diff --git a/sound/core/misc.c b/sound/core/misc.c
index 76816792540..30e027ecf4d 100644
--- a/sound/core/misc.c
+++ b/sound/core/misc.c
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ void __snd_printk(unsigned int level, const char *path, int line,
 {
 	va_list args;
 #ifdef CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PRINTK
+	int kern_level;
 	struct va_format vaf;
 	char verbose_fmt[] = KERN_DEFAULT "ALSA %s:%d %pV";
 #endif
@@ -81,12 +82,16 @@ void __snd_printk(unsigned int level, const char *path, int line,
 #ifdef CONFIG_SND_VERBOSE_PRINTK
 	vaf.fmt = format;
 	vaf.va = &args;
-	if (format[0] == '<' && format[2] == '>') {
-		memcpy(verbose_fmt, format, 3);
-		vaf.fmt = format + 3;
+
+	kern_level = printk_get_level(format);
+	if (kern_level) {
+		const char *end_of_header = printk_skip_level(format);
+		memcpy(verbose_fmt, format, end_of_header - format);
+		vaf.fmt = end_of_header;
 	} else if (level)
-		memcpy(verbose_fmt, KERN_DEBUG, 3);
+		memcpy(verbose_fmt, KERN_DEBUG, sizeof(KERN_DEBUG) - 1);
 	printk(verbose_fmt, sanity_file_name(path), line, &vaf);
+
 #else
 	vprintk(format, args);
 #endif