SoundSource Release Notes

SoundSource 5.7.5

Released on December 5, 2024

  • ARK Plugin Updated to 12.1
    The ARK plugin, which powers SoundSource’s audio handling, has been updated to version 12.1. With this update, SoundSource’s audio capture behaves better with Airfoil, Audio Hijack, and Piezo, by allowing them to get audio first. An issue with channel mapping for devices with more than one stream group has also been fixed.

  • Input metering now always correctly deactivates when SoundSource’s main window is closed.

  • Excluding a process will now once again correctly exclude its sub-processes.

  • When another process is capturing system audio, SoundSource now intelligently disables its own audio processing to avoid doubled audio playback. For more details, see this Knowledge Base article.

  • A bug where input metering would remain active until quitting SoundSource has been corrected.

  • Applications are now correctly excluded at all times, including when sending audio to secondary output devices. This avoids an undesirable doubling/echoing effect.

  • The Latency setting now has better VoiceOver access, using Quick Nav.

  • VoiceOver readings will no longer be negatively affected when changing the latency setting.

  • SoundSource 5.7.5 Is for MacOS 14.5 and Higher
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.7.4Full Support for MacOS 15

Released on November 14, 2024

  • Full Support for MacOS 15 (Sequoia)
    SoundSource now offers full support for MacOS 15 (Sequoia), with no known incompatibilities.

  • ARK Plugin Updated to 12.0.9
    The ARK plugin, which powers SoundSource’s audio handling, has been updated to version 12.0.9, with many optimizations and improvements to audio handling.

  • Cross-compatibility with Loopback has been improved. SoundSource can now properly redirect audio to Loopback virtual audio devices. You can also reliably use a Loopback device as your Mac’s default output.

  • Issues where the initial portion of short audio such as interface sound effects and VoiceOver audio could be slightly clipped have been resolved.

  • Distortion is no longer introduced when playing audio to mono speakers (such as some Bluetooth headsets).

  • When AirPods or Beats headphones are receiving audio with the “Head Tracked” spatial audio option enabled, SoundSource now disables its audio processing to avoid distortion caused by a bug in MacOS. For more details, see this Knowledge Base article.

  • A crash which could occur when a device changed its configuration has now been fixed.

  • SoundSource now properly scrolls when the Sources or Effects list is larger than the window.

  • CPU usage has been optimized, with spikes no longer occuring when showing or hiding SoundSource.

  • The “Finder” special source will no longer incorrectly receive audio when previewing inside another app’s “Open” dialog.

  • It is no longer possible for VoiceOver users to accidentally, and irreversibly, remove system audio devices from SoundSource’s interface.

  • Adjustments have been made to better handle applications using audio devices in exclusive (“hog”) mode. For the best possible results, be sure you’re also running MacOS 15.1 or higher.

  • SoundSource 5.7.4 Is for MacOS 14.5 and Higher
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.7.3

Released on October 24, 2024

  • Substantial Improvements When Using AirPods
    This update works notably better with AirPods and Beats headphones, solving issues which may have been seen with SoundSource 5.7.0 through 5.7.2. In particular, auto-switching should now work as expected in all scenarios. Audio latency with playback in non-Safari web browsers has been reduced.

  • ARK Plugin Updated to 12.0.7
    The ARK plugin, which powers SoundSource’s audio handling, has been updated to 12.0.7 with updates to work better with AirPods.

  • Muted application sources once again correctly report their active state and appear in the menu bar as expected. This corrects a regression introduced in 5.7.2.

  • Adjustments have been made to ensure SoundSource operates as expected with devices operating at ultra-high sample rates (over 192 kHz).

  • When hidden, SoundSource once again correctly yields its focus to the previously activated application. Menu bar-only apps are tricky!

  • Previously, if “Super Volume Keys” was enabled, pressing the TouchID button could unexpectedly fail to lock a Mac or put it to sleep in some cases. That is now true in no cases. In other words, it works as you’d expect. Woo-hoo!

  • Inconsistencies between the “Add Favorite” menu and items in the “Excluded Applications” list have been corrected.

  • The optional “Accessibility” permission once again opens the correct tab in the “Settings” window, showing the “Super Volume Keys” setting in the “General” tab. As well, the checkbox for that setting now behaves as expected in all circumstances.

  • This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.7.2

Released on October 10, 2024

  • A New “Exclude” List
    SoundSource now offers an “Excluded Applications” list to troubleshoot issues and incompatibilities. It can be found in the “Audio” tab of the “Settings” window. When an app is added to this list, SoundSource will no longer have any impact on its audio. That avoids the addition of any latency, but also prevents SoundSource from adjusting the application's volume control or applying audio effects to it.

    Few users should need the “Excluded Applications” list, but it's now available if necessary.

  • Improvements for AirPods and Other Bluetooth Devices
    Additional improvements have been made for a better experience when using Bluetooth audio devices, including Apple’s AirPods.

  • ARK Plugin Updated to 12.0.6
    The ARK plugin, which powers SoundSource’s audio handling, has been updated to 12.0.6. This update prevents unintended auto-switching to AirPods, avoids leaking non-stereo channels to Apple Studio Displays, and fixes an issue where secondary device channels might be unexpectedly muted.

  • Optimizations have been made to reduce SoundSource’s CPU usage. Further improvements will be seen when running on MacOS 15.1 or higher.

  • SoundSource now works as expected with Apple’s “Screen Sharing” app.

  • SoundSource now works better with processes that are accessing hardware using exclusive (“hog”) mode.

  • Improvements have been made to speed up sample rate changes and switching devices.

  • A bug where SoundSource could mute all channels of a multi-channel device while running has been squashed.

  • Previously, when the “Sound Effects” device matched the current “System” output, muting of sound effects would fail. Now, it works. Cool.

  • SoundSource will no longer interfere with the Command + Option + Eject shortcut to put a machine to sleep, fixing an issue which could previously occur when Super Volume Keys (SVK) is enabled.

  • SoundSource no longer unnecessarily captures audio from hidden devices. This fixes an incompatibility with processing from applications such as Krisp.

  • Pinned effects windows will now correctly stay in their initial space, rather than appearing in all spaces.

  • The VoiceOver ducking preference is no longer incorrectly overridden by SoundSource.

  • The initial VoiceOver reading when focusing on a source now mentions the source name, rather than the selected device.

  • Latency when switching devices has been greatly reduced.

  • SoundSource 5.7.2 Is for MacOS 14.5 and Higher
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.7.1Requires MacOS 14.5 or Higher

Released on September 20, 2024

  • Substantial Improvements With Bluetooth Audio Devices
    Audio playback to Bluetooth audio devices should be greatly improved, fixing regressions introduced in SoundSource 5.7.0:

        • The accuracy of audio/video sync has been greatly improved, with latency to Bluetooth devices reduced by several hundred milliseconds.

        • Redirecting of application-specific audio to Bluetooth devices now works as expected.

        • Audio dropouts will no longer occur after playing and pausing audio to Bluetooth devices.

  • Application-specific audio being routed to the system’s default output is once again correctly adjusted with digital volume control and effects processing, correcting a regression introduced in 5.7.0.

  • Software volume control for devices using SoundSource’s “Super Volume Keys” is once again correctly applied to redirected audio sent to the default device, as well as to VoiceOver audio. This corrects regressions introduced in 5.7.0.

  • SoundSource no longer captures the output of SoundID, which means the two apps can be used together in peace and harmony.

  • The “Sound Effects” meter can once again be disabled by Control-clicking it and selecting “Disable Metering”.

  • Assorted refinements have been made to the metering settings, which can be accessed by Control-clicking a meter in SoundSource’s main window.

  • SoundSource 5.7.1 Is for MacOS 14.5 and Higher
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.7.0Requires MacOS 14.5 or Higher

Released on September 16, 2024

  • A Powerful New Audio Capture Backend
    SoundSource now uses a new audio capture backend called Audio Routing Kit (ARK), as well as a new ARK plugin, for all audio handling. Thanks to ARK and the ARK plugin, SoundSource can be set up on a new Mac in seconds, with no restarts nor configuration changes necessary.

  • Preliminary Support for MacOS 15 (Sequoia) Betas
    SoundSource will now run on MacOS 15 (Sequoia), with no known issues at present. Do note that Apple’s OS betas remain in flux. To avoid problems, we always encourage users to stick with Apple’s official (non-beta) OS releases.

  • A new “Text to Speech” Special Source
    A new “Text to Speech” special source has been added on MacOS 14.5 and up. This source captures from apps which do not play text-to-speech audio (which can be triggered by the “Start Speaking” command in the “Speech” menu) via their own process.

  • Updated “Permissions” Window
    The “Permissions” window has been substantially updated, to handle installation of the ARK plugin and enabling of the “System Audio Access” and “Microphone Access” permissions. These permissions enable you to use SoundSource to control audio from applications you specify. Accessibility improvements have also been made.

  • Erroneous Microphone-In-Use Indicators, Begone!
    Previously, when SoundSource was playing audio to a device that also has input channels or capturing from any application on MacOS 14.2 and higher, MacOS would erroneously display its orange microphone-in-use indicator. With changes to SoundSource’s audio capture backend, that is no longer the case, and we’re very glad about it.

  • Improvements to Special Sources
    The “Siri” special source now correctly includes sound effects on MacOS 14 (Sonoma), and the “VoiceOver” special source has been optimized to capture only necessary processes.

  • SoundSource now properly identifies all models of AirPods Pro 2, including those with a USB-C charging case.

  • JSON-based “AutoEq” profiles, such as those that are bundled with SoundSource, can now be manually imported via “Add Other Profile...” in the “Headphone EQ” effect’s popup menu.

  • The search field in the “Add Effect” popup menu now gains automatic focus for keyboard entry, making finding a particular effect even faster.

  • If you’re running the latest version of SoundSource when you check for an update, the resulting information screen now provides a helpful “View Release Notes” button.

  • Bluetooth devices no longer display old/stale names, instead using the most up-to-date name available. Did you know you can rename your AirPods? Now you do!

  • Speaking of AirPods, an issue where they might occasionally fail to appear in the “Awaiting Connection…” section of the output device selector has been corrected.

  • An issue where Bluetooth devices could stay in duplex mode, resulting in lower quality audio, has been corrected by making improvements to device metering.

  • Choosing not to allow Bluetooth access in the initial “Permissions” window will no longer incorrectly result in a permissions request due to a Bluetooth audio device being connected.

  • The license unlock sound now plays via the “systemsoundserverd” process, which correctly respects the system’s alert volume and device preference.

  • The “Sources” menu has been updated to alphabetize using the on-disk name, which ensures apps like “Ableton Live” appear where you’d expect.

  • A MacOS 14 (Sonoma) issue where SoundSource could fail to display as expected in full-screen mode has been corrected.

  • Parts of SoundSource, including the “Settings” window, will no longer incorrectly follow the system’s accent color when the “Follow System ‘Accent’ Color” setting is turned off.

  • Secondary windows (such as “About”, “Settings”, and “License”) should no longer be hidden behind windows of other apps. They can now properly be brought them to the front.

  • The “Headphone EQ” profile selection panel will now work as expected when running “Default Folder X”.

  • A resource leak which could cause “coreaudiod” to use large amounts of memory in rare situations has been fixed.

  • A performance issue caused by plugin views not being cleared when a plugin window was closed has been corrected.

  • SoundSource will now properly track name changes to applications, and display the latest name.

  • When multiple identical devices are found, SoundSource now correctly displays the full device name (including number) in all locations.

