BetterAudio

BetterAudio is a macOS menu bar application that provides detailed control over the system's audio devices. The app allows you to switch input and output devices, manage volume, view current playback, and configure global keyboard shortcuts from a convenient menu bar item.

★★★★★

5.0(2 ratings)

• Quick mute from the menu bar. The app includes a menu bar icon that, when clicked, instantly mutes the system microphone. This action changes the icon to reflect the mute status, providing immediate visual confirmation.
• Differentiated status icons for the microphone. BetterAudio displays distinct menu bar icons to indicate whether the microphone is active, muted, or in a forced mute state. This visual representation lets you know the input audio status without needing to open additional menus.
• 'Now Playing' section. A section within the dropdown menu shows the audio track currently playing in the selected media player. It displays the track title, artist, and album, along with a playback progress bar.
• Customizable track change notifications. The app can display a visual on-screen notification every time the track playing in the configured player changes. The user can adjust the duration and position of this notification.
• Forced media key routing. This feature intercepts media key presses (play/pause, next, previous, volume) and directs them exclusively to a specific player application, such as Spotify or Apple Music. This allows you to control that player even when it's not in the foreground.
• Volume key redirection. Allows the physical keyboard's volume keys to control the audio level of the designated media player, instead of the system master volume. System and player volume management are kept separate.
• Quick audio device switching. From the dropdown menu, the user can select and switch between all input (microphones) and output (speakers, headphones) devices available on the system with a single click, without accessing System Preferences.
• Filterable list of available devices. Shows a comprehensive list of all audio devices recognized by the system. The user can hide or blacklist devices they don't want to see in the menu, such as virtual outputs or unused inputs.
• System volume adjustment from the menu bar. Includes sliders within the dropdown menu to precisely adjust the system's master output volume and microphone input volume, eliminating the need to open Control Center or Preferences.
• Customizable visual indicators (HUD). BetterAudio displays overlay graphic indicators on the screen for events like volume changes, microphone muting, or key routing status. The user can configure their position, display duration, and appearance.
• Global keyboard shortcut configuration. Allows assigning custom keyboard shortcuts to actions like switching to the next output device, muting the microphone, or activating a silence mode. These shortcuts work globally throughout the system.
• 'Push to Talk' mode. Allows you to configure a specific key that, while held down, temporarily unmutes the microphone. Releasing the key returns the microphone to its previous muted state, useful for communications in conferences or games.
• Menu item customization. The user determines which components appear in the app's dropdown menu. You can choose to show or hide the 'Now Playing' section, volume sliders for specific devices, or mute buttons.
• Priority output cycling. Allows you to define an ordered list of preferred output devices. When activating a configured keyboard shortcut, the system cyclically switches between the devices on this list in the specified order, skipping unwanted ones.

Development of BetterAudio began in 2021. The program was created by the developer known as rokartur. The application is primarily written in the Swift programming language, leveraging native macOS frameworks for system integration and audio APIs.

Alternatives to BetterAudio:

FineTune

FineTune is a macOS utility that resides in the menu bar.

Price: Free   Size: 4.44 MB   Version: 1.3.1   OS: MacOS