FineTune Brings Per-App Volume Control to macOS (A Feature Apple Still Lacks)

As surprising as it sounds, macOS still doesn’t let you control volume on a per-app basis. This is a feature Windows users have taken for granted for years thanks to the Volume Mixer. Lower Spotify during a Zoom call, route Discord to your headphones while YouTube plays through speakers—simple, everyday use cases.

On macOS? None of that is possible out of the box.

Apple has never made per-application audio control a priority, leaving users stuck with system-wide volume sliders and awkward workarounds. That gap is exactly what FineTune aims to fill: a free, open-source macOS app that lets you control volume per app, route audio to different outputs, and even apply an equalizer—all from the menu bar.

Why FineTune Exists: A Simple Problem Apple Never Solved

FineTune was created by developer Ronit Singh, who ran into a very common scenario: he wanted Spotify to play through external speakers while everything else stayed on his MacBook’s internal speakers.

On macOS, that’s impossible without third-party software.

Existing solutions didn’t fully satisfy him either:

• BackgroundMusic, the long-standing open-source option, tends to crash on recent macOS versions
• SoundSource works well, but costs $49 for functionality many consider basic

So instead of settling, Singh built his own tool. He openly mentions using AI to speed up development, while maintaining full control over the code and committing to long-term maintenance. The result is FineTune: lightweight, modern, and focused on doing exactly what macOS should already do.

Per-App Volume Control and Audio Routing Made Simple

FineTune lives in the macOS menu bar and automatically lists every application currently playing audio.

For each app, you get:

• An independent volume slider
• A mute button
• A selector to choose which audio output the app should use

That means you can:

• Send Firefox to your headphones
• Route Apple Music to Bluetooth speakers
• Keep system sounds on your MacBook speakers

All at the same time, without touching system-wide audio settings.

Everything is handled visually and instantly, making it easy to see exactly what’s playing, where it’s playing, and how loud it is.

Built-In 10-Band Equalizer and Volume Boost

FineTune goes well beyond basic volume sliders.

10-Band Equalizer

Each app includes a 10-band EQ, covering frequencies from 32 Hz to 16 kHz. The equalizer expands directly beneath the selected app and can be:

• Tuned manually
• Switched between 20+ presets, organized by category

Want deeper bass on Spotify but clearer voices in a podcast app? You can do that—without affecting the rest of the system.

Volume Boost Up to 400%

FineTune also includes a volume boost feature, set to 200% by default and adjustable up to 400% in the settings.

This is especially useful for:

• Quiet videos
• Poorly normalized audio
• Low-volume live streams

That said, caution is advised. Boosting already loud audio can damage your ears—or your speakers—very quickly.

Real-Time Audio Monitoring and Persistent Settings

To make everything easier to manage, FineTune displays real-time VU meters for each app, showing exactly how much sound is being output.

Even better:

• Volume levels
• Audio routing
• EQ settings

are all saved automatically and restored after a reboot. Once you set it up, it just works in the background.

How to Install FineTune on macOS

FineTune is completely free and open source.

Installation Options

• Homebrew brew install --cask finetune
• Direct download from the project’s GitHub page

Installation is standard: open the .dmg, drag FineTune into the Applications folder, and launch it.

Required Permissions

On first launch, macOS will ask for permission to capture system audio. This is mandatory—without it, FineTune cannot intercept or control audio streams.

Once granted, FineTune sits quietly in the menu bar and starts detecting audio-playing apps automatically.

System Requirements

• macOS 14 Sonoma or later
• Older macOS versions are not supported

Final Thoughts: A Feature macOS Should Have Had Years Ago

FineTune highlights a long-standing weakness in macOS: the lack of per-app audio control. What’s basic on Windows still requires third-party tools on Apple’s desktop OS.

The good news is that FineTune delivers exactly what’s missing—without subscriptions, without a bloated interface, and without locking features behind a paywall. For anyone who regularly juggles music, meetings, videos, and headphones, it’s a genuinely useful addition.

Until Apple decides to implement proper per-application volume control, FineTune is one of the best solutions available—and it’s free.