  • AU Instruments no longer incorrectly show in the “Add Effects” menu.

  • Incompatible (unsigned) plugins will no longer get stuck validating in a modal session. Previously, this prevented other user interface interactions.

  • The “Youlean Audio Over Network” effect now remains active when its window is closed, allowing it remain connected to its host app.

  • SoundSource now offers improved Audio Unit compatibility, resolving previously encountered issues with Slate VSX, Tone Projects Kelvin, and others.

  • Using the “Factory Reset” option in the “Debugging” window now correctly visually updates the “Hidden Settings” section.

  • A new “Uninstall ARK Plugin…” button is now available from the “Debugging” window, to force the removal of the ARK plugin that powers SoundSource’s audio capture. As well, the “Uninstall ACE…” button will now only appear in the “Debugging” window if ACE is currently installed.

  • By default, Input meters in both the main window and the menu bar will no longer display levels when the microphone is not otherwise in use, a setting we call “passive metering”. This means the meters will show as disabled when no other application is accessing them. Once another application accesses the microphone, SoundSource’s meters will reflect activity. It is possible to restore the former “active metering” behavior, by Control-clicking on the input device’s meter and selecting “Active” from the pop-up menu.

  • Due to changes made by Apple to MacOS, software volume control of input devices is sadly no longer possible. When an input device does not support volume control, the volume slider will now show as disabled. When an input device does not support muting, the mute control will now show as disabled.

  • Updates have been made to SoundSource’s “Latency” setting, removing the “Automatic” setting, as the underlying capture technology no longer supports this mode of operation.

  • The Options (Gear) menu now includes an “Uninstall SoundSource…” option in the “Help” sub-menu. This option will remove the installed backend components, after which you can delete SoundSource.

  • The name of the “Background Sound” special source has been corrected to “Background Sounds”.

  • “System Preferences” are now correctly referred to as “System Settings” in the “Appearance” settings.

  • The menu bar warning icon shown when SoundSource’s trial limitations are reached is now clearer and more legible.

  • SoundSource’s “About” box now shows the details about the audio engine it’s using.

  • SoundSource now includes an automated re-downloader, to ensure you have the proper variant for your MacOS version.

  • SoundSource 5.7.0 Is for MacOS 14.5 and Higher
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 14.5 and higher. On MacOS 11 through 14.4.1, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.6.4For MacOS 11 through MacOS 14.4.1

Released on September 16, 2024

  • SoundSource now properly identifies all models of AirPods Pro 2, including those with a USB-C charging case.

  • JSON-based “AutoEq” profiles, such as those that are bundled with SoundSource, can now be manually imported via “Add Other Profile...” in the “Headphone EQ” effect’s popup menu.

  • The search field in the “Add Effect” popup menu now gains automatic focus for keyboard entry, making finding a particular effect even faster.

  • The “Siri” special source has been updated to work as expected on all releases of MacOS 14 (Sonoma).

  • Bluetooth devices no longer display old/stale names, instead using the most up-to-date name available. Did you know you can rename your AirPods? Now you do!

  • Speaking of AirPods, an issue where they might occasionally fail to appear in the “Awaiting Connection…” section of the output device selector has been corrected.

  • An issue where Bluetooth devices could stay in duplex mode, resulting in lower quality audio, has been corrected by making improvements to device metering.

  • Choosing not to allow Bluetooth access in the initial “Permissions” window will no longer incorrectly result in a permissions request due to a Bluetooth audio device being connected.

  • The “Sources” menu has been updated to alphabetize using the on-disk name, which ensures apps like “Ableton Live” appear where you’d expect.

  • A MacOS 14 (Sonoma) issue where SoundSource could fail to display as expected in full-screen mode has been corrected.

  • Secondary windows (such as “About”, “Settings”, and “License”) should now longer be hidden behind window of other apps, with no ability to bring them to the front.

  • The “Headphone EQ” profile selection panel will now work as expected when running “Default Folder X”.

  • A resource leak which could cause “coreaudiod” to use large amounts of memory in rare situations has been fixed.

  • A performance issue caused by plugin views not being cleared when closing a plugin window has been corrected.

  • SoundSource will now properly track name changes to applications, and display the latest name.

  • When multiple identical devices are found, SoundSource now correctly displays the full device name (including number) in all locations.

  • AU Instruments no longer incorrectly show in the “Add Effects” menu.

  • Incompatible (unsigned) plugins will no get stuck validating in a modal session. Previously, this prevented other user interface interactions.

  • The “Youlean Audio Over Network” effect now remains active when its window is closed, allowing it remain connected to its host app.

  • The name of the “Background Sound” special source has been corrected to “Background Sounds”.

  • On MacOS 13 and higher, “System Preferences” are now correctly referred to as “System Settings” in the “Appearance” settings.

  • The menu bar warning icon shown when SoundSource’s trial limitations are reached is now clearer and more legible.

  • SoundSource’s “About” box now shows the details about the audio engine it’s using.

  • SoundSource now includes an automated re-downloader, to ensure you have the proper variant for your MacOS version.

  • SoundSource 5.6.4 Is for MacOS 11 through MacOS 14.4.1
    This variant of SoundSource supports MacOS 11 through MacOS 14.4.1. On MacOS 14.5 and higher, a different variant is automatically used, with no action required on your part.

SoundSource 5.6.3

Released on October 19, 2023

  • Further Improvements in ACE 11.9.6
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.9.6, with small improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • Audio Unit plugins will no longer unexpectedly reset SoundSource’s audio processing latency (configured in the “Audio” tab of SoundSource’s Settings) to “Automatic”.

  • Performance after closing plugin windows has been improved.

  • A rare crash which could occur when metering audio while the system’s “coreaudiod” was restarted has been fixed.

  • The celebratory sound effect heard when unlocking SoundSource will now correctly play through the Mac’s configured “Sound Effects” device. After all, sound effects play through a separately configured output in MacOS.

SoundSource 5.6.2Full Support for MacOS 14

Released on October 3, 2023

  • Full Support for MacOS 14 (Sonoma)
    SoundSource now has full compatibility with MacOS 14 (Sonoma), with no known issues.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9.5
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.9.5, with small improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • SoundSource will now launch and run as expected on MacOS 14.1.

  • SoundSource now correctly targets audio from the “Playgrounds” app, as well as its ExecutionExtension sub-process.

  • A rare issue where SoundSource’s popover could get stuck between multiple monitors has been fixed.

  • An erroneous error message when deleting presets from built-in (non-Audio Unit) effects has been corrected.

  • It’s now possible to Control-click in the “Name” and “Code” fields of the “License” window, making it possible to copy and paste in data.

SoundSource 5.6.1Initial Support for MacOS 14

Released on September 15, 2023

  • Initial Support for MacOS 14 (Sonoma)
    SoundSource now has initial compatibility with the forthcoming MacOS 14 (Sonoma), with no known issues.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9.4
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.9.4, with compatibility for MacOS 14 (Sonoma), correct capture of audio from Xcode Playgrounds, and many smaller improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • New “Permissions” Window
    SoundSource’s Options (Gear) menu now includes a new “Permissions” window, to easily enable permissions for the app. The “Accessibility Access” permission is needed for the handy “Super Volume Keys” feature to function. When running MacOS 14 or higher, the “Bluetooth Access” permission is needed to provide the optimal experience with Bluetooth audio devices and your Mac.

  • The Headphone EQ and 10-Band EQ effects now use 64-bit signal processing, ensuring the cleanest audio pathway possible.

  • SoundSource will now consistently detect applications run through the latest version of CrossOver.

  • An issue where certain games launched by Steam would have their audio processing duplicated has been corrected.

  • A rare crash which could occur with certain USB devices when waking the Mac from sleep has been fixed.

  • The menu bar muting feature while the main window is open will no longer cause expanded source sections to unexpectedly collapse.

  • The effects list will no longer inadvertently collapse or expand via the left/right arrow shortcuts, avoiding interface issues.

  • The SoundSource window now maintains the correct window level when attached to the menu bar, allowing it to correctly be obscured by VLC when set to “Float on Top”.

  • Clearing an effect’s name can no longer incorrectly result in the effect having no name at all.

  • The VoiceOver readout has been fixed for for generic Audio Unit sliders with a parameter range falling outside of 0 to 1.

  • Minor adjustments have been made to global shortcuts in the “Settings” window, to provide better tooltips and a correct cancel (X) button.

  • Audio Unit plugins built with the iPlug2 SDK, including Neural Amp Modeller, should now have correct mouse responsiveness.

  • A bug that hid the software update progress panel when downloading test releases on unofficially supported operating systems has been corrected.

  • SoundSource’s “About” box now shows the version of MacOS upon which it is currently running.

  • MacOS 11 or higher is now required.
    SoundSource now requires MacOS 11 (Big Sur) or higher. If you're still on 10.15 (or lower), be sure to see our Legacy Software page.

SoundSource 5.6.0

Released on May 23, 2023

  • New “AUSoundIsolation” Effect on MacOS 13
    On MacOS 13 (Ventura), SoundSource now supports the new “AUSoundIsolation” effect, useful for isolating voice from background audio.

  • AutoEq profiles in the Equalizer APO format are now supported by SoundSource.

  • Changes to MacOS’s “Audio Components” folder will no longer result in high CPU usage, even when a significant number of Audio Units are installed on the Mac.

  • Using arrows keys to adjust the “Sound Effects” volume slider now works as expected at all times.

  • VoiceOver can now properly access SoundSource’s secondary menu, ordinarily accessed by Control-clicking the app’s menu bar icon.

SoundSource 5.5.9

Released on April 6, 2023

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9.3
    The ACE audio capture engine has been updated with minor changes.

  • The pinned SoundSource window will no longer incorrectly appear when entering full screen mode in another app, fixing a regression found in version 5.5.8.

  • A rare issue where a change to a system audio device could cause a crash has been corrected.

  • Work has been done to avoid an issue where new ACE installations could incorrectly show an “Almost Ready” screen after restarting.

  • A new “Uninstall ACE…” option has been added to the “Debugging” window, accessible (by holding Option) before the app has fully launched.

SoundSource 5.5.8

Released on February 28, 2023

  • The volume setting will no longer be incorrectly altered after lowering the “Volume Overdrive” multipler.

  • SoundSource now correctly saves presets for Audio Unit plugins even when the preset folder does not yet exist.

  • An issue where SoundSource could crash when it was added or removed from MacOS’s “Login Items” has been fixed.

  • A rare crash which could occur when a single audio effect was used by multiple audio sources at once has been fixed.

  • A crash which could occur when entering a number while the balance slider was focused has been fixed.

  • SoundSource now maintains its pinned position when an another app becomes full screen.

  • Inconsistencies with the behavior of the volume slider control found in “Volume Overdrive” have been corrected.

  • To further improve plugin reliability and lower CPU usage, SoundSource now intelligently increases the buffer size used for processing audio when the “Automatic/More Reliable” option is selected in settings/Preferences.

  • When loaded Audio Units are uninstalled while SoundSource is running, an error message will now be shown.

  • A new “Debug Audio Units” hidden preference has been added. It forces plugins to load in-process, for easier debugging by plugin developers. It is not recommended for anyone else.

  • Work has been done to avoid an issue where new ACE installations could incorrectly show an “Almost Ready” screen after restarting.

SoundSource 5.5.7Full Support for MacOS 13

Released on December 19, 2022

  • Full MacOS 13.1 Compatibility
    SoundSource now provides full audio capture on MacOS 13.1, with no known issues.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9.2
    The ACE audio capture engine has been updated to provide full audio capture on MacOS 13.1.

