Best per-app volume control for Mac gamers
The classic Mac gaming problem: the game is too loud, your friends on Discord are too quiet, and macOS has one volume slider for both. Here's what actually fixes it.
Short answer
- Best free pick: FineTune. Per-app volume, big boost presets and global hotkeys for app volume, at no cost. Needs macOS 15.
- Best if you want calls to duck the game and a one-key mic mute: Faders. $5.99 once at launch, runs on macOS 14.2.
- Best from the App Store: SoundDial. $12.99, with call ducking and saved volume profiles.
- Best if you also want EQ and effects: SoundSource. $49, macOS 15.
What gamers actually need
- Game and voice chat on separate sliders. This is the whole point. Every app on this page does it.
- Boost for quiet games. Some games and emulators are mixed quietly. A boost past 100 % fixes that without cranking everything else.
- A fast mic mute. A global shortcut beats hunting for Discord's mute button mid-match.
- Low overhead. Tap-based mixers add roughly 60 ms of latency to apps you adjust (a limit of Apple's audio system, not of one app). For voice chat that's fine. For rhythm games, leave the game itself at 100 % and turn the other apps down instead, so the game isn't processed at all.
Discord already lets you set each person's volume (right-click a user → User Volume) and has its own mute and push-to-talk keybinds. If your only problem is one friend being too loud, you don't need any app from this list.
The picks
FineTune
Free, open source · macOS 15 Sequoia or later · Faders vs FineTune
FineTune does the core job well and costs nothing: a slider per app, 2x/3x/4x boost presets for quiet games, global hotkeys for app volume up, down and mute, and a 10-band EQ if you want footsteps to stand out. If you're on macOS 15 or later, start here.
Good
- Free
- Big boost presets
- Per-app volume hotkeys
- EQ with presets
Not so good
- Needs macOS 15
- Call ducking not listed
- Global mic mute not listed
- Community-run, no paid support
Faders
$5.99 once at launch ($15.99 regular) · macOS 14.2 or later · Made by us
Faders is built around calls, which on a gaming Mac means Discord. When Discord picks up your mic, Faders can duck the game automatically and bring it back when the call ends. ⌃⌥⌘M mutes every microphone on the Mac at once and restores them exactly. It boosts any app to 200 % with a limiter so loud explosions don't distort, and it uses 0.0 % CPU when nothing is playing.
Good
- Auto-ducking when Discord uses the mic
- One key mutes every mic
- Boost to 200 % with limiter
- Runs on macOS 14.2
Not so good
- No EQ yet
- No free trial (browser demo only)
- Paid, while FineTune is free
- No per-app volume hotkeys
SoundDial
$12.99 once on the Mac App Store · macOS 14.2 or later · Faders vs SoundDial
SoundDial covers per-app volume to 200 %, a 10-band EQ, auto-ducking during Discord calls and volume profiles, so you can save a “Gaming” mix and a “Work” mix and switch with one click. It's on the App Store with Family Sharing, which is handy if several people in the house game on Macs.
Good
- Volume profiles
- Auto-ducking + EQ
- App Store, Family Sharing
Not so good
- Global mic mute not listed
- Monitor volume keys not listed
SoundSource 6
$49 once, free trial · macOS 15 or later · Faders vs SoundSource
SoundSource does everything above plus Audio Unit effects, a “cough button” mic mute and per-app keyboard shortcuts. It's more than most gamers need, but if you also produce clips or care about headphone EQ, it's the most complete option.
Good
- EQ, effects, Headphone EQ
- Mic mute + per-app shortcuts
- Free trial
Not so good
- $49
- Needs macOS 15
- Call ducking not listed
Side by side
| FineTune | Faders | SoundDial | SoundSource | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $5.99 | $12.99 | $49 |
| macOS | 15+ | 14.2+ | 14.2+ | 15+ |
| Boost | ✓ 2x–4x | ✓ 200 %, limiter | ✓ 200 % | ✓ |
| Ducks other apps during calls | Not listed | ✓ | ✓ | Not listed |
| Global mic mute | Not listed | ✓ | Not listed | ✓ |
| Per-app volume hotkeys | ✓ | — | ✓ keyboard shortcuts | ✓ |
| EQ | ✓ | — (planned) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Saved profiles | Not listed | — | ✓ | Not listed |
“Not listed” means we couldn't find it on the app's site. Checked October 2026.
Questions
Will a volume mixer add input lag?
It doesn't touch input, only sound. Apps you adjust get about 60 ms of extra audio latency with any tap-based mixer. Leave the game at 100 % and lower everything else if that matters to you; untouched apps aren't processed by Faders at all.
Can I make Discord play in my headset and the game on speakers?
Yes. Faders, FineTune, SoundDial and SoundSource can all send one app to a different output. Discord also has its own output device setting.
Does it work with games running through CrossOver or Whisky?
Those games play through a regular Mac process, so they show up as an app with their own slider. Exactly how they're named depends on the wrapper.
Want Discord to duck the game for you?
Faders is $5.99 once at launch. If free matters more, FineTune is a great choice on macOS 15.
Related
Sources
- FineTune on GitHub (boost presets, hotkeys, EQ, macOS 15)
- SoundDial on the Mac App Store (price, ducking, profiles, EQ)
- SoundSource product page and what's new in SoundSource 6