Sound Control Alternative: Per-App Volume on Mac

Sound Control is one of the apps Mac users have used to get per-app volume, something macOS still doesn't have built in. If you're looking for an alternative, whether it's not working on your Mac anymore or you just want something different, here's how to decide.

The gap any of these apps fills

macOS gives you one master volume slider. There's no built-in mixer that lets you set Zoom louder and Spotify quieter, or mute a browser without muting everything. That's why per-app volume apps exist. For background, see why the Mac doesn't have a volume mixer.

Before you switch

• Check Sound Control's current status yourself: visit its website for current features, price and macOS support. We don't repeat competitor details we can't keep up to date.
• Write down what you actually use: if you only use per-app volume and mute, many tools will do. If you rely on other features, compare those specifically.
• Uninstall cleanly: if you're replacing it, remove Sound Control using the method its developer documents before installing another audio app. Two audio tools changing the same apps at once can cause confusing results.
• Check your output device: after uninstalling, open System Settings > Sound > Output and make sure your real speakers or headphones are selected.

SoundDial: per-app volume, mute and boost

SoundDial is a menu-bar app focused on one job: a volume slider for every running app.

• Per-app volume from 0% to 200%: lower a loud app, or boost a quiet one above 100%
• Per-app mute: silence one app with one click while everything else keeps playing
• Menu-bar panel: out of the way until you need it
• Per app, not per tab: all tabs of a browser share one slider
• Needs macOS 14.2 or later, €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription

Around that core it adds a few extras: a master volume slider and a picker for the Mac's system output, named profiles that save your current levels and mutes, auto-ducking that lowers other apps during calls (on by default; adjustable or off in Settings > Auto-Duck), and a memory of each app's level (mute is not remembered, and an app you open later may need a touch of its slider). Beyond that, SoundDial isn't trying to cover more.

How to switch

1. Uninstall Sound Control as described by its developer, then restart your Mac.
2. Install SoundDial from the Mac App Store.
3. Open it from the menu bar and grant the permission it asks for.
4. Each running app appears with its own slider. Lower, mute or boost as needed.

Other options

If you want to compare more broadly, look at SoundSource by Rogue Amoeba ($49, sold outside the Mac App Store) or the free, open-source Background Music. Our SoundSource alternative guide covers when a bigger tool makes sense.

For how per-app control works in practice, read per-app volume control on Mac, or start at SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.