Guide
How to change volume for specific apps on Mac.
Short answer
To change the volume for a specific app on a Mac, you must use a third-party audio mixer, as macOS does not have a native volume mixer built-in. The best modern approach is to use a lightweight menu bar utility like MixPill, which controls per-app volume instantly without requiring kernel extensions or system restarts.
The Problem: macOS Master Volume
If you've ever tried to lower the volume of Spotify while playing a game, or mute a loud browser tab while on a Zoom call, you already know the frustration. Pressing the volume keys on your Mac changes the master output. It turns everything up or down together.
Windows has had a Volume Mixer for decades. macOS does not. Unless the app developer explicitly built a volume slider into their own interface (and many don't), you are stuck.
The Old Fix: Virtual Audio Drivers
Historically, Mac users relied on heavy software suites to fix this. These tools installed virtual audio drivers (.kext files) deep into the macOS kernel. While they worked, they came with severe downsides:
- They require administrator passwords and system restarts to install.
- They often break during major macOS updates.
- They leave leftover files behind even after you drag the app to the Trash.
- They force you to change your default Mac output device to a "Virtual Output" in System Settings.
The Modern Fix: Driverless Volume Mixing
Starting with newer macOS versions, Apple exposed Core Audio Tap APIs. This means modern apps can intercept and adjust audio levels safely in the background, entirely in user space.
This is exactly how MixPill operates. It sits quietly in your menu bar and gives you a volume fader for every active app.
How to adjust per-app volume with MixPill:
- Download and open MixPill (the volume mixing features are 100% free, forever).
- When prompted, grant it "System Audio Recording" permission. This is how macOS allows the safe Core Audio tap. Your audio never leaves your device.
- Click the MixPill icon in your menu bar.
- Drag the slider next to any app to adjust its volume, or click the speaker icon to mute it entirely.
Because there are no drivers, your Mac's default output device never changes. If you ever want to remove the app, you just drag it to the Trash. No restart required, and your Mac is exactly as it was before.
If one specific app is the problem
There are walkthroughs for the apps people ask about most: Spotify, Discord, Chrome and YouTube, Zoom, Netflix and Slack huddles. Each one covers the app's own settings first, because sometimes a mixer is not what you need.
Try it
Per-app volume, mute and live metering are free forever, for unlimited apps. No driver, no restart, one macOS permission.