Per-App Volume Control on Windows: Full Guide (2026)
YouTube can blare over a song that was already at a comfortable level. Discord can sit on top of a game in the same way. Windows already has a Volume Mixer for each app that is playing. SoundSplit gives each of those apps a slider it can remember.
SoundSource is a Mac app for this same job. The Mac to Windows guide lists tools people often replace on the way over.
The Windows Volume Mixer
Windows 11 hides the per-app sliders a few clicks in from the speaker icon. Here is the per-app screen the PC already has for you.
- Click the speaker icon with the right mouse button in the tray.
- Choose Open Volume Mixer from the menu on that speaker icon.
- You can also press Windows + I, then open System, Sound, and Volume Mixer.
The Volume Mixer lists apps that are playing audio, each with a slider. Reaching the Volume Mixer still takes several clicks inside Windows Settings. The slider you set for an app does not always remain after a restart. Browser audio shows up as the browser, not as the single tab. There is no hotkey in these Volume Mixer steps for one app.
SoundSplit
SoundSplit gives each playing app a volume slider of its own. It can remember the level you chose for that app later on. SoundSplit changes how loud each app is on the output you already selected. It does not move Discord to headphones and the game to speakers.
- Download PeakFlow Setup 1.6.5 for Windows.
- That Windows installer for version 1.6.5 is a 134 MB file.
- Run the installer, then open SoundSplit from inside PeakFlow.
- Play audio in two different apps on the desktop at once.
- Move the slider for the app you want louder or quieter.
- Leave the sliders at the levels you want for those apps.
- SoundSplit can remember those levels the next time the app plays.
PeakFlow is six tools in one Windows installer. You can turn SoundSplit off without removing the other five tools. The six tools have no time limit on Windows. A 14-day Pro trial comes included with the PeakFlow download. There is no account and no telemetry on the free tools. Other Windows apps are gathered in a roundup on this site.
PeakFlow for Windows
Download the PeakFlow installer for Windows to get a slider for each app.
Download PeakFlowEarTrumpet
EarTrumpet is a separate tray app you install from the Microsoft Store. It shows a slider for each app that is playing sound. SoundSplit is in the PeakFlow installer. It can remember the level you set for each app. Use EarTrumpet when you only want that tray slider. Use SoundSplit when you already run the other PeakFlow tools and you want the level remembered.
Side by side
| Feature | Windows Mixer | EarTrumpet | SoundSplit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-app volume control | Yes, a slider per playing app | Yes, a slider per playing app | Yes, a slider per playing app |
| System tray access | Speaker icon, or Settings | Opens from the tray | Opens with the other PeakFlow tools |
| One-click muting | Move the slider down | A slider for the playing app | Move the slider down |
| Volume memory | Windows does not always keep the level | Depends on the EarTrumpet version you installed | Can remember the level |
| Per-app device routing | Use Settings, System, Sound for an output device | Not a SoundSplit job | No. Each app gets a volume, not its own speaker. |
| Installation | Built in | Microsoft Store | PeakFlow installer |
| Resource usage | Included with Windows | A separate app | Inside the PeakFlow installer |
| Price | No time limit | No time limit | No time limit on the six tools |
Common mixes
Gaming and voice chat
Move the game slider down, not the slider for voice chat. You can still hear the voices without the game sitting on top of them.
Music under voice chat
During a video call, lower only the music slider on your PC. The call slider can stay up where you already put it.
Several clips at once
Keep the browser quieter than the editor on the same PC. The editor slider can stay up for the whole edit on screen.
Chimes and audio
Set Slack or Teams lower than the audio you are already hearing. The chime still plays under the clip you already chose to hear.
One output device
SoundSplit changes loudness for each app on the speakers or headphones already selected. It does not give Discord one device and the game another.
More details
Is a per-app slider already built into Windows 11 for you?
Yes. Open it from the speaker icon by choosing Open Volume Mixer there. You can also open Settings, then System, then Sound, then Volume Mixer.
Does SoundSplit remember the level you set for each playing app?
SoundSplit can remember the level you set for each app on Windows. The Windows mixer does not always keep that level after a restart.
Can SoundSplit send each app to a different speaker on Windows?
SoundSplit gives each app a volume slider on the output you already chose. This article does not move one app to headphones and another to speakers.
Do the Windows mixer levels remain after you restart the PC?
Not always. Windows does not promise that an app slider stays where you left it. SoundSplit can remember the level you set for that app.
How do SoundSplit and EarTrumpet differ for a listener on Windows?
SoundSplit is in the PeakFlow installer and can remember the level you set for each app. EarTrumpet is a Store app with a slider for each playing app. Use EarTrumpet for that tray slider alone. Use SoundSplit when you want the level remembered beside the other PeakFlow tools.
What do Mac users often open instead of these Windows tools?
SoundSource is a Mac app for per-app volume on that system. The Mac to Windows guide lists tools people often replace on the way over.
Does SoundSplit have a hotkey for the volume slider?
The Windows mixer opens from the speaker icon or from Settings on the PC. SoundSplit has no default hotkey for the volume slider.
What apps show up in the Windows Volume Mixer on your PC?
The Volume Mixer lists apps that are playing audio through Windows. SoundSplit gives those same apps a volume slider of their own.