Faders
A volume slider for every app
One-time purchase · macOS 14.2 or later
- Price
- $5.99 one time
- Category
- Utilities
- Requires
- macOS 14.2 or later
- Size
- 3 MB download
- Developer
- Snugbits indie
Mix it yourself.
Drag any slider. Press Play to hear four apps at once, then balance them the way you would on your Mac.
The sound is generated in your browser. Nothing is recorded.
Sound
Apps
Adjusting 3 apps
Faders adds the volume mixer macOS never had. Every app that makes sound gets its own slider in the menu bar, so you can lower the music, raise a call and lift a quiet video past 100 %, all at the same time.
It is made for people who work, watch and listen at once: on calls all day, connected to a monitor whose volume keys do nothing, or wearing AirPods that should keep sounding good when a meeting starts.
Faders is built on the audio taps Apple added in macOS 14.2, so there is no driver to install and nothing to restart. Apps you leave alone are never touched, and when nothing is playing it sits at 0.0 % CPU.
Per-app volume
One slider per app, even for browsers
Chrome, Slack and other modern apps play sound through a crowd of hidden helper processes. Faders recognises them and gathers each app into a single row, with its own slider, mute button and live meter.
- Remembers every level for next time
- Mute any app with one click
- Browsers count as one app: every tab shares the same slider
8 processes are making sound
Boost
Louder than 100 %, without the crackle
The last quarter of every slider is a boost zone that goes up to 200 %. Pushing sound that far would normally chop off its peaks and crackle, so Faders runs boosted apps through a limiter that turns only the loudest moments down.
- 0 to 100 % is shaped to match how loud things sound to you
- 100 to 200 % is the orange boost zone
- The slider snaps to 100 % so “unchanged” is easy to find
Calls
Calls handled for you
When Zoom, Teams, Meet, FaceTime, Slack or Discord starts using the microphone, other apps fade down and return when the call ends. Connect AirPods and Faders keeps the Mac’s own microphone in use, so they never drop into muffled call mode.
- Other apps fade to 30 % during a call
- Choose the AirPods mic yourself and Faders remembers it
- ⌃⌥⌘M mutes every microphone at once, then restores each one exactly
AirPods connected. Faders kept the Mac’s microphone as the input, so the AirPods stay in high quality.
Displays
Volume keys for any monitor
Monitors and TVs connected over HDMI or DisplayPort have no volume control on a Mac, so the keys only show a crossed-out speaker. Faders adds the missing volume in software and shows an indicator that looks like it belongs.
- Works with any display, no special monitor support needed
- Scroll over the menu bar icon to change volume too
Devices
Your devices, in the order you prefer
Rank your speakers, headphones and microphones, and mark the ones macOS should never switch to by itself. Faders only steps in when macOS changes the device on its own, so the device you pick by hand is left alone.
- Send any app to its own output with Play Through
- If that output disappears, the app moves back to your main one
- Alert sounds follow your output instead of staying behind
Output priority
AirPods Pro is playing: it is the highest device on your list that is connected.
Privacy
Your sound stays on your Mac
To change another app’s volume, macOS asks you to let Faders access system audio, and the prompt uses the word “record”. Faders only adjusts the sound live, in memory. Nothing is saved, and nothing is sent anywhere.
- No drivers or kernel extensions: built on Apple’s own audio APIs
- No account, no analytics, no tracking
- One network request, to check your license
Features
A slider for every app
Volume, mute and a live meter for each app, remembered between sessions.
Boost to 200 %
Lift quiet calls and videos past full volume. A limiter keeps them clean.
Play Through
Send any app to its own output. If that device leaves, the app comes back.
Keys for every display
Software volume and an on-screen indicator for HDMI and DisplayPort monitors.
Ready for calls
Music fades during calls, AirPods stay in high quality, one shortcut mutes every mic.
Weighs nothing
0.0 % CPU when idle and about 15 MB of memory. No drivers to install.
Pricing
Pay once. No subscription, no account.
Faders
Up to 3 Macs
$15.99 $5.99
one-time purchase
Launch price for the first 20 licenses.
- Volume for every app
- Boost to 200 %
- Per-app output
- Volume keys for displays
- Device rules
- Call ducking
- Global mic mute
- Free updates
The price rises as each launch batch sells out: $5.99 for the first 20 licenses, $9.99 for the next 40, then $15.99. Checkout always shows the current price.
Questions
Which Macs does Faders work on?
Any Mac running macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later, with Apple silicon or Intel. It relies on audio features Apple introduced in macOS 14.2, so earlier versions are not supported.
What permissions does it need?
One permission to change other apps’ sound, which macOS labels as system audio recording. Accessibility access is optional and only needed if you want your volume keys to control an HDMI or DisplayPort display.
Does Faders record or send my audio anywhere?
No. Sound is adjusted live in memory and played straight back. Nothing is saved, and the only network request Faders makes is the license check.
Do I need to install a driver or restart?
No. Faders uses Apple’s own audio APIs, so there is no driver or kernel extension to install, and nothing to remove if you stop using it.
Will it slow down my Mac or add delay?
When nothing is playing, Faders uses 0.0 % CPU and about 15 MB of memory. Apps you leave at 100 % are never processed. Apps you adjust pass through Faders and gain about 60 ms of delay, a limit of macOS that applies to every app of this kind.
How many Macs can I use one license on?
Up to 3 of your own Macs. When you replace a Mac, choose “Deactivate this Mac” in Settings › License on the old one to free up its place.
Can I set a different volume for each browser tab?
No. A browser plays all of its tabs through one audio process, so Faders controls the browser as a whole, separately from your music and calls.
Are updates included?
Yes. Your one-time purchase includes free updates.