  • SoundSource’s keyboard-based volume adjustments now better match the operating system.

  • A rare crash which could occur when SoundSource launched at login has been fixed.

SoundSource 5.5.6

Released on November 15, 2022

  • New “Background Sound” Special Source
    On MacOS 13 (Ventura), SoundSource’s new “Background Sound” special source makes it possible to adjust audio from this new feature, which can be found in Ventura’s “Accessibility” System Settings.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9.1
    The ACE audio capture engine has been updated with several small bug fixes for improved performance.

  • A meter channel mapping issue which could trigger a coreaudiod crash has been resolved.

  • Several different crashes have been fixed.

  • If the “Check for Test Releases” hidden preference is enabled, checks will now run regardless of the status of the “Software Update” preference/setting.

  • On MacOS 13 (Ventura) and up, SoundSource’s “Preferences” window is now called “Settings”, to match the new MacOS convention. As well, the “System” menu, found in the Options (Gear) menu, now has a renamed “Open Sound Settings” option.

SoundSource 5.5.5Initial Support for MacOS 13

Released on October 19, 2022

  • Initial MacOS 13 (Ventura) Compatibility
    SoundSource now has initial compatibility with MacOS 13 (Ventura), with no known issues.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.9
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.9, with compatibility for MacOS 13 (Ventura) and many improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • Super Volume Keys Improvements
    Performance has been improved, to avoid rare delays when volume keys are pressed very rapidly. As well, SoundSource now recognizes volume events sent by Stream Deck and other keyboard finagling software.

  • SoundSource now properly identifies AirPods Pro 2.

  • Improvements have been made for better volume changes when using the keyboard's number keys. SoundSource now shows the tentative value in italics, but only confirms it once the “Return” key is pressed.

  • SoundSource now better tracks USB devices that morph their configuration.

  • SoundSource now respects system menu bar icon spacing changes made by third-party apps like Bartender.

  • Audio Unit names are now sanitized when created or modified, to ensure they don't become hidden files on disk.

  • Meters will no longer report invalid levels when their target device's sample rate is changed.

  • SoundSource now correctly remembers devices used in Shortcuts between app restarts, and device removals.

  • Improvements have been made to handling plugin window resizing, and generic views for AUGraphicEQ now correctly update their controls when switching between 10 band and 30 band modes.

  • Due to changes made by Apple, the “System Speech” special source is no longer available on MacOS 13 (Ventura). It has been replaced by a “Siri” special source (combining the system’s com.apple.speech.speechsynthesisd process which provides Siri’s spoken word audio with the assistantd hidden process which provides its sound effects) as well as a “VoiceOver” special source (combining the system’s com.apple.speech.speechsynthesisd process which provides VoiceOver’s spoken accessibility hints and the VoiceOver process which provides its sound effects). “Text to Speech” audio can now be captured on a per-application basis, by targeting the application where the text is being spoken.

  • SoundSource now requires MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) or higher. If you’re still on 10.14 (or lower), be sure to see our Legacy Software page.

SoundSource 5.5.4

Released on July 28, 2022

  • Improvements in ACE 11.8.3
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.8.3, with further improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • The “Get Devices” Shortcut will now correctly list all available input devices.

  • Piezo will no longer incorrectly appear as an input device for SoundSource. That was weird and wrong!

  • A bug which could cause some Audio Unit plugins to fail to load, or crash, has been squashed.

  • Software Update checks now occur only after the Welcome Window has been closed.

SoundSource 5.5.3

Released on June 24, 2022

  • Critical Update to ACE
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.8.2, to fix a regression introduced in 11.8.1 which could cause a problematic memory leak when using meters.

SoundSource 5.5.2

Released on June 23, 2022

  • Updates to ACE 11.8.1
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.8.1, with several improvements for even more reliable audio capture. CPU usage has been reduced in many common audio flows, clock synchronization across devices has been improved, and persistent device tracking has been improved.

  • Factory Presets for Audio Units
    SoundSource now correctly displays factory presets for third-party Audio Units which include them.

  • SoundSource now properly handles situations where capturing high sample rate audio streams could time out and reset, avoiding choppy or distorted audio.

  • SoundSource now better determines what process is playing audio, fixing a bug which would cause apps like GOG or Steam to incorrectly appear as the source of audio for games they were launching.

  • A bug where high sample rate audio would fail to be processed by SoundSource, or could audibly distort, has been fixed.

  • The main SoundSource window will no longer get stuck between displays when opened using the global hotkey.

  • In certain configurations with high sample rates and high buffer sizes, the “More Reliable” Latency mode could actually wind up being less reliable. This has been fixed, and “More Reliable” is now correctly more reliable in all cases.

  • Logging for issues related to high CPU usage has been improved.

SoundSource 5.5.1

Released on May 17, 2022

  • Fix for Presets-Related Launch Issues
    In rare setups with saved presets for certain Audio Units, a bug introduced in SoundSource 5.5 could prevent the app from launching. The bug has been exterminated with much vengeance.

  • Clicking the first band of AUNBandEQ will no longer lead to a non-responsive UI, fixing a regression introduced in SoundSource 5.5.0.

SoundSource 5.5.0

Released on May 16, 2022

  • Shortcuts Support Comes to SoundSource
    On MacOS 12 (Monterey) and higher, SoundSource now offers a slew of actions in the Shortcuts app. With them, you can automate many different things, including changing device volumes, setting effect presets, toggling effects processing, and much more.

  • Standard Audio Unit Presets
    SoundSource's saved Audio Unit effects presets can now be read by other applications which support Audio Units. As well, SoundSource will now read presets created by any other applications.

  • Audio Effect Nicknames
    It's now possible to give audio effects custom names. This is especially helpful if you're using multiple effects of the same type. Edit the title of each effect and you'll always know exactly what's what.

  • Improvements in ACE 11.8
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.8.0, with a workaround for issues with FaceTime volume when using the built-in microphone, as well as an improvement in dealing with poorly implemented Audio Units. Tracking of audio device’s sample clocks now works better when the device is providing erroneous information, and CPU usage has been reduced.

  • SoundSource now properly recognizes audio from Stardew Valley, and correctly applies any effects or adjustments.

  • Improvements have been made for using the “Listento” effect from Audiomovers with SoundSource.

  • A graphical glitch which could occur when dragging plugin windows has been fixed.

  • A rare crash which could occur when an application's bundle identifier changes has been corrected.

  • “Volume Overdrive” now correctly appears at the end of the built-in effects list, not the beginning.

  • On MacOS 12 (Monterey) and MacOS 11 (Big Sur), visuals in various places throughout the app are now being provided by SF Symbols.

  • A small change has been made to the wording of the “Super Volume Keys” preference.

  • When the full version of SoundSource has been unlocked, the “License” window now subtly shows the application's version number.

  • Fussy typography improvements have been made to the mailing list sign-up window shown at the fifth launch for new users, as well as the “Release Notes” window shown at the first launch of a new version, which you might be looking at right now!

SoundSource 5.3.11

Released on March 10, 2022

  • Magic Boost Fix
    Changing frame sizes will no longer cause distorted audio when using the “Magic Boost” effect, fixing a regression found in SoundSource 5.3.10.

  • Audio Units Again Load Properly on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave)
    An issue where Audio Unit effects would fail to load on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) has been corrected, fixing a regression found in SoundSource 5.3.10.

  • SoundSource now better handles instances where an application's bundle identifier changes. This fixes an acute issue with “Mumble”, and will avoid future issues.

  • An issue where volume adjustments could be less noticeable than expected has been fixed, with the traditional exponential volume curve once again being properly applied.

  • After accessing SoundSource's alternate menu by Control-clicking, the menu bar icon will no longer incorrectly disappear on MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) and MacOS 10.14 (Mojave).

  • The “Latency” slider in Preferences now draws properly on MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) and MacOS 10.14 (Mojave).

  • When using the “Quit and Relaunch for Debugging” option, SoundSource now better saves its state.

SoundSource 5.3.10

Released on March 3, 2022

  • Updates to ACE 11.7.8
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7.8, with several small improvements for even more reliable audio capture, particularly when using Bluetooth audio devices.

  • Improvements for Problematic Third-Party Audio Effects
    SoundSource's plugin hosting service now relaunches more reliably in the event that a plugin crashes, and also handles frequent crashes of plugins more gracefully.

  • Support for EVE Online
    SoundSource now properly recognizes audio from EVE Online, and correctly applies any effects or adjustments.

  • Sound effects played by MacOS's “VoiceOver” source can now be adjusted, as it is no longer on the internal Ignore list.

  • Several improvements have been made to the generic interfaces for Audio Units:

        • Controls which alter the interface, such as the band-count selector in “AUGraphicEQ”, now work as expected

        • Various controls are now properly aligned.

        • Scrolling on sliders now works as expected, to move the slider knob left or right.

        • Finally, option-clicking an effect no longer does a one-time generic load.

  • The loading timeout for Audio Unit plugins has been increased, to avoid issues with the iLok license manager being slow to load.

  • Rare audio clicks which could occur at the start of sound playback when running at higher sample rates have been fixed.

  • A new “Force software volume control” Hidden Preference has been added, to provide software volume control to devices that inaccurately claim to allow volume adjustment.

  • The “Help” button in SoundSource's “Audio” Preferences pane now points to a specific Knowledge Base article, rather than the app manual.

SoundSource 5.3.9

Released on January 13, 2022

  • SoundSource now includes AirPods 3-specific art.

  • When the SoundSource window is pinned, clicking the menu bar icon will now reveal it, instead of calling it back to the menu bar.

  • SoundSource's volume sliders have been improved. The slider thumb now dims when the slider is muted. Moving the thumb will cause the slider to unmute.

  • An issue where Firefox audio could appear twice in SoundSource, under a “plugin-container” process, has been rectified.

  • As a result of changes to MacOS, the Shortcuts app erroneously showed non-functional Shortcuts for SoundSource. This has been corrected, and those invalid Shortcuts will no longer appear. We hope to add proper Shortcuts support to SoundSource in the future.

  • In future updates (5.3.9+), SoundSource's update progress bar will no longer float above all windows while your download is in progress.

SoundSource 5.3.8Full Support for MacOS 12

Released on December 9, 2021

  • Full MacOS 12 (Monterey) Compatibility
    SoundSource now has full compatibility with MacOS 12 (Monterey), with no known issues.

  • Updates to ACE 11.7.7
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7.7, with several small improvements for even more reliable audio capture.

  • The (X) control for removing effects in the main window no longer incorrectly dims when an effect is turned off.

  • An issue where application favorite status wasn’t remembered between launches has been corrected.

  • SoundSource now properly closes via its global hotkey while another application is in Full Screen mode.

  • VoiceOver fix: To avoid errantly disabling Voiceover audio, SoundSource now warns when VoiceOver will be muted by clicking on the menu bar meter.

  • VoiceOver fix: VoiceOver navigation will now reliably open app-level effect windows.

  • VoiceOver fix: VoiceOver navigation can now properly access the device-specific contextual menus.

  • The “Finder” source now shows a proper menu bar icon when meters are active.

  • The “loginwindow” and “PowerChime” audio sources (both part of MacOS) are now filtered out of SoundSource.

  • When SoundSource's window is pinned and its shortcut key is pressed, it now does a more logical “Here I Am!” pop to indicate its location.

