Make One App Quieter Than the Rest on Mac

One app is too loud and everything else is fine. You want to turn just that app down. On a Mac, that's surprisingly hard without help.

Why macOS makes this hard

macOS has no built-in per-app volume mixer. Windows has one (open the Volume Mixer from the taskbar), but on a Mac the volume keys and the menu bar slider control only one thing: the main output. Turn it down and everything gets quieter together. Turn it up and the loud app is still the loudest.

Built-in options (and their limits)

Use the app's own volume control

Many apps have their own slider: music players, video players, games (usually in their audio or sound settings) and browser video players. Turning the loud app down there while keeping the system volume up works.

The catch: plenty of apps have no volume control, every app hides it somewhere different, and some reset it on relaunch.

Turn off notification sounds

If the 'loud app' is really a stream of notification dings, go to System Settings > Notifications, select the app and turn off its notification sound. This doesn't affect media or call audio.

Mute the browser tab

For a loud ad or autoplay video, right-click the tab and look for a mute option (most browsers have one), or pause the video.

Quit the app

It works, but then you can't use the app at all.

The direct fix: a per-app volume mixer

A per-app volume mixer gives each app its own slider. With SoundDial:

1. Click the SoundDial icon in the menu bar. You'll see each app you have open.
2. Find the loud one: the game, the browser, the call app, the chat app.
3. Drag its slider down to 40%, 20%, wherever it feels right. Only that app changes.
4. Everything else stays put. Your music, your call and your other apps keep their own levels.

You can also mute a single app with one click while others keep playing, or boost a quiet app above 100% (up to 200%) if the problem is the opposite. SoundDial works per app, not per browser tab: all tabs in one browser share a slider.

Common cases

• A loud game over background music. Drop the game to a comfortable level and keep your playlist where it is. See also separating game audio from Discord.
• Browser videos that spike. Keep the browser lower so a surprise autoplay doesn't blast you.
• Notification dings over a podcast or call. Turn down the noisy chat app without silencing the audio you care about.
• A quiet call under loud media. Instead of turning the loud app down, boost the call above 100%.
• Music too loud next to everything else. See lowering Spotify without lowering everything.

Other options

• SoundSource is made by Rogue Amoeba, costs $49 and is sold directly rather than on the Mac App Store.
• Background Music is a free, open-source app.
• FineTune is a per-app audio project many people find through GitHub.

Check each one's website for current features and price. Comparisons: SoundSource alternative, Background Music alternative, FineTune alternative.

The bottom line

macOS won't turn down a single app on its own, but a per-app mixer closes that gap in seconds: drag the loud app down, and the rest of your audio stays where you want it. More on per-app volume control on Mac.

SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac, needs macOS 14.2 or later and costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.