macOS does not offer a built-in way to send one app to one speaker while everything else stays on another. Sound settings pick a single default output for the whole system. A handful of apps have their own output picker buried in their own preferences; everything else needs a virtual audio driver or a dedicated routing app.
This catches people out because the request sounds so simple: keep music playing at the desk speaker while a call goes to headphones. macOS was not built with that split in mind, so there is no single setting that does it. What actually exists is a small ladder of options, each covering a different set of apps.
Check the app's own settings first
A few apps quietly ship their own audio output picker, separate from the system one. Spotify, VLC, QuickTime Player and most streaming apps with a desktop presence let you choose an output device inside their own preferences or playback menu, and once set it stays on that device regardless of what the rest of the system is doing. This is the free route, and it costs nothing to check before reaching for anything else.
The limitation is obvious once you hit it: this only works for apps that bothered to build the feature. Zoom, most browser tabs, Discord, system alert sounds and the vast majority of everyday apps have no such picker, and macOS gives you no way to add one from the outside.
Why doesn't macOS just do this natively?
Core Audio, the system that handles sound on a Mac, was designed around one default output at a time. Every app that does not specify otherwise sends its audio to whatever device Sound settings currently has selected. That model works well for a single stream of audio and breaks down the moment you want two different apps going to two different places at once, because nothing in the system is keeping separate lanes for separate apps. Building that requires intercepting each app's audio before it reaches the shared output, which is exactly what a routing app or a virtual driver does instead.
What per-app routing actually needs
To send any app, not just the ones with their own picker, to any output you choose, something needs to sit between every app and Core Audio and redirect each one individually. That is the job Chorus does: pick an app from its menu-bar list, choose which real output it should play through, and that assignment holds until you change it, with no BlackHole, no Audio MIDI Setup, and no restart required to make it stick.
The same list also carries a volume slider per app, independent of the system-wide one, so a quiet podcast and a loud game do not have to share a setting. Mute one app without touching anything else that is playing. Both the output and the volume are attached to the app itself, so they are exactly where you left them the next time it launches.
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Download for MacA common real-world setup
The most requested version of this is a call app and everything else. Send Zoom, Teams or FaceTime to your headphones, so a call stays private and the mic picks up cleanly, while music, videos and notification sounds continue to play out loud through your desk speakers or a connected display. Set it once per app and it is remembered, so joining the next call does not mean reconfiguring anything.
Gaming and streaming setups follow the same pattern from the other direction: game audio and system sound stay on speakers for the room, while a voice chat app is pinned to a headset so teammates are not hearing your speakers through your own microphone.
| App's own picker | BlackHole (free) | Chorus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | $4.99 once |
| Works with any app | Only apps that built it | Yes, with manual setup | Yes |
| Setup after each restart | None | Rebuild routing manually | None |
| Per-app volume, separate from system | No | No | Yes |
| Adds processing delay | No | A little | No |
Chorus does not do audio effects, EQ or recording. If shaping how something sounds matters as much as where it goes, SoundSource covers that ground too, for a higher price.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send one app's audio to a different speaker on a Mac?
Not with a built-in macOS setting, no. A few apps such as Spotify, VLC and QuickTime Player have their own output picker in their own preferences. For everything else, including Zoom, Discord and most browser tabs, you need a virtual audio driver like BlackHole or a routing app like Chorus.
Why doesn't macOS support per-app audio output natively?
Core Audio, the system that handles sound on a Mac, is built around one default output for the whole system rather than separate lanes per app. Splitting audio by app means intercepting it before it reaches that shared output, which is what a routing app or virtual driver does instead of the operating system.
What is BlackHole and how does it help route audio?
BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver that acts as a fake output device. Send an app to it, then capture that audio back out with a second tool or Audio MIDI Setup. It is free and works, but has to be rebuilt manually after every restart and adds a small delay.
Does Chorus let me send any app to a different output?
Yes. Chorus lists every app currently playing audio in its menu bar and lets you choose a real output for each one individually, with the choice remembered the next time that app launches. No virtual driver or manual setup is needed.
Can I set a different volume for each app as well as a different output?
Yes, in Chorus each app in the list has its own volume slider, independent of the system-wide volume, so one app can play quietly while another plays loud without either one changing the other.