SoundSource 5.3.7

Released on October 15, 2021

  • MacOS 12 (Monterey) Improvements
    Several small improvements have been made in SoundSource's support for MacOS 12 (Monterey).

  • Updates to ACE 11.7.6
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7.6, with small improvements for MacOS 12 (Monterey), as well as a fix for capture issue with Catalyst-based (and AVFoundation-based) apps.

  • A rare issue where SoundSource's menu bar icon could fail to appear has been corrected.

  • SoundSource's “Unlock” sound (played when a valid license key is entered) now plays at the correct local volume.

SoundSource 5.3.6Initial Support for MacOS 12

Released on September 29, 2021

  • Initial MacOS 12 (Monterey) Compatibility
    SoundSource now has initial compatibility with MacOS 12 (Monterey), with no known issues.

  • New “AirPlay Receiver” Special Source
    A new “AirPlay Receiver” special source has been added on Monterey, making it possible to adjust audio sent to the Mac via AirPlay.

  • Fixes and Improvements in ACE 11.7.3
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7.3, with fixes for several rare issues.

  • When no third-party plugins are being applied, playback latency has been pared down for application sources.

  • VoiceOver improvement: Super Volume Keys will now work as expected for VoiceOver users. Related, the “System Speech” application source no longer incorrectly takes audio effects.

  • VoiceOver fix: The Favorite toggle for applications now correctly announces the “Unfavorite” option.

  • SoundSource's Super Volume Keys feature now works as expected when using MacOS’s Fast User Switching feature.

  • Compatibility with the PSP Microcomp audio unit plugin has been improved.

  • A rare conflict which could cause audio distortion when using Voice Memos with SoundSource and Loopback has been corrected.

  • SoundSource now requires MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) or higher. If you're still on 10.13 (or lower), be sure to see our Legacy Software page.

SoundSource 5.3.5

Released on July 19, 2021

  • Fixes for Multi-Output and Aggregate Devices
    SoundSource will once again correctly redirect audio to multi-output and aggregate devices.

  • It is once again possible to set a Loopback device as the system input or output with SoundSource, avoiding a rare CoreAudio crash.

  • Improvements have been made for better compatibility with the FabFilter effect's full-screen mode.

  • The Help menu has been adjusted so that the “Quit and Relaunch for Debugging” menu item correctly replaces the “Contact Us” option.

SoundSource 5.3.4

Released on June 25, 2021

  • Fixes and Improvements in ACE 11.7.1
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7.1, with fixes for several rare issues.

  • SoundSource's manual is now provided online, rather than being built in to the application. The application's “Help” menu has also been modified and streamlined, to get you assistance as quickly as possible.

  • SoundSource will no longer fail to change devices due to rare problems caused by certain lower-quality USB devices.

  • Using subdevices of aggregate devices with SoundSource should now function as expected.

  • The attack time of the Magic Boost effect has been adjusted, to avoid unwanted audio distortion during voice chats.

  • Plugins which require sample time readings from the plugin host, such as Melodyne and ERA 4 De-Clipper, will now work as expected.

  • 1/4 increments for volume control (Shift+Opt+Volume Up/Volume Down) now work correctly when “Use F1,F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” option is enabled in System Preferences.

  • A never-seen-in-the-wild crash related to channel mapping has been fixed, before it could be seen in the wild.

  • When a log is activated, it will also collect recent crash logs, to better understand any issues.

  • The “Purchase” button in the License window now uses a better link to get to the Buy page.

  • The Update window's width has been tweaked, to handle longer titles.

  • Get Access to Test Builds
    SoundSource now features a new “Check for test releases” hidden preference. When active, you may receive notice of pre-release versions of the software, ahead of its wide release. If you're interested to test updates, you can turn this option on in the Debugging window (accessible by holding option while viewing the “Help” menu, then selecting “Quit and Relaunch for Debugging”).

SoundSource 5.3.3

Released on May 25, 2021

  • Enhancements to SoundSource's Built-In Updating
    SoundSource's updating code has been overhauled and improved. It is now based on Sparkle 1.26.0, with several customizations.

        • To avoid possible issues, SoundSource will no longer offer to “Install on Quit”. Automatic background updating has been removed as well, placing the user in charge of all updates.

        • The update interface has been improved, with several design and text enhancements.

        • Finally, the new “Skip for Now” button allows you to delay updating if desired.

    As always, we strongly recommend leaving the “Automatically check for updates” option enabled.

  • Rare Startup Hang Fixed
    A rare issue where SoundSource could hang at launch due to duplicate device entries has been fixed.

  • AirPlay Bug Fixes
    Corrections have been made to how SoundSource handles AirPlay devices. Per-app output selectors once again correctly exclude the AirPlay output. As well, the AirPlay output will no longer incorrectly appear when Music.app is set to play audio to an AirPlay device.

  • Enhancements have been made to support for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, with custom artwork for each model.

  • SoundSource now only affects input devices when necessary, reducing latency in many scenarios.

  • Improvements have been made for adjusting the audio of iOS apps running on M1 Macs. These apps should no longer appear multiple times in SoundSource's Applications list.

  • Resetting an application's settings (by Control-clicking the application, then selecting the “Reset to Default Settings” option) now correctly resets the state of “Bypass Effects” as well.

  • Volume Overdrive settings are now correctly saved between launches even when the effect is bypassed.

  • Mute buttons have been improved visually, with a new standard “pressed” state.

  • Many debugging improvements have been made:

        • Available logs have been cleaned up.

        • Active logs are now listed in the logging files.

        • Logs are now activated with simple checkboxes.

        • Recent crash logs are now collected alongside with app logs.

        • A “Quit and Relaunch for Debugging” menu option has been added, accessed by pressing the option key while in the Options (Gear) menu.

        • Command-line debugging options have been added.

        • A “Check for test releases” option has been added, enabling you to access pre-release builds when available.

        • A “Short trial mode” option has been added for internal use.

SoundSource 5.3.2

Released on March 10, 2021

  • Major Updates in ACE 11.7
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.7. Its sample rate converter has been upgraded, drift correction has been improved, and several rare issues have been resolved.

  • Modified Popover Behavior Now Better Accomodates Desired On-Screen Layouts
    You can now better control the exact on-screen layout of pinned windows, because SoundSource no longer automatically reattaches pinned windows when they're moved close to their original attachment points. To reattach a pinned window, click the Pin button to unpin it. It will return to its standard location for later access.

  • Better Support for Loopback Virtual Audio Devices
    SoundSource now works better with Loopback virtual audio devices set as the System Output. Audio effects will now work as expected with these virtual devices.

  • Support for Xcode's Simulator
    It's now possible to capture audio from Xcode's Simulator with SoundSource.

  • SoundSource's Magic Boost effect has been tweaked slightly, for even better sound with spoken word audio.

  • If SoundSource is already open, attempting to open it again from the Finder will cause SoundSource's main window to appear.

  • Custom Profiles imported into Headphone EQ now have correct Q values applied. Profiles imported with an older version of SoundSource will be automatically corrected as well.

  • A bug where certain applications (Catalyst apps, as well as iOS apps running on Apple Silicon Macs) could be captured and processed twice has been fixed.

  • Applications which have effects applied to them will no longer have a tiny bit of unprocessed signal heard during initial playback.

  • The Quick Tour now properly supports the new “Speak items under the pointer” setting in MacOS 11 (Big Sur).

  • Improvements have been made for the Installer and Quick Tour, to present better on small resolutions, using scrollbars to make all content accessible.

  • When SoundSource is unlocked by entering a valid license key, in addition to displaying an animation, it will now play a brief celebratory sound for visually impaired users.

SoundSource 5.3.1

Released on February 10, 2021

  • Input Device Monitoring Fix
    SoundSource no longer incorrectly accesses the input device when it is muted. This fixes a regression found in SoundSource 5.3.0 involving menu bar meters.

  • Volume Properly Retained Between Launches for All Devices
    SoundSource once again properly retains volume settings for all devices. This fixes a regression found in SoundSource 5.3.0, which affected devices that require a software volume control, such as those using “Super Volume Keys”.

  • Audio Units will now work correctly at high sample rates, resolving a crackling issue reported by some users.

  • All third-party Audio Units should now load as expected, fixing an issue seen with “Gain” from Kilohearts, as well as “NX Ocean Way” from Waves.

  • The legacy SoundSource icon, accessible from the Debugging window, is once again working as expected. This fixes a regression found in SoundSource 5.3.0.

  • The FX badge, indicating when audio effects are in use, will once again be accurate at all times.

  • Plugin interfaces have been improved to respond as expected on MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and 10.14 (Mojave).

  • Fixes have been made for the highlight on device selectors in Dark Mode.

SoundSource 5.3.0

Released on January 29, 2021

  • ACE Updated to 11.6.3
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.6.3. This update has several fixes, and provides handling for future MacOS updates running on Apple Silicon. M1 Mac users should update immediately.

  • Faster Keyboard Access to Devices and Apps
    When SoundSource's main window is visible, new keyboard shortcuts make it easy to change devices. Command-0 will highlight the Output Device's device selector, while Command-Hyphen (-) highlights the Input Device's selector. Similarly, Command-1 through Command-9 select the output selector for the first 9 Favorited apps.

  • A Useful Effects Bypass Option
    With the new “Bypass Effects” option, effects processing can be disabled for a specified application or output device. This makes it possible to quickly toggle between an active or disabled effects configuration. Control-click an application or the default output device to access “Bypass Effects”, or use the handy keyboard shortcut (Option-Command-B).

  • Manual Profiles for Headphone EQ
    In addition to profiles from the AutoEq library, the “Headphone EQ” effect can now load custom-created profiles, as well as files exported from Room EQ Wizard (REW).

  • Major Updates to Audio Unit Support
    Audio Unit effects are now hosted in a separate process, to avoid crashes caused by misbehaving plugins, as well as provide the best support for Intel-based plugins running in emulation on M1 processors.

  • Handy Slider Enhancements
    When a slider is highlighted, typing a numerical value will now move it to the specified point. In addition, keyboard control of sliders now supports modifiers, with Shift providing a 10x modification, and Option providing a 0.1x modification.

  • Full Compatibility with M Chip-Based Macs
    SoundSource now has full compatibility with new Macs powered by Apple Silicon.

  • SoundSource's Undo support is now more robust than ever, making it easy to revert settings changes.

  • Accessing generic interfaces for Audio Unit effects is now easier than ever. Control-clicking an effect provides a switch between generic and custom interfaces. Option-clicking an effect will load the generic interface once. Holding option when adding an Audio Unit will turn on the “Use Generic Audio Unit Interface” setting.

  • Audio effects can now be duplicated using the Edit menu's “Copy” and “Paste” commands. Copy effects, and their settings, between applications and more.

  • On MacOS 11 (Big Sur), SoundSource now allows machine sleep in cases where it is otherwise inactive.

  • SoundSource now supports single key shortcuts for “Show SoundSource” global hotkey.

  • It's now possible to select and adjust multiple sliders at once in the 10-Band EQ.

  • SoundSource's interface now better supports the “Increase contrast” setting found in the “Accessibility” system preference.

  • The Command-B On/Off keyboard shortcut for effects now works even if the effect's popover is not showing. It also works if multiple effects are selected.

  • The display of Apple's Audio Unit effects has been modified, to provide a more appealing interface that avoids redundancy.

  • Support for tabbing between AU controls has been substantially improved.

