Requirements
- macOS 15.0 or newer.
- A Mac with standard Core Audio output.
- Ballad is distributed as a sandboxed Mac App Store app.
Install
Ballad is live on the Mac App Store.
Download Ballad: Ballad - Per-App Volume Mixer
First launch
- Click the Ballad icon in the menu bar.
- Allow macOS audio-capture permission when prompted. Ballad uses Core Audio process taps, not the microphone.
- Start playback in an app you want to control.
- Open the Ballad popover and adjust that app’s volume or mute state.
Menu bar workflow
Ballad lives in the menu bar. Click the icon to open the mixer, drag sliders to set per-app volume, use the speaker button to mute an app, and close the popover when done. Changes apply in real time.
Only apps that are actively playing audio appear in the list. If an app is silent, paused, or only running in the background, it may not appear until playback starts.
The small meter under each app name shows recent audio activity. It is only a visual level meter; Ballad does not record, save, or transmit audio.
Preferences
Open Ballad Preferences from the app’s settings window to manage:
- Open Ballad at Login: start Ballad automatically when you sign in.
- Appearance: follow the system appearance or force light/dark mode.
- Remember mute state across launches: keep muted apps muted after relaunch, or always start unmuted.
- Reset Saved Mixer State: clear saved per-app volume and mute settings while keeping appearance and startup preferences.
Sandbox and security
Ballad does not install kernel extensions, background daemons, Accessibility overrides, or global hotkey listeners. It uses macOS 15 Core Audio process taps inside the App Sandbox and routes audio locally through your current output device.
More detail in the Ballad FAQ.