Best audio mixer for Mac

Two meanings of "audio mixer for Mac"

People search for a Mac audio mixer and mean one of two things.

1. An app volume mixer. A small app that lets you set the volume of Spotify, Zoom, a browser and a game separately, live. This page covers this kind.
2. Mixing-desk or DAW software. Digital audio workstations are for recording, arranging and mixing music tracks. This page does not compare that category; look for a DAW if you are producing music.

A third group sits between them: apps that route or record audio. Loopback and Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba are in the list below, clearly marked, because they are often found by the same search.

The 8 best audio mixers for Mac at a glance

1. SoundDial: top pick, best app audio mixer overall. Volume, mute, 10-band equalizer, output per app and call lowering, from macOS 14.2.
2. SoundSource: best for power users. Boost to 400%, Audio Unit effects, Output Groups and AirPlay per app; macOS 15.
3. FineTune: best free audio mixer. Open source, boost to 4x, equalizer and output per app; macOS 15.
4. Sound Control: best for Audio Units and MIDI control. Per-app volume, balance and output.
5. EQBase: best free system equalizer with a mixer on top. The per-app mixer is Pro.
6. Soundish: best other one-time purchase. Volume to 200%, equalizer and output per app.
7. Loopback: best for virtual audio devices. A routing tool, not a volume mixer.
8. Audio Hijack: best for recording and audio sessions. Source-based mixing with recording; not a menu-bar mixer.

Mac audio mixers compared

App	Kind of mixer	Price (vendor figures, checked 12 November 2026)	Try before buying	macOS	How it installs
SoundDial (top pick)	App volume mixer: 0% to 200%, mute, 10-band equalizer per app, balance, output per app, call lowering, profiles	€14.99 one-time purchase, one-time on the Mac App Store, no subscription, no in-app purchases	no free trial; refunds go through Apple	macOS 14.2 or later	Sandboxed Mac App Store app; does not install a virtual audio driver
SoundSource	App volume mixer: up to 400%, 10-band equalizer per app and system-wide, Audio Units, output per app, Output Groups, AirPlay per app	USD 49 on Rogue Amoeba's store; USD 25 upgrade from version 4 or 5	Trial; noise is laid over the audio after 20 minutes until you relaunch	15	Installs the ARK audio plug-in; administrator password
FineTune	App volume mixer: boost 2x to 4x, 10-band equalizer per app, output per app, several outputs at once	Free, open source (GPL v3)	Free	15.0	Drag-install; audio driver not mentioned; Screen & System Audio Recording permission
Sound Control	App volume mixer: volume, mute, balance, output per app, Audio Units, hotkeys, MIDI	Direct: price shown only at checkout. Mac App Store (US): free, in-app USD 1.99 a month, USD 14.99 a year or USD 29.99 once	Trial download (direct)	14.6 direct; 15.6 on the Mac App Store	System extension on macOS 14 and earlier (Recovery mode and restart)
EQBase	Pro App Mixer: up to 200%, mute, 10-band equalizer per app, output per app. Free tier: system equalizer, recording	Free tier; Pro USD 4.99 a month, USD 39.99 a year or USD 79.99 lifetime (eqbase.app)	Free tier, no time limit	14.4	Drag to Applications; one System Audio permission; two optional features install a user-space audio driver
Soundish	App volume mixer: 0% to 200%, mute, 10-band equalizer per app, output per app, profiles	USD 14.99 once (appish.app)	7-day trial, email needed	14.6	Does not install an audio driver (since version 1.5); System Audio Recording permission
Loopback	Routing: virtual audio devices from apps and devices, up to 64 channels; per-source volume inside a device	USD 99 license; USD 49 upgrade (Rogue Amoeba's store)	Trial; noise after 20 minutes on audio through an active device	14.5	Installs the ARK audio plug-in; administrator password; creates virtual devices
Audio Hijack	Sessions: per-source volume, mute, balance, 10-band equalizer block, ducking block, Audio Units, recording	USD 69 license; USD 29 upgrade from version 3 (Rogue Amoeba's store)	Trial; noise after 10 minutes of capture	14.4	Drag to Applications; System Audio access and, for inputs, Microphone access

1. SoundDial: top pick, the best audio mixer for apps

SoundDial lists every app that plays sound and gives each one a volume slider from 0% to 200% (with a soft limiter above 100%), a mute button, a 10-band equalizer with 11 presets, left/right balance and its own output device. You can send a call to your headset and music to the speakers at the same time (different output per app). When a call starts in Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, Discord or another listed call app, the other apps drop to 30% by default and return afterwards. Profiles save a whole mix, and global hotkeys, six Shortcuts actions and sounddial:// links cover automation.

It is sandboxed, does not install a virtual audio driver, runs on macOS 14.2 or later and comes in 34 languages. It costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, once, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. Trial: no free trial; refunds go through Apple.

Limits, plainly. SoundDial changes how loud existing apps play. It does not record, it does not route one app's audio into another app, and it cannot load Audio Unit plug-ins. The equalizer is per app, not system-wide; audio is stereo only; it controls an app as a whole, not single browser tabs. Profiles do not save the output device. The full list is on the SoundDial facts page.