  • To avoid negatively impacting VoiceOver's guidance, when VoiceOver is on, adjustments made to the “System Speech” special source (say that three times fast) are now disabled, as are adjustments made to default output device. When this occurs, a visual indication (⚠️) is shown in SoundSource's main window.

  • Applications can now be dragged and dropped into SoundSource's “Applications” area, to be starred as a “Favorite”.

  • SoundSource no longer incorrectly takes keyboard shortcuts when its main window is not open.

  • Improvements have been made to keep Super Volume Keys working across sleep/wake cycles.

  • Improvements have been made for compatibility with Microsoft Teams, to prevent it from appearing in the Applications area multiple times.

  • Pressing Option along with a keyboard volume key now correctly opens the Sound System Preference, even if a device is making use of SoundSource's “Super Volume Keys” feature.

  • The muted status of a redirected application is now correctly retained when switching the device to which SoundSource is redirecting audio.

  • VoiceOver now correctly reads volume sliders values after adjusting them.

  • An issue where SoundSource could open on the wrong display, on Macs with multiple displays attached, has been resolved.

  • The “Low Latency” slider now properly retains its setting across launches.

  • Visuals have been improved for Macs which have no input device attached (such as the Mac Mini).

  • Plugin error alerts have been improved, to prevent unnecessarily repeated alerts from appearing.

SoundSource 5.2.1

Released on January 16, 2021

  • Fixes and Improvements in ACE 11.6.2
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.6.2, with several fixes, as well as a workaround for an incompatibility with future MacOS updates running on Apple Silicon. M1 Mac users should update immediately.

  • Sample Rate Fixes for Headphone EQ
    A bug which caused the “Headphone EQ” effect to apply the wrong correction curves between sample rate changes has been fixed.

  • SoundSource now properly respects the “Follow System Accent Color” preference, when the selected color (in System Preferences) is Blue. All other colors worked as expected, and now Blue does as well.

  • A rare issue where an application could be incorrectly added to SoundSource (using its executable, rather than its proper bundle path) has been fixed.

  • SoundSource no longer unnecessarily adds digital muting to audio redirected to a muted device.

  • The memory footprint related to SoundSource's Undo history has been improved.

  • A crash which could occur when Control-clicking an audio effect has been fixed.

SoundSource 5.2.0Full Support for MacOS 11

Released on December 10, 2020

  • Initial Support for M Chip-Based Macs
    SoundSource is now a Universal app, offering initial support for the new M1 chip-based Macs. Though there are no known issues, we do not yet recommend its use in critical productions. Further testing is ongoing, with more updates to follow.

  • Full MacOS 11 (Big Sur) Compatibility
    SoundSource now has full compatibility with MacOS 11 (Big Sur), with no known issues.

  • ACE 11.6 Brings Audio Capture to Apple Silicon Macs
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.6, offering compatibility with Apple Silicon Macs.

  • SoundSource will now load emulated (non-native) plugins on Apple Silicon Macs.

  • SoundSource now works better with metering plugins like TC Clarity-M, Flux SoundGrabber, and Waves Loudness Meter. In addition, TC Clarity-M is no longer blocked for use in SoundSource by default.

  • The tab icons in SoundSource's preferences have been updated to fit new sizing requirements on MacOS 11 (Big Sur).

  • SoundSource now respects the user-specified system-wide “Accent” color on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) and up. It also supports Big Sur's new “Multicolor” option, with an appropriate, app-specific green.

  • QuickLook audio in the Finder is once again correctly captured on MacOS 10.15 (Catalina).

  • An issue where SoundSource's tooltips could fail to properly disappear has been corrected.

  • SoundSource's main window now appears where it should at all times, correcting a bug which could occur on systems which sometimes have multiple displays.

  • SoundSource will now correctly display its icon on secondary screens at all times.

  • SoundSource now shows sample rates in Hz without a comma, for consistency across all Rogue Amoeba apps.

SoundSource 5.1.4

Released on November 20, 2020

  • Important Crash Fix
    SoundSource once again properly handles mono input devices. This fix means SoundSource no longer crashes when working with these devices, fixing a regression found in SoundSource 5.1.3.

  • The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.5.2, with backend fixes.

  • The ACE installer has been updated to avoid incorrectly declaring that ACE needs to be authorized.

SoundSource 5.1.3

Released on November 16, 2020

  • Fix for Excessive CPU Usage
    Using SoundSource on a Mac running MacOS 11 (Big Sur) with multiple displays connected will no longer result in excessive CPU usage.

  • The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.5.1, with improvements for working alongside Pro Tools, as well many backend fixes for improved audio capture.

  • SoundSource now handles “Special Sources” better, with a new “System Speech” source. This replaces the “Siri”, “Text to Speech”, and “Voiceover” sources, as those sources overlapped with one another.

  • A small visual indicator is now shown when the Headphone EQ effect is previewing a profile, in the profile selector.

  • Adjustments have been made to restore full inter-compatibility with Pro Tools.

  • Switching between Headphone EQ profiles will now immediately clear the effect of a previously previewed profile.

  • Further adjustments have been made to prevent SoundSource from appearing on top of windows when it shouldn't.

  • Interface improvements have been made on Big Sur.

SoundSource 5.1.2

Released on November 12, 2020

  • The blue System “accent” color is no longer improperly ignored on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave) and MacOS 10.15 (Catalina).

  • Backend updates have been made for better future compatibility with the new M1 chip-based Macs. Additional updates with support for these machines will be forthcoming.

SoundSource 5.1.1Initial Support for MacOS 11

Released on November 9, 2020

  • Initial MacOS 11 (Big Sur) Compatibility
    SoundSource now has initial compatibility with MacOS 11 (Big Sur).

  • ACE 11.5 Brings Audio Capture to MacOS 11 (Big Sur)
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.5, offering initial compatibility with MacOS 11 (Big Sur).

  • Text to Speech Audio Is Again Supported
    Audio spoken by the system is once again properly supported by SoundSource, fixing a regression in SoundSource 5.1.0.

  • When a profile is highlighted in the “Headphone EQ” effect's “Select Profile…” sheet, it will now be previewed live.

  • Saved profiles in the “Headphone EQ” effect now have the name of the profile provider appended to them, to assist in differentiating between profiles.

  • Adjustments have been made to prevent SoundSource from appearing on top of software update alerts. As well, the Favorites application selector has been moved to a sheet, to avoid window priority issues.

  • The “Headphone EQ” effect now sounds better, fixing an issue where bandwidth settings were being incorrectly calculated for the correction curves.

  • Audio Units once again correctly provide a generic user interface when VoiceOver is active on the system.

  • It's again possible to add multiple Special Sources to Favorites.

  • An issue where SoundSource's main window could fail to open properly when clicking the menu bar icon has been resolved.

  • Updates to the names of Loopback virtual audio devices are now immediately reflected.

  • The last-open item is correctly remembered between launches in all cases now.

SoundSource 5.1.0

Released on October 29, 2020

  • New Headphone EQ Effect
    The new “Headphone EQ” effect, built using the “AutoEq” project, provides automatic calibrated equalization for literally thousands of headphone models. Just add “Headphone EQ” to your default output device when using headphones to make them sound their best. SoundSource makes it a breeze to find and set the right profile.

  • Easy Access to Recently Used Effects
    The “Add Effect” menu now provides a “Recent” section, showing the five most recently inserted effects.

  • Audio Capture Has Been Improved With ACE 11.2
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.2.2, with many backend enhancements. Audio capture from Catalyst apps is now fully supported, aggregate devices now work better, and many other small improvements have been made.

  • Full Support for Catalyst Apps
    SoundSource now works as expected with Catalyst apps such as Voice Memos, Podcasts, and more.

  • Move and Copy Effects Within and Between Sources
    Third-party audio effects can now be moved between audio sources via drag and drop. Holding option while dragging will cause the effect to be copied instead.

  • Disable In-Window Meters
    It's now possible to disable meters in SoundSource's main window. Right-click the meter (or anywhere in the source), then select “Disable Metering”.

  • SoundSource is now aware of the “data source” name for audio devices which have one. This data source can be adjusted via a sub-selector, and will now also be shown as part of the name in SoundSource's right-click menu.

  • Thanks to backend changes in the ACE audio capture system, it's now possible to redirect per-application audio to Loopback's virtual audio devices.

  • Audio now flows as expected when a Loopback virtual audio device is set as the default input device.

  • When adjusting voice chat (VoIP) applications, SoundSource now uses its lowest latency mode automatically.

  • Latency on input devices has been minimized.

  • Improvements have been made for dealing with audio from the Home app.

  • A smaller memory footprint is now used when hosting plugins.

  • Channel mappings are now properly handled with aggregate audio devices.

  • Audio Units which expect transport state information from the plugin host, including TC Electronic's “LM2n”, are now functioning correctly again.

  • The input device sample rate selector now works correctly when the first input device appears.

  • A crash which could occur when an application went missing has been fixed.

  • SoundSource now better handles multiple copies of the same application being active.

  • In rare instances, glitching could occur when audio started playing with complex effect chains in use. A new pre-flight callback in the backend should prevent this issue entirely.

  • The top pixel of SoundSource's menu bar icons will now properly respond to clicks.

  • The “License” window now works better with the on-screen keyboard, improving accessibility.

  • Pressing space bar will no longer incorrectly close a pinned popover window.

  • A rare issue which could cause SoundSource's main window to lack proper contents has been fixed.

  • A rare issue where a reset of CoreAudio could cause SoundSource to improperly handle sound effects has now been corrected.

  • Several additional plugin fixes have been made, including properly detecting updates for secondary parameters, preventing incorrecting scaling of plugins including “Softube”, and correctly handling the initial presentation of v3 Audio Units.

  • A memory leak which could occur when unpinning popovers has been fixed.

  • The initial opening of the plugin menu will no longer cause incorrect requesting of Accessibility permissions.

  • The visibility of muted menu bar items has been improved.

  • SoundSource now provides a notice that effects will not be applied if a Loopback device is set as the system output.

  • The window level for SoundSource has been tweaked, for optimal usage (now appearing above notifications).

  • SoundSource's audio capture now using applicationName, making it consistent with other Rogue Amoeba products.

  • The name of the “10-Band Equalizer” effect has been shortened to “10-Band EQ”, for consistency with the new “Headphone EQ”.

  • SoundSource is not yet compatible with MacOS 11 (Big Sur), but we expect to have an additional release with support in the very near future. Stay tuned!

SoundSource 5.0.5

Released on September 24, 2020

  • Unwanted Microphone Volume Adjustments Be Gone
    This update fixes a bug where SoundSource would incorrectly apply a secondary volume adjustment to devices without master volume controls, causing input volume to be incorrectly lowered. This issue generally affected microphones which don't feature a master volume control, including those from Yeti.

  • The menu bar input meter will once again correctly illuminate whenever an application is actively using the default input. This fixes a regression in SoundSource 5.0.4.

  • Plugin windows will once again correctly resize to fit the relevant plugin view. This fixes a second regression in SoundSource 5.0.4

SoundSource 5.0.4

Released on September 22, 2020

  • Proper Support for Applications With Their Own Output Selectors
    Applications which include their own output selectors can once again be controlled fully by SoundSource, fixing a reversion found in SoundSource 5.

  • Improvements for Catalyst Apps; More Improvements to Come
    Audio adjustment of apps built using Apple's Mac Catalyst, such as “Podcasts”, now works better. However, some known issues with Catalyst apps not being properly impacted by SoundSource’s adjustments remain. Additional improvements are in progress.

