Feels like hardware.
A fader and a mute button for each app. Gain changes are ramped smoothly while you drag.
v1.3 now in 9 languages
A volume slider for every app.
Levels lives in your Mac’s menu bar and gives each app its own volume. Turn the call down, keep the music up — no drivers, no kernel extensions, just Core Audio.
$brew install rafaelisdev/tap/levelsFree0.8 MB downloadApple Silicon & IntelmacOS 11+9 languages
Levels
Volume for every app
MacBook Pro Speakers64%
Apps
Music72%
Video call100%
Browser35%
Game0%
How it works
One click away, in the menu bar.
Every app that plays sound shows up with its own fader. This is the real panel, rebuilt for the web: drag the sliders, click an icon to mute.
- Per-app sliders. Turn a noisy browser down without touching your music.
- Click to mute. Tap an app’s icon to silence it, tap again to bring it back.
- Device volume too. The output device and its level sit at the top.
- Remembers. Each app’s level comes back the next time it plays.
Features
Small app. Precise control.
No drivers, no kexts
Built on Core Audio process taps from macOS 14.2. Nothing is installed into the system.
Remembers every app
Set your music to 40% once. Levels applies it every time that app starts playing.
Fails safe
If Levels quits, every app returns to its normal volume instantly. Audio never leaves your Mac.
Native and tiny
That’s the whole download: one universal Swift app for Apple Silicon and Intel. No Electron, no background services.
Made to stay out of the way.
No Dock icon and no windows. Levels opens from the menu bar, closes on Escape and can start at login.
Install
Ready in under a minute.
Install with Homebrew
Or use the curl script: it downloads the latest release, checks its SHA-256 and moves Levels to Applications.
$brew install rafaelisdev/tap/levelsOpen Levels
Launch it from Spotlight or Applications (the curl script opens it for you). There’s no Dock icon: Levels lives in the menu bar. Click the faders icon to open the panel, press Esc to close it.
Move a slider
The first time, macOS asks for “System Audio Recording Only” access. Allow it once — Levels processes sound on your Mac and never records it.
Update
brew upgrade levelsUninstall
brew uninstall --zap levelsManual downloadGet Levels.zip from GitHub Releases. The app isn’t notarized yet, so macOS blocks the first launch: open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click “Open Anyway”.
FAQ
Questions.
Does Levels install a driver or kernel extension?
No. Levels uses Core Audio process taps, an API Apple added in macOS 14.2. Nothing is installed into the system, so there is nothing to clean up when you remove the app.
Which macOS versions are supported?
Per-app volume needs macOS 14.2 or later. Levels itself runs on macOS 11 Big Sur and later, on Apple Silicon and Intel; on older systems it controls the output device volume.
Why does macOS ask for “System Audio Recording Only” access?
That permission is what lets an app take over another app’s sound to change its volume. Levels processes audio in real time on your Mac; it never records, stores or uploads anything.
What happens if Levels quits or crashes?
Every app goes straight back to its normal volume. macOS only keeps an app routed through Levels while Levels is running.
Which languages does Levels speak?
Levels follows your Mac’s language: English, Español, Deutsch, Français, Português, Русский, 日本語, 简体中文 and 한국어.
Is Levels free?
Yes. Levels is free, and its source code is on GitHub.
Turn the call down.
Keep the music up.
$brew install rafaelisdev/tap/levels