Why Doesn't macOS Include a Volume Mixer?
On Windows, right-clicking the speaker icon in the taskbar opens a volume mixer that shows a slider for every running application. You can turn Spotify down to 30%, keep your browser at 80%, and mute Discord notifications, all independently. macOS has no such interface. The volume keys on your keyboard and the slider in the menu bar affect every app equally.
This gap is one of the most common frustrations for people switching from Windows to Mac. The workaround that Apple expects you to use is adjusting volume within each individual app, but not every app has its own volume control, and juggling multiple in-app sliders is inefficient compared to a centralized mixer panel.
How Do You Install a Volume Mixer on Mac?
- Download LitLink free from litpads.app/litlink, signed and notarized by Apple
- Run the .pkg installer requires administrator access, installs in under 30 seconds
- Open the LitLink app and switch to the Per-App Volume tab
- Flip the toggle every running app with audio appears with its own volume slider
- Balance your mix drag sliders, mute apps, and ride the master fader
The volume mixer uses the Process Tap API that Apple built into macOS 14, so it reaches each app's audio stream natively without changing your output device. Your speakers, headphones, or AirPods stay exactly as they are. There are no Terminal commands, no Audio MIDI Setup configuration, and no manual device creation.
How Do You Adjust Individual App Volumes?
All macOS alert and interface sounds (screenshots, Trash, alerts), controlled as one group.
Balance every app's volume for your own listening. The mix plays through whatever output you already use (speakers, headphones, AirPods), a master fader rides the whole mix, and the same sliders live in the menu bar. Completely free, no Pro required.
The mixer panel updates in real time. When you open a new app that starts playing audio, it appears in the list automatically. Apps you never want listed can be hidden with one click. A dedicated FaceTime Calls entry even ranges up to 200%, because call voices arrive much quieter than music; a limiter keeps the boosted audio from clipping.
Each slider operates independently of the system volume. If you set Spotify to 50% in LitLink and then raise the system volume, Spotify gets louder proportionally but stays at half the level of other apps. This layered approach means you set your relative app volumes once in LitLink and use the system volume for overall loudness. The per-app volume control guide covers advanced mixing strategies for different workflows.
Can You Mute Individual Apps Without Affecting Others?
Per-app mute is essential for managing notifications during calls or recordings. You can mute Slack, Messages, and Mail during a Zoom meeting while keeping Zoom itself and your background music at their normal volumes. Without a volume mixer, the only macOS option is Do Not Disturb, which suppresses visual notifications but does not always mute the audio alerts from every app.
The mute state persists per app. If you mute Chrome and then restart your Mac, Chrome remains muted in LitLink the next time it produces audio. This is useful for apps that play unwanted sounds on launch (startup chimes, auto-playing media) that you want permanently silenced.
How Does a Mac Volume Mixer Compare to the Windows Version?
Windows users switching to Mac often search for the exact equivalent of the volume mixer they are used to. LitLink fills that gap for free, and its Pro tier goes further by combining volume control with per-app output routing. The Mac volume mixer overview explains the underlying concept and compares the available tools in detail.
Does the Volume Mixer Work with All Mac Apps?
Spotify, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Discord, Zoom, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, VLC, IINA, Steam games, and every other mainstream Mac application works with LitLink's volume mixer. The Process Tap API operates at the system audio layer, below the application, so it does not matter whether the app is a native macOS app, an Electron app, or a Rosetta-translated Intel app on Apple Silicon.
System sounds (notifications, alerts, screenshots, Trash) also appear in the mixer as a single grouped entry, because macOS plays them all through one shared process. You can reduce system sound volume to a whisper while keeping your music and video calls at full volume, which is something macOS does not let you do with its built-in Sound settings panel.
How Do You Access the Volume Mixer Quickly from the Menu Bar?
The menu bar dropdown is designed for quick adjustments during your workflow. You do not need to switch to a separate window. Click the LitLink icon, drag a slider, and click away to dismiss. The entire interaction takes under two seconds, and you can choose which LitLink sections appear in the menu bar so the dropdown stays focused on what you use.
For users who want hands-on control, LitLink Pro adds per-app volume and mute hotkeys: bind an app's volume up and down to any key combination, including the rotating knobs on a Stream Deck +, Stream Dock, or Loupedeck, and ride individual app levels without touching the mouse. The LitLink feature overview covers all available shortcuts and customization options.
Marcel Iseli is an indie developer, DJ, and music producer with over 20 years behind the decks and in the studio. Rooted in hip hop culture, he collects drum machines, samplers, and vintage audio gear. LitPads grew out of that obsession: decades of triggering samples on hardware led him to build the software equivalent he always wanted.