diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
index 72a699623..7e21a58eb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/Player.java
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.android.schedulers.AndroidSchedulers;
 import io.reactivex.rxjava3.core.Observable;
@@ -1622,16 +1623,6 @@ public final class Player implements
         if (isQueueVisible) {
             updateQueueTime(currentProgress);
         }
-
-        final boolean showThumbnail = prefs.getBoolean(
-                context.getString(R.string.show_thumbnail_key), true);
-        // setMetadata only updates the metadata when any of the metadata keys are null
-        if (showThumbnail) {
-            mediaSessionManager.setMetadata(getVideoTitle(), getUploaderName(), getThumbnail(),
-                    duration);
-        } else {
-            mediaSessionManager.setMetadata(getVideoTitle(), getUploaderName(), duration);
-        }
     }
 
     private void startProgressLoop() {
@@ -2950,6 +2941,16 @@ public final class Player implements
                 tag.getMetadata().getPreviewFrames());
 
         NotificationUtil.getInstance().createNotificationIfNeededAndUpdate(this, false);
+
+        final boolean showThumbnail = prefs.getBoolean(
+                context.getString(R.string.show_thumbnail_key), true);
+        mediaSessionManager.setMetadata(
+                getVideoTitle(),
+                getUploaderName(),
+                showThumbnail ? Optional.ofNullable(getThumbnail()) : Optional.empty(),
+                tag.getMetadata().getDuration()
+        );
+
         notifyMetadataUpdateToListeners();
 
         if (areSegmentsVisible) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/MediaSessionManager.java b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/MediaSessionManager.java
index 5bab1cb9a..938a3aade 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/MediaSessionManager.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/schabi/newpipe/player/helper/MediaSessionManager.java
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import org.schabi.newpipe.player.mediasession.MediaSessionCallback;
 import org.schabi.newpipe.player.mediasession.PlayQueueNavigator;
 import org.schabi.newpipe.player.mediasession.PlayQueuePlaybackController;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
+
 public class MediaSessionManager {
     private static final String TAG = MediaSessionManager.class.getSimpleName();
     public static final boolean DEBUG = MainActivity.DEBUG;
@@ -30,6 +32,9 @@ public class MediaSessionManager {
     @NonNull
     private final MediaSessionConnector sessionConnector;
 
+    private int lastTitleHashCode;
+    private int lastArtistHashCode;
+    private long lastDuration;
     private int lastAlbumArtHashCode;
 
     public MediaSessionManager(@NonNull final Context context,
@@ -65,80 +70,114 @@ public class MediaSessionManager {
         return mediaSession.getSessionToken();
     }
 
-    public void setMetadata(final String title,
-                            final String artist,
-                            final long duration) {
+    public void setMetadata(@NonNull final String title,
+                            @NonNull final String artist,
+                            @NonNull final Optional<Bitmap> optAlbumArt,
+                            final long duration
+    ) {
+        if (DEBUG) {
+            Log.d(TAG, "setMetadata called:"
+                    + " t: " + title
+                    + " a: " + artist
+                    + " thumb: " + (
+                    optAlbumArt.isPresent()
+                            ? optAlbumArt.get().hashCode()
+                            : "<none>")
+                    + " d: " + duration);
+        }
+
         if (!mediaSession.isActive()) {
+            if (DEBUG) {
+                Log.d(TAG, "setMetadata: mediaSession not active - exiting");
+            }
             return;
         }
 
-        if (DEBUG) {
-            if (getMetadataTitle() == null) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataTitle: title == null");
-            }
-            if (getMetadataArtist() == null) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataArtist: artist == null");
-            }
-            if (getMetadataDuration() <= 1) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataDuration: duration <= 1; " + getMetadataDuration());
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (getMetadataTitle() == null || getMetadataArtist() == null || getMetadataDuration() <= 1
-                || !getMetadataTitle().equals(title)) {
+        if (checkIfMetadataShouldBeSet(title, artist, optAlbumArt, duration)) {
             if (DEBUG) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "setMetadata: N_Metadata update: t: " + title + " a: " + artist
+                Log.d(TAG, "setMetadata: N_Metadata update:"
+                        + " t: " + title
+                        + " a: " + artist
+                        + " thumb: " + (
+                        optAlbumArt.isPresent()
+                                ? optAlbumArt.get().hashCode()
+                                : "<none>")
                         + " d: " + duration);
             }
 