  • If a secondary device is used for Sound Effects, and that device is muted, SoundSource will now provide a subtle warning to the user.

  • Switching devices with any of SoundSource's device selectors should now be faster, among other improvements.

  • To avoid unintentional loss of VoiceOver audio, SoundSource will now warn if the VoiceOver application is muted while active.

  • Improvements have been made to the handling of Bluetooth devices, to avoid unintentionally activating their inputs. This changes avoids possible drops in audio quality which could occur due to Bluetooth protocol limitations.

  • SoundSource now presents its Application list in a scroll view, to work better on small screens when many applications are favorited. This fixes a reversion from version 4.

  • An issue where SoundSource could accidentally and improperly adjust per-app volumes based on output device has been corrected.

  • External changes to the input device should now always be picked up by SoundSource.

  • Updates have been made to better handle Cisco Webex. Users who have previously had multiple favorited Webex apps should now find only a single instance will be active. Other starred instances can be removed.

  • New, correct icons for Special Sources like Siri and VoiceOver are now used for menu bar meters.

  • A crash which could occur while using Super Volume Keys with certain rare audio devices has been fixed.

  • A crash which could occur while using Super Volume Keys with certain rare keyboards has been fixed.

  • A crash which could occur with the AUNBandEQ effect has been fixed.

  • A rare crash which could occur after an ACE update has been corrected.

  • Audio adjustment now works correctly when the “preferred stereo channels” of the system output are changed.

  • The “Mixed In Key” audio unit is now fully supported.

  • Double-clicking a slider's readout will reset the slider to its default position. Double-clicking the slider itself will no longer cause any change.

  • The caret, which went out for a stroll, has now properly returned to device selectors.

SoundSource 5.0.3

Released on August 12, 2020

  • ACE Has Been Updated to 11.1.8
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE), has been updated to 11.1.8, with several small fixes.

  • Support for Dock-less Audio Apps
    SoundSource can again properly adjust audio from Dock-less (menu bar only) audio apps, such as Triode and Vox. This fixes a regression in version 5.

  • Proper Support for Special Sources
    SoundSource will once again properly handle audio from the “Special Sources” found in the “Add Favorites” menu, including Siri and Text to Speech.

  • Full-Screen Video Issues Resolved
    A conflict which could occur when playing full-screen video has been resolved.

  • Sound Effects Device Corrections
    Several corrections have been made related to the Sound Effects device. SoundSource now properly handles Sound Effects volumes when it's applying a software volume adjustment, as well as tracking and setting the device correctly in all situations.

  • Assorted Crashes Fixed
    Several rare crashes have been fixed, including one which could cause the application to crash on launch.

  • Myriad Accessibility Improvements
    We've made many improvements to accessibility, based on user feedback (Thank you!). Several VoiceOver changes should make the application easier to navigate in particular, and the menu bar icon now correctly reports output volume in its tool tip and VoiceOver readout.

  • Typing the letter “f” now works as expected in the “Add Effects” menu's Search field, no longer conflicting with Cmd-F.

  • The Input and Sound Effects devices no longer erroneously offer reset options when right-clicking.

  • SoundSource now better handles system with no input devices (such as Macs Mini), no longer incorrectly showing an icon or sample rate.

  • When a device’s sample rate is changed outside of SoundSource, the display in SoundSource will now update more consistently.

  • Several small interface tweaks have been made. Most notably, SoundSource now animates between Standard and Compact views, rather than just fading. As well, the menu bar icons have been adjusted to slightly improve their visual alignment, and make Mute more visible. The slider in “Balance” has been moved down, to ride at the proper height. The guide lines in the 10-Band Equalizer are now correctly behind the sliders, not on top of them.

SoundSource 5.0.2

Released on August 8, 2020

  • Proper Balance in All Things
    A reversion in SoundSource 5.0.1 could cause re-directed application audio to improperly play from only the left channel. That issue has been corrected.

  • For users just moving up from version 4, SoundSource will now correctly import all Volume Overdrive settings.

SoundSource 5.0.1

Released on August 7, 2020

  • Invisible Icons, Revealed
    An issue where SoundSource's icons could fail to be visible in Light mode, due to issues with theming in MacOS, has been corrected.

  • Equalizer Presets Now Save Properly For All
    Saving custom user presets for the 10-band equalizer will now work as expected on all systems.

  • Correctly Importing SoundSource 4 Equalizer Presets
    Custom user presets for the 10-band equalizer which were previously saved in SoundSource 4 are now properly imported in to SoundSource 5.

  • Fixes for the “Sound Effects” Device
    Several issues where SoundSource failed to properly handle the Sound Effects device have been corrected.

  • Correct Display of Current Sample Rate
    The Output device's current sample rate once again correctly shows in SoundSource.

  • All Settings Correctly Save
    Several issues where SoundSource failed to correctly save volume-related settings between launches have been corrected.

  • Holding Shift when clicking an already-loaded Audio Unit effect will now correctly switch it to Generic view, with a scrollbar if necessary.

  • The new stand-alone “Balance” effect will now always properly appear in the Effects area for the default output device.

  • SonarWorks and other volume adjustors will once again appear as expected, fixing a reversion in 5.0.0.

  • SoundSource 5.0.0 incorrectly allowed apps to be removed from the Applications list via a now-deprecated method, resulting in inconsistent behavior until SoundSource was quit and relaunched. This has been corrected.

  • The width of volume sliders has been standardized, with interface adjustments made so that device volume sliders and application volume sliders have identical widths, and are aligned.

  • The width of the Applications area has been increased, to accommodate “QuickTime Player”.

  • The “Purchase SoundSource” menu is now properly removed once the application is unlocked with a valid license key.

  • The hover text for the “Favorites” star has been de-Britishized. Spelling is now consistent throughout the app, with no wasted “u”'s.

  • Factory Reset has been made more robust, to clean out the entire SoundSource folder. In this way, a Factory Reset creates a system that appears to have never run any version of SoundSource.

SoundSource 5.0.0Paid Upgrade From SoundSource 4

Released on August 5, 2020

  • An Overhauled and Refined User Interface
    SoundSource 5 features a dramatically overhauled interface, with every part of the user experience reviewed and refined. Fear not, SoundSource 4 users, as you'll still feel right at home.

  • Slimmed Down By Default
    SoundSource's default view has been streamlined, using less space while still providing all the controls and information you need. This is especially useful when you need SoundSource pinned open for fast access.

  • Optionally Even Slimmer
    SoundSource's main window can be made even slimmer, with the new Compact View.

  • Apps Handled, Automatically
    You no longer need to manually manage applications in SoundSource. Now when an app produces audio, it will appear in SoundSource, ready for adjustment.

  • Favorite Apps Too
    To keep an application in SoundSource's “Applications” list permanently, just click its “Favorite” star.

  • Helpful Menu Bar Activity Meters
    See activity for the default output device, default input device, and any active applications, right from the menu bar. These optional meters also provide a handy mute control for anything producing audio.

  • Pinnable Effects Windows
    Audio Unit effects can now be pinned, for easy access no matter what you're doing on your Mac. Pin an effect to make it float above everything on your Mac for instant adjustments.

  • Audio Unit Searching
    For users with a large number of Audio Unit effects installed, the new built-in search will make it much easier to find the desired effect.

  • Audio Unit v3 Support
    SoundSource now supports the newest Audio Unit plugins, made with the Audio Unit v3 API.

  • ACE has been updated to 11.1.7
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE), has been updated to 11.1.7, with several improvements to add functionality to SoundSource 5.

  • Right-clicking on SoundSource's menu bar icon now provides lightning fast access to change the output volume, as well as output and input devices.

  • The built-in 10-band Lagutin equalizer has been updated, with a new simplified view, as well as other visual improvements. Of course, all the power and great sound remains.

  • The Balance control on the default output device is now a built-in effect, to allow for more powerful control.

  • Redirect popups now include useful icons to help distinguish between devices.

  • The “System” and “Applications” section are now disclosable, so you can hide either section if desired.

  • SoundSource's Balance control is now stored per-device.

  • Double-clicking an item in SoundSource's list will now open its Effects area.

  • The “Generic” view for Audio Unit effects has been improved to offer scrolling when the content gets too long.

  • When using VoiceOver, SoundSource now correctly provides the volume level from the menu bar icon.

  • SoundSource now works better with Fast User Switching. When you switch out of a user, SoundSource will now be deactivated properly.

  • The interface performance of Audio Unit effects has been improved.

  • Battery info for wireless headphones now displays correctly when highlighted.

  • Input meters will no longer briefly flash erroneous data when first shown.

  • SoundSource's menu bar icon is now more useful, always showing the output volume.

  • SoundSource's hot key behavior has been updated. When SoundSource is attached to the menu bar, hitting the shortcut a second time will hide it.

  • SoundSource will now warn, on quit, if a large volume jump is likely to occur.

  • The clickable areas of many buttons in SoundSource have been enlarged, for ease of use.

  • Subtle animations have been added throughout, for improved interactions when using the app.

  • A dash was added to the Lagutin equalizer's title, and an ellipsis was added to the “Check for Update” button.

SoundSource 4.3.1

Released on February 9, 2021

  • ACE Updated to 11.6.3
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.6.3. This update has several fixes, and provides further handling for future MacOS updates running on Apple Silicon. M1 Mac users should update immediately.

  • Memory Leak Fixes
    A major memory leak which could occur when using some apps like Zoom has been plugged, as has a smaller leak relating to undo history.

  • A rare crash which could occur if all sources were removed has been fixed.

  • Plugin popovers will once again get the correct orientation.

SoundSource 4.3.0

Released on December 16, 2020

  • SoundSource 4.3 provides support for MacOS 11 (Big Sur). Please note, this is the last update planned for SoundSource 4, as SoundSource 5 has now replaced it. We recommend all users purchase the paid upgrade to SoundSource 5.

SoundSource 4.2.8

Released on September 2, 2020

  • Super Volume Keys once again work as expected on MacOS 10.12 (Sierra).

SoundSource 4.2.7

Released on August 20, 2020

  • A rare crash relating to “Super Volume Keys” has been fixed.

  • A crash which which could occur when no devices where present (such as when coreaudiod was reset) has been fixed.

  • An issue where the Developer News window would appear at an incorrect, too small, size, has been fixed.

SoundSource 4.2.6

Released on August 6, 2020

  • A regression from 4.2.5 has been corrected, so SoundSource's About box once again indicates the correct version number.

SoundSource 4.2.5

Released on July 23, 2020

  • Volume Overdrive Again Works at Launch
    Previously set overdriven volumes will once again work correctly at launch.

  • Previously, certain third-party Audio Units (including those made by “FabFilter”) incorrectly displayed a zoomed interface on Retina displays. This problem has been corrected.

  • An issue where the Mute shortcut could fail when switching to SoundSource has been corrected.

  • An problem where Super Volume Keys could be disabled by the system has been fixed.

  • Volume adjustment feedback should now play properly in all instances when using Super Volume Keys.

SoundSource 4.2.4

Released on July 1, 2020

  • Audio Capture Improvements and Fixes With ACE 11.1.5
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE), has been updated to 11.1.5. This update offers fixes for capturing audio from Google Chrome's Progressive Web Apps, as well as many backend enhancements including additional fixes for device tracking, and work arounds for issues with Bluetooth.

  • Optional Generic Interfaces for Audio Unit Effects
    Audio Unit plugins can now be forced to use a generic interface, making it possible to avoid issues with buggy custom interfaces, as well as helping VoiceOver users. To toggle between the generic and custom interfaces, right-click on the effect and select “Use Generic Audio Unit Interface” or “Use Custom Audio Unit Interface”. To load the generic interface by default, hold the Shift key when adding the effect.

