LoudBar is a tiny menu-bar app that amplifies your system audio up to 200% — clean, real-time boost with a smart limiter. No kernel driver, no sudo, no reboot.
One-time payment · macOS 14.4+ · Apple Silicon & Intel
Most volume hacks crackle, collapse to mono, or need a sketchy driver. LoudBar doesn't.
Push quiet videos, calls, and games well past the system maximum — right from the menu bar.
A smooth soft-limiter (tanh) tames peaks, so you get more loudness without the crackle.
Runs entirely in-process using Core Audio. Nothing to install in the kernel. No reboot.
A single synchronized audio clock means zero drift — no echo, no lag, no mono collapse.
Drag to boost, flip the switch to toggle. That's the whole interface. It just works.
A native Swift menu-bar app that sips resources and stays out of your way.
LoudBar taps system audio in-process, applies gain with a limiter, and renders it back on one clock.
A Core Audio process tap captures system output in-process.
A private aggregate device binds the tap + your speakers to a single clock.
A realtime IOProc applies gain and a tanh soft-limit in Float32 stereo.
The amplified, clean signal goes straight to your Mac speakers.
No subscription, no account. Pay, download, done.
Instant download after payment · macOS 14.4+
LoudBar is an indie app and isn't notarized yet, so on first launch macOS may say it
"cannot be opened." Just right-click the app → Open (or go to
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway). The full steps are on
your thank-you page after purchase.
Up to ~200% of your system's normal maximum. The built-in soft-limiter keeps it clean as you push higher, so you gain real loudness without the distortion you'd get from naive amplification.
No. LoudBar runs entirely in user space using Core Audio's process-tap API. There's no kernel driver, no sudo, and no reboot. You'll grant a one-time audio permission on first boost.
macOS 14.4 (Sonoma) or later — that's the floor for the process-tap API. Works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
The app isn't notarized by Apple yet. It's safe — it's just unsigned by a paid Developer ID. Right-click the app and choose Open, or allow it from System Settings → Privacy & Security. Step-by-step instructions are on the thank-you page.
Checkout is handled securely by Polar. The moment your payment goes through you'll get the LoudBar DMG — both on the thank-you page and by email, with access to your purchase any time via Polar's customer portal.
No. It's a single $9 one-time payment for lifetime use, including free updates across the v2.x line.