-            mediaSession.setMetadata(new MediaMetadataCompat.Builder()
+            final MediaMetadataCompat.Builder builder = new MediaMetadataCompat.Builder()
                     .putString(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_TITLE, title)
                     .putString(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_ARTIST, artist)
-                    .putLong(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_DURATION, duration).build());
+                    .putLong(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_DURATION, duration);
+
+            if (optAlbumArt.isPresent()) {
+                builder.putBitmap(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_ALBUM_ART, optAlbumArt.get());
+                builder.putBitmap(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_DISPLAY_ICON, optAlbumArt.get());
+            }
+
+            mediaSession.setMetadata(builder.build());
+
+            lastTitleHashCode = title.hashCode();
+            lastArtistHashCode = artist.hashCode();
+            lastDuration = duration;
+            if (optAlbumArt.isPresent()) {
+                lastAlbumArtHashCode = optAlbumArt.get().hashCode();
+            }
         }
     }
 
-    public void setMetadata(final String title,
-                            final String artist,
-                            final Bitmap albumArt,
-                            final long duration) {
-        if (albumArt == null || !mediaSession.isActive()) {
-            return;
-        }
-
-        if (DEBUG) {
-            if (getMetadataAlbumArt() == null) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataAlbumArt: thumb == null");
-            }
-            if (getMetadataTitle() == null) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataTitle: title == null");
-            }
-            if (getMetadataArtist() == null) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataArtist: artist == null");
-            }
-            if (getMetadataDuration() <= 1) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataDuration: duration <= 1; " + getMetadataDuration());
-            }
-        }
-
-        if (getMetadataAlbumArt() == null || getMetadataTitle() == null
-                || getMetadataArtist() == null || getMetadataDuration() <= 1
-                || albumArt.hashCode() != lastAlbumArtHashCode) {
+    private boolean checkIfMetadataShouldBeSet(
+            @NonNull final String title,
+            @NonNull final String artist,
+            @NonNull final Optional<Bitmap> optAlbumArt,
+            final long duration
+    ) {
+        // Check if the values have changed since the last time
+        if (title.hashCode() != lastTitleHashCode
+                || artist.hashCode() != lastArtistHashCode
+                || duration != lastDuration
+                || (optAlbumArt.isPresent() && optAlbumArt.get().hashCode() != lastAlbumArtHashCode)
+        ) {
             if (DEBUG) {
-                Log.d(TAG, "setMetadata: N_Metadata update: t: " + title + " a: " + artist
-                        + " thumb: " + albumArt.hashCode() + " d: " + duration);
+                Log.d(TAG,
+                        "checkIfMetadataShouldBeSet: true - reason: changed values since last");
             }
-
-            mediaSession.setMetadata(new MediaMetadataCompat.Builder()
-                    .putString(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_TITLE, title)
-                    .putString(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_ARTIST, artist)
-                    .putBitmap(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_ALBUM_ART, albumArt)
-                    .putBitmap(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_DISPLAY_ICON, albumArt)
-                    .putLong(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_DURATION, duration).build());
-            lastAlbumArtHashCode = albumArt.hashCode();
+            return true;
         }
+        // Check if the current metadata is valid
+        if (getMetadataTitle() == null
+                || getMetadataArtist() == null
+                || getMetadataDuration() <= 1
+        ) {
+            if (DEBUG) {
+                if (getMetadataTitle() == null) {
+                    Log.d(TAG,
+                            "N_getMetadataTitle: title == null");
+                } else if (getMetadataArtist() == null) {
+                    Log.d(TAG,
+                            "N_getMetadataArtist: artist == null");
+                } else if (getMetadataDuration() <= 1) {
+                    Log.d(TAG,
+                            "N_getMetadataDuration: duration <= 1; " + getMetadataDuration());
+                }
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
+        // If we got an album art check if the current set AlbumArt is null
+        if (optAlbumArt.isPresent() && getMetadataAlbumArt() == null) {
+            if (DEBUG) {
+                if (getMetadataAlbumArt() == null) {
+                    Log.d(TAG, "N_getMetadataAlbumArt: thumb == null");
+                }
+            }
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        // Default - no update required
+        return false;
     }
 
+
     private Bitmap getMetadataAlbumArt() {
         return mediaSession.getController().getMetadata()
                 .getBitmap(MediaMetadataCompat.METADATA_KEY_ALBUM_ART);