  • Upon dismissing SoundSource, focus now returns to the front-most window in all cases.

  • A visual glitch where white boxes could appear behind app icons has been fixed. It was very hard to spot even when wrong, but now it's corrected completely.

  • The Output Volume icon will now correctly update on all menu bars, when using mirrored menu bars on multi-display setups.

  • SoundSource should now correctly restore its position in the menu bar across all launches and reboots.

  • A rare memory leak has been plugged.

  • Audio Unit effects can now open file browsers without breaking window focus.

SoundSource 4.2.3

Released on March 19, 2020

  • Improvements and Fixes With ACE 11.1.4
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.1.4, fixing a rare crash, and several issues related to aggregate devices.

  • An issue where SoundSource could fail to properly save volume-related settings for default applications has been resolved.

  • Initial playback to a re-directed Bluetooth output could previously fail, resulting in audio temporarily playing to the wrong output device. This issue has been resolved.

  • Previously, the current system output could erroneously appear disconnected in rare cases. This issue has now been fixed.

  • The menu bar icon no longer incorrectly shows as active on secondary displays when using MacOS 10.14 and lowers.

  • A rare bug where the application “Remove” button could get stuck showing after the mouse had left the main window has been fixed.

  • The initial display of a popover that's using a generic display will no longer trigger any On/Off toggle switches to animate from off to on unnecessarily.

  • The software update button in the Preferences window has been updated, and its text altered slightly. As well, option-clicking the button will now cause it to check for Developer News.

SoundSource 4.2.2

Released on March 11, 2020

  • Equalizer Enhancements
    SoundSource's built-in Lagutin Equalizer has been updated to tweak its animation and improve several things related to saving and editing user presets.

  • Improvements and Fixes With ACE 11.1.3
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.1.3, with many backend enhancements including a fix for device tracking, a correction for devices using non-default stereo pairs, and work arounds for issues with Bluetooth.

  • Animations have been added to the volume indictors throughout the app.

  • The Pinned state of the main window is now retained between launches.

  • Improvements have been made for connections to AirPods.

  • Several issues with VoiceOver have been corrected, including properly labeling the Pin button at all times, and several improvements to Volume Overdrive.

  • Additional fixes have been made for minor issues with Dark Mode, including a problem where the menu bar icon may not appear correctly.

  • The Preferences window will no longer incorrectly lose focus when switching themes.

  • Plugin windows will no longer incorrectly show above the menu bar when the system-wide “Automatically hide and show the menu bar” option is active.

  • Several assorted memory leaks have been plugged.

  • The Equalizer's preset window will now close properly on MacOS 10.12 (Sierra).

SoundSource 4.2.1

Released on January 28, 2020

  • Blurriness Be Gone!
    An issue which could cause the menu bar icons and meters to appear blurry has been corrected.

  • Multiple Fixes for VoiceOver Users
    The Appearances pane of the preferences is now correctly accessible to VoiceOver, and a crash which could occur when VoiceOver read the names of custom EQ presets has been fixed.

  • Metering has been improved for certain Apple Audio Unit plugins, restoring their usual smooth behavior.

  • The “Add Effect” menu now indicates (via a subtle checkmark) when a built-in effect is already in place.

  • Bluetooth devices will no longer incorrectly appear in the device selector when the Mac's Bluetooth hardware is turned off.

  • A loss in audio quality due to sample rate switching, which could occur with certain Bluetooth devices, has been prevented.

  • An incompatibility between “Super Volume Keys” and Logitech's “Options” software has been fixed.

  • An issue caused by devices incorrectly using the same “unique” identifier for multiple data sources has been worked around, preventing a crash.

  • The menu bar icon color no longer gets stuck on white when using the System's “Auto” Appearance selector.

  • SoundSource will no longer incorrectly be hidden if a plugin was visible when clicking away from the app.

  • An issue where the plugin bypass setting didn't correctly update on first launch has been fixed.

SoundSource 4.2.0

Released on January 23, 2020

  • A Brand-New Smart Volume Overdrive Effect
    The new Volume Overdrive effect makes it possible to amplify application audio up to 400%, making it possible to hear quiet audio in loud environments. It works intelligently behind the scenes to improve the quality of overdriven audio, using limiting to prevent digital distortion.

  • Audio Capture From New Special Sources
    SoundSource can now easily capture audio from Siri and VoiceOver, simply by selecting them from the “Special Sources” area in the Application source block.

  • A New Menu Bar Output Meter
    You can now optionally add a small output meter to the menu bar, appearing next to SoundSource's icon.

  • Bluetooth Device Battery Status
    SoundSource will now show battery status for Bluetooth devices like AirPods, AirPods Pro, and Beats hardware.

  • Optionally Remove the Built-In Equalizer
    The built-in Lagutin EQ can now be removed if desired.

  • Enhanced Audio Capture with ACE 11.1
    The Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.1.1, with many backend enhancements, and a fix for issues when processing audio from FaceTime.app.

  • Improvements to Bluetooth Device Reliability
    SoundSource now does additional work to avoid issues caused by Apple's Bluetooth device handling. That means selecting Bluetooth devices will work more reliably, including all versions of AirPods.

  • Full MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) Support
    SoundSource now has full compatibility with MacOS 10.15 (Catalina).

  • Volume-related history is now kept between devices, including Volume level, as well as Volume Overdrive and Magic Boost settings.

  • Further improvements have been made to the tracking of USB audio devices.

  • Various improvements have been made to the drag and drop behavior in SoundSource's applications and effects lists.

  • When using Super Volume Keys, output volume level is now correctly remembered between app launches.

  • When applications adjust their buffer size at runtime, SoundSource now handles the change with no audio dropouts.

  • Adjusting the menu bar preferences no longer causes a torn-off SoundSource window to jump back to the menu bar icon.

  • Multiple improvements have been made to SoundSource's support for third-party Audio Unit plugins.

  • SoundSource can now control audio from rare applications which lack proper bundle IDs, including DOSBox.

  • Level meters will now display correctly when using Aggregate Output Devices.

  • An issue where volumes from multi-output aggregate could be lower than expected has been fixed.

  • The “CLARITY M” Audio Unit effect (aufx.TCEl.rwac) from TC Electronics has been added to SoundSource's blocked plug-ins list, as the way it functions is incompatible with SoundSource's use of multiple plugins per stream.

  • A useful “Reinstall ACE” debugging option is now available by option-clicking the SoundSource menu. This will uninstall and then immediately reinstall ACE.

SoundSource 4.1.4

Released on September 5, 2019

  • MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) Support
    SoundSource now has preliminary compatibility with MacOS 10.15 (Catalina). However, please note that Apple now requires third-party Audio Unit plugins to be properly signed and notarized. As a result, many older plugins will not load in SoundSource on Catalina (nor in any other modern audio application). The developers of these individual plugins will need to issue properly signed updates to their plugins.

  • ACE Updated to v11
    The backend Audio Capture Engine (ACE) has been updated to 11.0.0, with preliminary MacOS 10.15 (Catalina) compatibility as well as other fixes and improvements.

  • SoundSource now allows custom presets to be overwritten with new settings.

  • An issue where Magic Boost could cause a brief glitch in initial audio playback has been corrected.

  • Closing SoundSource's main app window with the escape key or command + W now returns focus to the app which previously had it.

  • The balance slider now correctly returns to 0 when adjusting via the arrow keys. Its read-outs when using VoiceOver have also been improved.

  • A VoiceOver press of the menu bar icon now works as expected.

  • Several other small bugs have been fixed, including a problem where the history of audio devices could be lost, an issue with the Knowledge Base article for Super Volume Keys not opening as expected, and a flicker when adjusting the menu bar icon.

  • SoundSource now requires MacOS 10.12 (Sierra) or higher. If you're still on 10.11 (or lower), be sure to see our Legacy Software page.

  • SoundSource's wizard for installing, updating, and removing ACE (among other things) has been overhauled, with many small improvements and enhancements. Update notes are now presented on the first launch of a new version, and the wizard will now intelligently warn if uninstalling will impact other applications.

  • The previous SoundSource 4.1.3 release was withdrawn approximately 20 hours after its release, due to issues loading third-party audio plugins. Its changelog items have been migrated to this subsequent 4.1.4 release.

SoundSource 4.1.3

Released on August 30, 2019

  • SoundSource 4.1.3 was withdrawn approximately 20 hours after its release, due to issues loading third-party audio plugins. Its changelog items were migrated to the subsequent 4.1.4 release.

SoundSource 4.1.2

Released on July 23, 2019

  • SoundSource's Audio Capture Engine (ACE) backend has been updated to 10.1.1, fixing for a rare audio capture issue and providing the most stable audio capture possible.

  • A -999 error has been fixed, allowing the new Release Notes window will now appear as expected on MacOS 10.13 and lower.

  • A minor memory leak has been plugged, as all memory leaks should be.

  • The main popover will no longer incorrectly appear when uninstalling.

  • Small improvements have been made when in Dark Mode, including an update to the License window.

  • SoundSource's Help manual has been improved and streamlined.

SoundSource 4.1.1

Released on July 10, 2019

  • SoundSource now offers better support for Fast User Switching, allowing each user to run their own instance of the application.

  • Dark Mode support is now more comprehensive, with changes made to all windows across the app when in Dark Mode.

  • The main window will now appear if the icon is double-clicked in the Finder, or clicked in the Dock.

  • The headphone mix from Apogeee Maestro's software will no longer be muted undesirably.

  • The sample rate selector once again correctly shows rates above 192 kHz when relevant.

  • We've corrected an issue where the trial mode warning (but not the actual trial mode limitations) could incorrectly appear early.

  • SoundSource now includes a useful new Release Notes window, so you can see changes across all versions from right inside the app. The Options menu has also been re-sorted for clarity and ease of use.

  • The application now does a better job alerting the user when the software is being run on an unsupported OS.

SoundSource 4.1.0

Released on May 28, 2019

  • SoundSource now offers support for Dark Mode on MacOS 10.14 (Mojave), with a new Dark theme, and a default “Match System” option. It's also possible to specify which theme is used, independent of the system.

  • It's now easy to adjust audio from the Finder, as well as the OS's “Text to Speech” functionality. Just select these sources from the new “Special Sources” section found in the updated “Add App” Source selector, and you'll be able to control and adjust the audio.

  • SoundSource now offers full Undo support, enabling you to easily revert changes you've made within the app.

  • SoundSource's backend, Audio Capture Engine (ACE), has been updated to 10.1. This update includes several fixes and improvements, for the most stable audio capture possible.

  • Several issues which could cause SoundSource to pinwheel or crash have been fixed. These issues were fortunately quite rare, but also difficult to track down. If you previously experienced anything along these lines, please be sure to update to the latest SoundSource. If any similar problems persist, please let us know!

  • An issue where SoundSource's backend could lock up due to rapid sample rate changes has been fixed.

  • Redirecting audio to Bluetooth devices should now be vastly more reliable (as reliable as Bluetooth can be, anyhow).

  • Sources which have any audio effects applied to them will now be marked with a small “FX” badge.

  • When the mouse pointer is over a slider, it is now possible to swipe or scroll to adjust it.

  • SoundSource's main window now visibly dims when it's in the background, for better clarity.

  • SoundSource now attempts to track USB audio devices across ports. If a device is unplugged from one port and plugged in to a different port, it is now more likely to continue working as desired.

