Mac volume mixer: control each app’s volume separately

macOS does not include a Windows-style volume mixer for individual apps. You can change the whole Mac, use a volume slider inside one app, or install a per-app mixer. The right choice depends on whether you need to fix one player once or balance several apps throughout the day.

Does macOS have per-app volume control?

No. macOS has no built-in panel that gives every running app a separate volume slider. In System Settings → Sound → Output, the Output volume slider controls the selected speakers, headphones, or other device as one whole. The volume keys and Control Center change that same overall level.

Some apps, including music and video players, provide their own volume controls. Those sliders can turn an app down relative to the Mac’s output level, but they cannot raise it above that level. Audio MIDI Setup can configure devices and channels; it is not an app-by-app volume mixer.

Control one app without installing anything

Start inside the noisy app. Look in the player, call controls, game settings, or the website’s video controls for a speaker icon or volume slider. Set your Mac’s Output volume to a comfortable maximum, then lower the app until it sits correctly beside everything else.

This no-install method is often enough for one music app or video. It becomes awkward when controls are hidden in several windows, an app has no slider, or you regularly balance a meeting, music, a browser, and a game. That is where a central Mac volume mixer earns its place.

Choose the right Mac volume mixer

A per-app volume mixer should make the active source obvious, change it immediately, and leave every other app alone. Before installing one, check its minimum macOS version, whether it needs a virtual audio device, and whether you also need mute, output routing, keyboard control, or an equalizer.

SOUND is the focused option on this site. On macOS 26 Tahoe or later, it puts every active audio app in the menu bar with its own volume, 8-band equalizer, and output choice. It uses modern macOS process-audio taps, processes audio locally, and does not require a virtual audio driver.

If your Mac is not on Tahoe, or you need advanced studio features, compare the version support and tradeoffs in our guide to the best Mac equalizer and audio-control apps. The best mixer is the one that supports your Mac and the controls you will actually use.

Set up per-app volume with SOUND

SOUND requires macOS 26 Tahoe or later. If that is what your Mac runs, the initial setup takes one permission and does not add another output device to your Sound settings. You can follow the short installation guide alongside these steps.

1. Download SOUND, move it to Applications, and open it.
2. Grant the audio or screen-and-system-audio permission macOS presents. Quit and reopen SOUND if macOS asks you to.
3. Start playback in each app you want to balance.
4. Open SOUND from the menu bar and select the app.
5. Move that app’s volume slider; the other app levels stay where they are.
6. Use the System source for audio you have not given its own adjustment.

SOUND only needs access to live system audio so it can process the sources you select. The audio stays on your Mac and is not recorded or stored. If the permission was dismissed, use the permission walkthrough.

Three useful per-app volume setups

• Meeting and music: keep Zoom, Meet, or FaceTime clear, then lower the music app until it stays in the background.
• Game, chat, and music: start with chat at the level needed for speech, lower the game beneath it, then add music last.
• Browser and another app: keep the browser at a safe level for unpredictable videos while leaving your music player steady.

Set the most important source first. Speech usually needs to stay intelligible, so establish the call or chat level, then place music, games, and browser audio around it. Keep the Mac’s main volume for the final whole-room adjustment.

Browser tabs and per-app volume are not the same

A per-app mixer controls an audio-producing app or process. It does not automatically give every Safari or Chrome tab its own slider. If one tab is the problem, use the video player’s volume control or the browser’s tab-mute command first.

Lower the browser in a Mac volume mixer when you want all audio from that browser quieter. This distinction prevents a common surprise: fixing one video and then discovering that music or a meeting in another tab became quieter too.

Fix a missing app or inactive slider

1. Start playback. SOUND lists an app while it is actively producing audio, so a paused player may not appear.
2. Check the macOS permission requested by SOUND, enable it, then quit and reopen the app if required.
3. Play the source again and confirm the correct app or browser is moving a level meter before changing its slider.
4. If sound disappears, return that app to the System output and confirm your speakers or headphones are connected.

If you are unsure whether the fault is the app, permission, Bluetooth, or output device, use the free Mac audio troubleshooter for a short diagnosis and the next checks to make.

Know when volume is not the problem

Volume fixes loudness. If an app should play through different speakers or headphones, follow the guide to route audio per app on Mac. If the level is comfortable but the sound is harsh, muddy, or thin, start with the Mac equalizer guide instead.

Bluetooth headphones that suddenly sound compressed during a call are a separate input-mode problem, not a per-app volume problem. The Bluetooth headphone troubleshooting guide explains how to identify and fix it.