDeviceName = deviceName;
+
+        // Set them here anyway to cover any other possible usage scenarios.
+        libvlc_audio_output_device_set(m_player, outputName.constData(), deviceName.constData());
+    }
 
     int audioTrack() const
     { return libvlc_audio_get_track(m_player); }
@@ -243,6 +257,10 @@
     void setEqualizer(libvlc_equalizer_t *equalizer);
 #endif
 
+private:
+    QByteArray mOutputName;
+    QByteArray mDeviceName;
+
 signals:
     void lengthChanged(qint64 length);
     void seekableChanged(bool seekable);
diff --git a/src/mediaplayer.cpp b/src/mediaplayer.cpp
--- a/src/mediaplayer.cpp
+++ b/src/mediaplayer.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,17 @@
 {
     m_media = media;
     libvlc_media_player_set_media(m_player, *m_media);
+
+    if (!mOutputName.isEmpty()) {
+        libvlc_audio_output_set(m_player, mOutputName.constData());
+    }
+
+    if (!mDeviceName.isEmpty()) {
+        // VLC recommendation is that the second 'module' parameter
+        // is NULL, see API documentation of libvlc_audio_output_device_set()
+        // at https://www.videolan.org/developers/vlc/doc/doxygen/html/group__libvlc__audio.html
+        libvlc_audio_output_device_set(m_player, nullptr, mDeviceName.constData());
+    }
 }
 
 bool MediaPlayer::play()
@@ -399,6 +410,7 @@
     libvlc_media_player_stop(m_player);
     m_media->setCdTrack(track);
     libvlc_media_player_set_media(m_player, *m_media);
+    // TODO: does this need to reset the output/device as in setMedia() above?
     libvlc_media_player_play(m_player);
 }