  • SoundSource now offers a helpful secondary menu when right-clicking its menu bar icon.

  • Applications can now be added to SoundSource's list by dragging them into the window. If SoundSource is not currently visible, dragging to the menu bar icon will make the main window appear, and the application can be dropped into the list.

  • SoundSource will now show a warning if a combination of Audio Unit effects will cause 100 ms of latency or more, as this will lead to an audible delay in hearing audio.

  • The “Add App” Source selector has been updated, with interface improvements and other modifications.

  • The behavior of the mute control for Sound Effects has been updated to avoid user confusion.

  • A small number of poor-performing Audio Units are now blocked by default in SoundSource.

  • SoundSource now remembers up to the last 20 devices, rather than an unlimited (bottleneck-inducing) amount.

  • Plugin windows can now be closed with Cmd-W.

  • Window management and positioning has been improved in several ways. Plugin windows are now smarter about where they appear, and will move as necessary if SoundSource's main window is moved. As well, if SoundSource's app icon is not visible, and its hotkey is pressed, SoundSource now appears in a more logical location.

  • A launching crash which would occur when an in-use Audio Unit plugin was removed from the system has been fixed.

  • When multiple devices with identical names are present, device changes are now better handled.

  • SoundSource should now behave better on setups with multiple screens and/or multiple spaces.

  • A glitch in audio that would occur when audio streams came and went has been fixed. This prevents an undesired issue where Magic Boost could behave in unexpected ways.

  • Scanning for Bluetooth devices has now been greatly improved, fixing a problem where opening a device selector could cause a CPU spike.

  • SoundSource's menus and windows now behave better when using your Mac in full-screen mode and when switching between spaces.

  • An audio dropout which could occur when a large number of plugins were present has been fixed.

  • A cosmetic issue where a highlight on various controls could lag has been fixed.

  • Another cosmetic issue where slider knobs could incorrectly lose their shadows has been fixed.

SoundSource 4.0.2

Released on April 11, 2019

  • Previously, audio from certain sites (including SoundCloud.com and Splice.com) might not be correctly adjusted if it was playing in a second audio-producing tab in Chrome. This now works as expected.

  • SoundSource's audio redirection back-end has been modified to only re-direct audio headed for the default system output. This means an app which has its own output selector will not be redirected, if that selector is set to a non-default device. As well, SoundSource's default is now a “Don't Redirect” audio option. For nearly all users, everything should continue to work just fine. For a few users, things should now work as they previously expected.

  • All of SoundSource's volume sliders have been adjusted to better match the system's volume curve.

  • Audio adjustments now sound better when the system output device changes, thanks to some quick and clever audio fades.

  • Several small but worthwhile tweaks have been made to the interface. The floating behavior of all windows has been improved and simplified, and pop-up menus are now properly grayed out when no devices are available. These also include fixes for menu heights and corrections to pop-up menu alignments.

  • When Super Volume Keys are in use, we now mimic the system in all ways, including playing volume feedback (or not) and making smaller adjustments with a Shift-Option-Volume key press.

  • The interface now better explains how a user should proceed when they have no applications in their list for per-app control.

  • The level meter is now dimmed when a source is muted.

  • Some Audio Unit plugins which did not previously load their interfaces properly now will.

  • Compatibility improvements have been made for Apogee Duet hardware (and likely other Apogee devices).

  • Improvements have been made to better handle toggling VoiceOver off or on.

  • Rare crashes on slower machines are now avoided, thanks to arcane changes to the dispatch queue.

  • Other crashes related to misbehaving Audio Units have been worked around.

  • SoundSource's installation procedure has been slightly modified, to better follow standards set by other Rogue Amoeba apps.

  • In order to prevent both audio issues and possible crashes, SoundSource now specifically works to avoid any interference with other audio adjustment software , such as “Boom” or “menuBUS”.

  • The Home app is currently not compatible with SoundSource, and so is now excluded from SoundSource's list of Running Applications.

  • Tidal has been removed from SoundSource's default apps list, as their “hog mode” doesn't play well with, well, much of anything else.

SoundSource 4.0.1

Released on March 28, 2019

  • Several rare, but undesirable, crashes have been fixed.

  • An issue were SoundSource could incorrectly apply multiple volume adjustments to input devices has been corrected.

  • Volume adjustment blips, (optionally) heard when adjusting the default device volume via the keyboard, will now be heard fully and correctly. Previously, these blips were cut off, leading to confusion about volume levels.

  • A rare issue where certain apps with their own audio device selectors would see incorrect volume jumps has been fixed.

  • SoundSource's Sound Effects volume slider now correctly maps to the system's Sound Effects volume slider.

  • Several bugs have been fixed related to Audio Unit effects, including properly remembering the order of effects between launches, and always opens the right effect when selected.

  • Multiple issues have been corrected with displaying on setups with multiple monitors.

  • SoundSource now properly respects an output device's selected stereo pair, rather than incorrectly being locked to channels 1 & 2.

  • A visual display issue where plugins could appear to be receiving a mono stream of audio has been fixed.

  • SoundSource no longer incorrectly allows multiple copies to launch at the same time.

SoundSource 4.0.0Paid Upgrade From SoundSource 3

Released on March 26, 2019

  • Per-Application Volume Controls
    Adjust volume levels for each of your applications, all in one place. Make one app louder or softer than others, or even mute it entirely.

  • Per-Application Output Redirection
    Control exactly where audio plays. Route music from one app to your best speakers, while everything else is heard via your Mac's built-in output.

  • Audio Effects on Any Audio
    Make any audio sound great, with SoundSource's easy-to-use built-in effects, as well as advanced Audio Unit support. You can apply effects to audio from individual applications, or your entire system.

  • Magic Boost
    Turn on Magic Boost to boost quiet audio so you can hear it, while louder audio is left untouched. Get richer, fuller sound from any source.

  • Renowned 10-Band Lagutin Equalizer
    The 10-band Lagutin Equalizer has been a staple in Rogue Amoeba’s audio software for nearly two decades, helping countless users get better sound. It features almost two dozen presets, and the ability to save your own as well. Configure the EQ once to get the exact sound you want, any time you play audio.

  • Fast Access to System Devices
    Access all the settings for your Mac's Output, Input, and Sound Effects audio devices right from your menu bar. Quickly adjust volume and input levels, balance, and even sample rate.

  • Keyboard Volume Keys for All
    Too many audio output devices fail to support the volume keys found on Mac keyboards. SoundSource's “Super Volume Keys” setting makes those keys work with any outputs you have! Now you can adjust the volume of any and all audio devices, right from your keyboard.

  • Easy Access
    SoundSource lives right in your menu bar, for fast and easy access to all your essential audio controls. You can also pin it to your screen, so it floats above everything else, or even set a global keyboard shortcut to pull it forward without needing the mouse.

  • Stupendous Keyboard Control
    SoundSource can be controlled entirely from your keyboard. Now, you can make lightning-fast audio adjustments without ever needing to touch the mouse.

  • Accessible for All
    We made SoundSource fully accessible with Apple’s VoiceOver, so users who are visually impaired can get the most from their audio.

  • Handy Level Meters
    See the levels for your output and input audio devices, as well as individual applications.

  • Much More to See
    Users of older versions of SoundSource should be sure to visit our New in SoundSource 4 page.

SoundSource 3.1.2

Released on February 8, 2019

  • SoundSource now uses smarter, less redundant device names.

  • The support form in SoundSource's Support menu has been updated.

SoundSource 3.1.1

Released on September 7, 2018

  • Custom error reporting has been added for the audio device permission system newly added in MacOS 10.14 (Mojave).

  • Resampled audio quality has been improved.

  • Another update to the License window has been made.

  • SoundSource now has compatibility with MacOS 10.14 (Mojave).

  • SoundSource now requires MacOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or higher. If you're still on 10.10, be sure to see our Legacy Software page.

SoundSource 3.1.0

Released on April 17, 2018

  • SoundSource's Play-Thru window now has full channel support for multi-channel devices.

  • The main menu now includes a System sub-menu, providing fast access to both the Sound system preference and MacOS's bundled Audio MIDI Setup application.

  • SoundSource now works around device visibility issues caused by incorrect behavior seen in apps such Boom.

  • CPU usage has been improved when the SoundSource Play-Thru window is closed.

  • The “Track” options for Input and Output devices in the Play-Thru window have been made more robust, to better handle instances where MacOS does not report a default device.

  • The License window has been updated and improved.

SoundSource 3.0.3

Released on January 16, 2018

  • SoundSource now has full compatibility with MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra).

  • An issue where playing back audio from a device could accumulate additional latency over time has been fixed.

  • Audio playback with single-channel devices has been corrected to properly provide both channels.

SoundSource 3.0.2

Released on March 3, 2017

  • We've corrected an issue where the global menu could draw incorrectly on machines with no input devices.

  • The latency of audio coming in via Play-Thru has been greatly reduced.

  • The layout of the Preferences window has been adjusted, to fix display issues, particularly on older OSes.

SoundSource 3.0.1

Released on February 17, 2017

  • The global menu's volume level slider for the specified input device will no longer jump erratically.

  • The Play-Thru window's input device volume now correctly reflects the current device value at all times.

  • The “Start SoundSource at login” checkbox now correctly allows itself to be turned off.

SoundSource 3.0.0

Released on February 14, 2017

  • SoundSource is back and better than ever! SoundSource 3 now includes all the audio device switching functionality of the old SoundSource, as well as the audio play-thru functionality from our previous LineIn application.

  • SoundSource will run in the Dock and the menu bar by default. Switch to menu bar only mode right from the Preferences window.

  • Make sure SoundSource is always available with the “Start SoundSource at login ” preference.

  • SoundSource now requires Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)

SoundSource 2.5.1

Released on July 4, 2012

  • SoundSource is now fully compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion).

  • SoundSource now requires Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

  • Several bug fixes and improvements have been made.

SoundSource 2.5.0

Released on August 27, 2009

  • Now runs as a standalone application, not a MenuExtra

  • Compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)

  • Now requires Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher

SoundSource 2.0.0

Released on March 3, 2008

  • Added volume sliders for each audio device

  • Hides devices which can't be selected

SoundSource 1.4.0

Released on October 31, 2007

  • Full Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) support

SoundSource 1.3.0

Released on September 5, 2007

  • Added “Auto-Switch to Headphones” option for Mac Pro machines

  • Sleek new Menu Bar icon

SoundSource 1.2.0

Released on February 21, 2007

  • Added "Open Audio MIDI Setup" menu item

  • Various minor bug fixes

SoundSource 1.1.0

Released on March 23, 2006

  • Official Intel Chip-Based Mac (ICBM) support

  • SoundSource now requires Mac OS X 10.3.9

SoundSource 1.0.5

Released on June 28, 2005

  • Minor updates for improved Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) compatibility

SoundSource 1.0.4

Released on October 12, 2004

  • SoundSource now properly finds all available sources

SoundSource 1.0.3

Released on January 2, 2004

  • Full 10.3 support, with new MenuExtraEnabler 1.0.1

  • Fixed a namespace collision between AirPort menu and SoundSource

  • Turned off all debugging code

SoundSource 1.0.2

Released on October 16, 2003

  • SoundSource updated for initial Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther) support

SoundSource 1.0.1

Released on July 9, 2003

  • Respects devices that announce themselves as not being capable of being the default system device, such as Apple's iSight

SoundSource 1.0.0

Released on April 3, 2003

  • First release - it's all new