Route Mac app audio to different outputs
macOS is built around one default output device. That is fine for simple setups. It gets awkward when music, browser audio, calls, and system sound should not all go to the same place.
The short answer: use macOS Sound settings when you only need one output device. Use a per-app audio router when one app should stay on headphones, another should play through speakers, and each app needs its own saved volume. For live demos and screen shares, start with the narrower Mac presentation audio settings checklist.
TeenySound is my per-app volume and routing app. The honest rule is still conservative: do not install an audio router just to change your default output twice a week. Install one when the same routing problem happens every day.
Quick routing examples
| Setup | Good route | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Music plus desk speakers | Music app to headphones, system sounds to speakers. | Keeps focus audio private without silencing alerts. |
| Video call plus browser demo | Call audio to headset, browser audio to display speakers. | Makes demo playback easier to judge while the call stays stable. |
| Streamer or recorder prep | Keep the source app isolated from notification sounds. | Reduces accidental mixed audio in a take. |
| Shared room or office | Personal media to headphones, team-relevant sound to speakers. | Avoids blasting everything through one output. |
| Simple laptop use | Use the default macOS output. | Per-app routing is unnecessary overhead. |
What macOS gives you first
Apple's Sound settings let you choose an output device, adjust balance, change output volume, mute sound, and decide whether Sound appears in the menu bar. That is the right first stop for most people.
The limitation is scope. The output device is system-wide. If the default output is your Studio Display, your browser, music app, alerts, and meeting audio all start from that same choice unless the individual app has its own output selector.
If an external display keeps becoming the default output, use the Mac audio switches to monitor speakers checklist before building a per-app route. Routing is the app layer; output selection is the room layer.
Some apps do provide their own device settings. Many do not. Even when they do, the controls usually live inside the app, not next to the other audio-producing apps you are trying to balance.
What per-app audio routing changes
Per-app routing adds a middle layer between "one Mac output" and "every app handles itself." Each audio-producing app gets its own route and volume. That lets you treat Chrome, Music, Zoom, Slack, a game, or a recorder as separate sound sources.
In TeenySound, the source model stores selected output device UIDs per app and per-device volumes. The audio manager saves routing by bundle ID, recreates taps when apps appear or output devices change, and applies the saved volume for each target device. The playthrough engine keeps tap state per app and device.
That sounds technical because audio routing is technical. The user-facing version is simpler: choose which devices an app should use, set the volume for each device, and let the app remember it.
How to route an app with TeenySound
- Install TeenySound and approve System Audio Recording when you are ready to use per-app audio control.
- Play audio in the app you want to route.
- Open TeenySound from the menu bar.
- Find the app row.
- Open the output-device picker for that app.
- Select one or more available output devices.
- Adjust the app volume for each selected device.
- Repeat only for apps whose route should be remembered.
Apps appear when they produce audio. If an app is silent, closed, hidden from the list, or blocked by a missing permission, it may not show up as a routable source yet.
What to check before blaming the router
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| The app does not appear. | Make sure it is actively producing audio and TeenySound has audio access. |
| A device is missing. | Confirm macOS sees it as an output device and it is connected. |
| The route works, but volume is wrong. | Check both the app's per-device volume and the system output volume. |
| Audio gets complicated after device changes. | Disconnect stale Bluetooth or AirPlay devices, then reopen the mixer. |
| You only need one output. | Use macOS Sound settings instead. Per-app routing is solving a different problem. |
Permission and privacy notes
Per-app routing needs access to outgoing app audio. TeenySound uses Apple's Core Audio tap path on macOS 14.2 or later. The permission label can sound like recording, but the product is a mixer: the app changes volume and routing in real time instead of saving audio files.
That distinction is covered in Why Mac volume apps ask for system audio recording. Read that before approving the permission if the wording makes you pause. It should make you pause.
The broader TeenyApps workflow guide is Mac menu bar workflow setup. Audio routing belongs there only when it is a repeated daily friction point, not a one-time curiosity.
Sources checked
- TeenySound claims were checked against the TeenySound homepage and local Swift source for app detection, output-device routing, selected device UIDs, per-device volume memory, Core Audio taps, and permission handling.
- Apple Support: Change the sound output settings on Mac.
- Apple Developer Documentation: Capturing system audio with Core Audio taps.
- TeenyApps: Mac menu bar workflow setup.
Give each audio app its own route.
teenysound gives each audio app its own volume slider, mute control, and output route. Native Mac app, $9.99 once, 3-day trial.