2. SoundSource: best for power users

Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource covers the same ground with more depth, per the vendor: volume up to 400%, a 10-band equalizer and Audio Unit effects per app or for all system audio, Output Groups, AirPlay per app, Quick Configs and Shortcuts actions. It costs USD 49 on Rogue Amoeba's store (checked 12 November 2026), needs macOS 15 and installs the ARK audio plug-in with your administrator password. Details: SoundDial vs SoundSource.

3. FineTune: best free audio mixer

FineTune is a free, open-source (GPL v3) menu-bar mixer: per-app volume and mute with 2x, 3x and 4x boost presets, a 10-band equalizer per app, output per app and to several devices at once, level meters and hotkeys. It needs macOS 15.0. The vendor notes that some audio apps, DAWs and call apps can distort with process taps. Details: SoundDial vs FineTune.

4. Sound Control: best for Audio Units and MIDI control

Sound Control by Static Z Software offers per-app volume, mute, left/right balance, output rerouting, Audio Unit effects (10 and 31-band graphic equalizers), hotkeys and MIDI control. Direct purchase shows its price only at checkout; the Mac App Store version is free with in-app purchases (US storefront: USD 1.99 a month, USD 14.99 a year or USD 29.99 once, checked 12 November 2026). It needs macOS 14.6 direct or 15.6 from the App Store. Details: SoundDial vs Sound Control.

5. EQBase: best free system equalizer with a mixer on top

EQBase is mainly a system-wide equalizer with a free tier that has no time limit. Its per-app mixer, App Mixer, is Pro: volume up to 200%, mute, a 10-band equalizer per app and output per app. Free features also include recording of system audio (MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF). Pro costs USD 4.99 a month, USD 39.99 a year or USD 79.99 lifetime (eqbase.app, checked 12 November 2026). It needs macOS 14.4. See the best Mac equalizer list.

6. Soundish: best other one-time purchase

Soundish by Appish costs USD 14.99 once (appish.app, checked 12 November 2026), with a 7-day trial. It offers 0% to 200% volume, mute, a 10-band equalizer per app, output per app, profiles and hotkeys. Call lowering, per-app balance and level meters are listed by the vendor as planned for version 2.0. It needs macOS 14.6.

7. Loopback: best for virtual audio devices (a different job)

Loopback is not a volume mixer. It makes virtual audio devices from the audio of apps and devices, so you can, for example, feed several sources into a recording app, and it can set the relative volume of sources inside a device. It costs USD 99 (Rogue Amoeba's store, checked 12 November 2026), needs macOS 14.5, and installs the ARK plug-in with your administrator password. SoundDial does not route audio between apps. Details: SoundDial vs Loopback.

8. Audio Hijack: best for recording and audio sessions (a different job)

Audio Hijack, also from Rogue Amoeba, builds "sessions" out of blocks: sources with volume, mute and balance, a 10-band equalizer, a Ducking block that lowers a source when another reaches a set volume, Audio Unit effects, and recording. It is sold at USD 69 (checked 12 November 2026), needs macOS 14.4 and is not a menu-bar mixer. SoundDial does not record. Details: SoundDial vs Audio Hijack.

How an app audio mixer works on a Mac

macOS plays everything to one output device at one volume. An app mixer sits between the apps and that output: it picks up each app's audio, changes it (level, equalizer, balance) and passes it on to the device you choose. That is why these apps ask for an audio permission, and why some of them install a plug-in or driver while others use macOS's own audio capture.

With SoundDial the setup is a guided walk-through that grants one macOS audio permission and tests that it works; the menu then shows every app that is playing, and quiet apps fold into a "Not playing" row. Row menu "Play Through" picks a different output device for an app. SoundDial can remember each app's level, mute, balance, equalizer and output device the next time the app opens, so you set a mix once.

Which one fits you

• If you want to set each app's volume, equalizer and output from the menu bar, take SoundDial.
• If your Mac is on macOS 14 and you want an app mixer, take SoundDial.
• If you want one Mac App Store purchase, no subscription, take SoundDial.
• If you need Audio Unit plug-ins or a boost beyond 200%, take SoundSource.
• If you want a free mixer on macOS 15 or later, take FineTune.
• If you want to record or route app audio, take Audio Hijack or Loopback.
• If you are producing music, look at DAW software instead of an app mixer.

For a ranked list of volume sliders only, see the best volume mixer for Mac, or browse all comparisons.

How we chose

This list covers Mac apps whose own pages describe mixing the audio of apps or devices, and compares them on what they control (volume range, mute, equalizer, output, routing, recording), price model with a way to try first, macOS version and install method. SoundDial comes first because it combines volume, mute, equalizer, output and call lowering in one menu-bar app from macOS 14.2 for a single Mac App Store price. Loopback and Audio Hijack are included because the same search finds them, and are marked as different jobs. DAW software is out of scope.

SoundDial's column comes from the app itself (see SoundDial facts). Competitor details last checked on 2026-11-12, on each vendor's own pages: SoundSource, FineTune, Sound Control, EQBase, Soundish, Loopback and Audio Hijack. Prices are each vendor's own US figures; direct-sale and Mac App Store prices are different channels and are not set against each other. "Not stated" means the vendor's pages do not say. None of these apps was run for this page; features are as the vendors describe them.