Per-app volume control for Mac
Turn one app down. Leave the rest alone.
Beamhook puts a volume slider and mute button for each app in your menu bar. Lower Spotify while a video plays, silence a noisy app, or turn your browser down without touching system volume.
How to change an app’s volume
- Open Beamhook on macOS 14.2 or later. Allow System Audio Recording when asked.
- Play something in the app you want to adjust, then click Beamhook in the menu bar.
- Drag that app’s slider, or click its speaker to mute it. Other apps stay where they are.
Beamhook remembers each app’s level, and unmuting brings the old level back. If an app has its own volume control, Beamhook uses it. For the rest, it uses Core Audio process taps.
Whole-browser volume and separate tab controls
The browser’s own row changes the whole browser. The tab rows under it change one tab each. Tab controls work in Safari, Chrome, Brave, Arc and Vivaldi once you turn on Allow JavaScript from Apple Events. Firefox tabs aren’t supported.
Control volume from the keyboard
Press ⌘ + a volume key or ⌘ + Play to open the source list. ⌘↑ / ⌘↓ picks a source and ⌘← / ⌘→ changes its volume. All shortcuts are listed under volume and mute shortcuts.
You can also hook your media keys to one player, so play/pause, next and previous always go to it.
Requirements and limits
Beamhook needs macOS 14.0 or later. Finding which apps are playing, and per-app volume and mute, need macOS 14.2 or later and System Audio Recording permission. Audio is adjusted as it plays and never saved.
Per-app volume works with mono and stereo Float32 output. With other formats, Beamhook shows an error and leaves the sound alone. It isn’t an equalizer, a volume booster, or a way to send apps to different speakers.
FAQ
Can I control individual app volume on my Mac?
Yes. Each app playing sound gets its own volume slider and mute button, and other apps keep their levels. Apps without their own volume control need macOS 14.2 or later.
Can I change one browser tab’s volume?
Yes, in Safari, Chrome, Brave, Arc and Vivaldi. Turn on Allow JavaScript from Apple Events in the browser first. You can also change the whole browser’s volume. Firefox tabs aren’t supported.
Why does Beamhook ask for System Audio Recording permission?
macOS asks for it whenever an app changes the volume of other apps. Beamhook adjusts the sound as it plays and never records or saves it.
Is Beamhook free?
The source code is free, and you can build the app yourself. The signed, ready-to-run app costs €5 once and includes all 1.x updates.