Native Sound Mixer
Buy How to change the volume of each app on a Mac
Updated 22 October 2026 · for macOS 26 Tahoe
The short answer: macOS doesn't have a volume mixer. The volume in Control Center and in System Settings sets one level for everything your Mac plays. To turn one app down without touching the rest, you need either that app's own volume control or a separate app that adds per-app volume.
This page covers both, and how to send a single app to different speakers or headphones. Full disclosure: we make Native Sound Mixer, one of the apps below. The others are compared as fairly as we can, with links to their own sites.
1. Use the app's own volume, if it has one
Some apps have their own volume slider: music players such as Spotify and Music, video players, and some call apps, such as Zoom (in its audio settings). Browsers don't: a video in a tab plays at the Mac's volume unless the site has its own slider.
This works for one or two apps, but you have to open each app to change it, and most apps have no volume of their own.
2. Add a per-app volume mixer
These apps give every app its own volume slider; FineTune and Background Music are free. They differ in where they live, what else they do, and how they're paid for.
| Native Sound Mixer | FineTune | SoundSource | Background Music | eqMac | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per-app volume | Yes | Yes, boost up to 4× | Yes | Yes | Pro only |
| Per-app output | Yes | Yes, also several at once | Yes, also several at once | Not listed | Not listed |
| Where it lives | Control Center (replaces Sound) and menu bar | Menu bar | Menu bar | Menu bar | Menu bar or Dock |
| EQ and effects | None | Per-app EQ, AutoEQ, boost | Per-app EQ, Audio Units, more | None | Deep EQ (parametric in Pro) |
| Price | $19 once ($15 at launch) | Free, open source | $49; major upgrades paid | Free, open source | Free; Pro $30/yr or $40 lifetime |
| Installs an audio driver | No | No | Yes (ARK plugin) | Yes (virtual device) | Optional since 1.9.2 |
Checked 22 October 2026 on each developer's site: FineTune, SoundSource, Background Music, eqMac.
- Native Sound Mixer puts a slider for every app inside the Sound control you already use in Control Center, and looks like Apple's own. Per-app volume and per-app output only, no EQ. Needs macOS 26 Tahoe on Apple silicon.
- FineTune is free and open source and does a lot: per-app volume with boost, per-app output, per-app EQ and AutoEQ, from the menu bar. Its own docs note that process taps can upset echo cancellation in call apps, and that you can exclude those apps.
- SoundSource by Rogue Amoeba is the most complete: per-app volume and output, plus per-app EQ and audio effects. It lives in the menu bar and costs the most.
- Background Music is free and open source, with per-app volume and auto-pausing your music player when another app plays sound. Its developer still calls it alpha; check its GitHub issues for your macOS version.
- eqMac is mostly an equalizer. Its free tier is a good system EQ; per-app volume ("App Mixer") is part of Pro.
3. Set it up with Native Sound Mixer
- Download Native Sound Mixer, open it and enter your license key.
- Allow audio access when macOS asks. It's needed to change other apps' volume; nothing is recorded.
- Allow Accessibility, so it can find its place in Control Center and match its look.
- Click Replace. Native Sound Mixer takes the Sound control's place in Control Center.
Open Control Center and click Sound. Under Apps you'll see a slider for every app that's playing. Drag one to change only that app, or click its icon to mute it.
4. Play one app on different speakers or headphones
macOS sends all sound to one output. To put a call in your AirPods while music keeps playing on your speakers, you need per-app output. In Native Sound Mixer, click the speaker icon at the end of an app's slider and pick where that app should play. Only that app moves, and it stays there next time. FineTune and SoundSource can do this too.
Questions
Does macOS Tahoe have a volume mixer? No. macOS 26 has one system volume. Per-app volume needs an app like the ones above.
Will a mixer add lag? Native Sound Mixer adds a few milliseconds, which is fine for music, games and calls.
Can I go back to Apple's Sound control? Yes. Quit Native Sound Mixer and Apple's Sound control comes back in Control Center.