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Ross

Posted on • Originally published at appish.app

Mac Equalizer Per App: How to Apply Different Audio EQ to Individual Apps

#macos #productivity #mac #tutorial

Why Mac Users Want Per-App Equalizers

Windows users have long enjoyed the ability to apply different equalizer settings to individual applications. Want heavy bass for your music app but clear vocals for video calls? Easy. On Mac, this isn't built-in, leaving many users frustrated when they want different EQ settings for different apps.

The closest macOS comes is the system-wide equalizer in Music.app, but that affects everything playing through your speakers — not exactly helpful when you want pumped-up bass for Spotify but neutral audio for work calls.

Current Mac EQ Limitations

Mac's built-in audio system applies settings globally. If you boost the bass in Music.app's equalizer, it affects:

  • All audio from all applications
  • System sounds and notifications
  • Video call audio from Zoom, Teams, or Discord
  • Browser audio from YouTube or streaming sites

This all-or-nothing approach means you're stuck choosing one EQ setting for everything, which rarely works well across different audio types.

Method 1: Audio Hijack + Per-App Routing (Professional Solution)

Audio Hijack ($64) from Rogue Amoeba offers the most comprehensive solution:

  1. Create separate audio sessions for each app you want to EQ differently
  2. Apply different equalizer blocks to each session
  3. Route the processed audio to your output device

This works but requires significant setup time and costs more than most casual users want to spend. It's designed for audio professionals and podcasters.

Method 2: Soundish + External EQ Software

A more affordable approach combines per-app audio routing with external EQ:

  1. Use Soundish for per-app routing — send different apps to different virtual or physical outputs
  2. Apply system EQ to specific outputs using tools like eqMac
  3. Route EQ'd outputs back to your speakers/headphones

Soundish handles the per-app audio separation at a fraction of Audio Hijack's cost, then you can apply different EQ settings to different audio streams.

Setup example:

  • Route Spotify through Output A → Heavy bass EQ
  • Route Zoom through Output B → Voice-optimized EQ
  • Route gaming audio through Output C → Surround sound processing

Method 3: Browser-Specific EQ Extensions

For web-based audio (YouTube, streaming services), browser extensions can help:

Chrome/Edge: Extensions like "Audio Equalizer" or "Volume Master"
Safari: Limited options, but "Boom 3D" works as a system-wide solution

This approach works for browser audio but doesn't help with native Mac apps.

The Missing Piece: True Per-App EQ

What Mac users really want is what SoundSource offers — per-app EQ built into the volume mixer. SoundSource ($49) includes:

  • 10-band equalizer per application
  • Audio Unit plugin support
  • Per-app volume AND EQ control
  • Simple interface that just works

However, at $49, it's expensive for users who mainly want basic per-app audio control with occasional EQ adjustments.

Workaround: App-Specific Settings

Some applications have built-in equalizers:

Music Apps:

  • Spotify: Built-in equalizer in preferences
  • VLC: Advanced audio equalizer
  • IINA: Per-file audio processing

Communication Apps:

  • Discord: Audio processing settings
  • Zoom: Audio enhancement options

The limitation? These settings only work within each app and don't affect other audio sources.

Budget-Friendly Solution

For most users wanting per-app EQ without the professional price tag:

  1. Start with Soundish for per-app volume and routing control
  2. Use app-specific EQ settings where available (Spotify, VLC, Discord)
  3. Add eqMac for system-wide EQ when needed
  4. Consider browser extensions for streaming audio

This combination gives you much of the functionality of expensive professional tools at a fraction of the cost.

What's Coming

Apple continues to improve Core Audio with each macOS release. The per-app audio routing API that enables apps like Soundish is relatively new (macOS 14.2+), suggesting Apple recognizes users want more granular audio control.

While true per-app EQ isn't built into macOS yet, the foundation exists for developers to build these features.

Bottom Line

Mac doesn't have native per-app EQ, but combining smart audio routing with targeted EQ solutions gets you most of the way there. Start with per-app volume control through Soundish, then add EQ where you need it most — whether through app-specific settings, browser extensions, or dedicated EQ software.

For professional audio work, SoundSource remains the gold standard, but for typical users wanting better audio control, a combination approach delivers the functionality without the professional price tag.

Originally published at appish.app

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