Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ballad?
Ballad is a native macOS menu bar mixer for per-app volume control. It can lower, raise, or mute an individual app without changing the global system volume. Apps appear while they are actively producing audio.
What macOS version does Ballad require?
Ballad requires macOS 15.0 or newer and a standard Core Audio output device.
Why does Ballad ask for audio capture permission?
Ballad uses macOS Core Audio process taps to capture an app’s audio stream, apply your volume choice, and route the result to your output device. This is audio capture from processes, not microphone recording. Samples are handled locally in memory and discarded after playback.
Does Ballad require kernel extensions, drivers, or Accessibility access?
No. Ballad is a sandboxed Mac App Store app. It does not install kernel extensions, system audio drivers, background daemons, Accessibility overrides, or global event taps.
Does Ballad support global hotkeys?
No. The menu bar popover is Ballad’s control surface. It does not register global keyboard hooks.
Why is an app missing from the mixer?
Start playback in the app, then open Ballad or use Refresh. Ballad filters helper processes, plugins, system sounds, and background services from the list.
What settings does Ballad save?
Ballad saves local preferences such as per-app volume, mute state, appearance, and launch-at-login. Reset Saved Mixer State clears per-app volume and mute data while keeping appearance and startup preferences.
Is Ballad open source?
No. Ballad is proprietary software distributed through the Mac App Store.
What is Ballad’s Privacy Policy?
Read the Ballad Privacy Policy for local audio processing, preferences, and network behavior.