Install
Run the installer. VolumeKeys appears in the menu bar. No Terminal and no complicated setup.
Your Mac volume keys.
Working again.
Some audio interfaces and displays disable F10, F11 and F12. VolumeKeys brings them back for your chosen output. No extra window required.
Use your Mac volume keys
F10, F11 and F12 control your external audio interface or compatible display—no additional VolumeKeys window needed.
VolumeKeys
45-second product tour
External audio.
Native controls.
Watch VolumeKeys bring F10, F11 and F12 back, switch between available outputs and stay quietly in the menu bar.
How it works
Three steps.
Then use your keys.
Install VolumeKeys, choose your interface, and keep using your Mac the way you already do.
Choose your interface
Choose your audio interface or display and the output you want to control. VolumeKeys remembers both.
VolumeKeys
Use the keys
Press F10, F11 or F12 to mute, turn down or turn up. That’s it.
More than volume keys
Simple to use.
Careful with your audio.
VolumeKeys keeps the controls simple and handles the important details in the background.
Digital monitor controller
Switch monitors. Match their level.
Set and remember a separate volume for every output pair, level-match your monitors, then switch globally to compare the same track at a consistent listening level—without repatching cables.
High-precision 32-bit floating-point volume processing designed for transparent monitor control.
Digital attenuation
Control level without adding gain.
VolumeKeys attenuates the routed Mac signal and is not designed to add gain above the source level. Set your interface or monitor control for the physical listening level you want.
Private by design
VolumeKeys processes your audio on your Mac.
Your audio is processed locally and is not sent to our servers by VolumeKeys. The app contains no ads or app-usage analytics.
Controlled changes
Fade into each saved monitor level.
VolumeKeys fades device and output-pair changes through silence, then fades into the volume saved for the destination pair. Match different monitor pairs once and compare them at a consistent listening level without a second jump after the switch.
Mono check.
Hear both channels together to spot phase and balance problems.
Bass Focus + Night.
Focus isolates everything below 150 Hz for precise low-end decisions. Night combines a 60 Hz high-pass with a 6 dB low shelf at 200 Hz—less bass through walls without thinning the whole mix as strongly.
Automatic buffer.
Follows the active hardware/DAW buffer without a second competing setting.
Automatic output fallback.
If the selected interface or display disconnects, VolumeKeys automatically returns system playback to the current macOS default output.
Recording
Keep your DAW connected directly.
Select the physical interface in your DAW for recording. VolumeKeys can control normal Mac audio at the same time.
Global shortcuts
Digital monitor control.
Right from your keyboard.
Switch monitor pairs, toggle VolumeKeys, check mono and audition both bass modes from anywhere on your Mac.
Keyboard preview
Point at a shortcut
VolumeKeys·On / Off
Bass Focus·On / Off
Bass Night·On / Off
Mono·On / Off
Monitor pair·Select
All shortcuts·Ready
1234567890
ZXCVBNM
fn⌃control⌥option⌘command
VolumeKeysOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandV
Monitor pairSelect1–2 → 19–20
⌃control⌥option⌘command1
Bass FocusOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandB
Bass NightOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandN
MonoOn / Off
⌃control⌥option⌘commandM
Only available output pairs get a shortcut. Each global shortcut is registered independently, so a conflict on one shortcut does not disable the others.
Studio voices
Small moments.
Less friction.
“I press the same three keys I already use on my Mac. That is the whole point.”
“A call comes in, I tap mute, and the room is quiet. No reaching behind the screen.”
“Mono and bass checks used to mean opening another tool. Now they are in the menu bar.”
“My keyboard is now a digital monitor controller: I can switch between two speaker pairs, check Mono, and activate Bass Focus in seconds. At night, the Night setting keeps the balance while sending less low end through the walls—keeping the neighbours happy.”
Try first. Pay once.
Use every feature free for 7 days.
Your trial starts only after VolumeKeys creates its first working audio connection. Setup time does not count.
No card required. The seven days start with your first working audio connection.
Questions?
Clear answers.
Try the complete app on your own Mac for seven days. Buy it only if it works for you.
Why do my Mac volume keys stop working with an audio interface or display?+
Many audio interfaces and digital display outputs do not give macOS a settable volume control, so F10–F12 stop changing the level. VolumeKeys creates a software-controlled route for compatible Core Audio outputs and brings the keys back.
Does VolumeKeys add digital gain?+
VolumeKeys attenuates the routed Mac signal and is not designed to add gain above the source level. Actual loudness still depends on the source audio, interface, amplifier, headphones and speakers.
How does Bass Focus reveal everything below 150 Hz so precisely?+
Bass Focus uses a fourth-order Linkwitz–Riley low-pass (24 dB per octave) set to 150 Hz. Two cascaded Butterworth stages create a smooth, monotonic curve with −6 dB at the labelled cutoff, while left and right are filtered independently so the low end stays stereo. Its coefficients are calculated for the active sample rate, and a 30 ms crossfade with fixed safety headroom makes switching clean without look-ahead or added buffering latency. You hear kick, bass and low-frequency buildup in isolation—not a crude one-knob EQ.
How does Bass Night reduce low frequencies for your neighbours without ruining the mix?+
Bass Night targets long-wavelength low frequencies, which typical walls and floors attenuate less effectively and can transmit through a building’s structure. A second-order Butterworth high-pass at 60 Hz attenuates deep sub-bass; then a −6 dB low shelf at 200 Hz, based on Robert Bristow-Johnson’s biquad design, progressively reduces the remaining low end while keeping the mids and highs intact. The stereo, sample-rate-aware cascade runs without look-ahead or extra buffering and blends over 30 ms, so it sounds balanced instead of abruptly thin. It reduces low-frequency energy entering the room; listening level and the building still determine how much reaches your neighbours.
Why does macOS ask to record system audio?+
VolumeKeys needs this macOS permission to receive your Mac audio, change its level and send it to your interface. VolumeKeys does not record or upload that audio; its audio processing remains on your Mac.
Which macOS version do I need?+
The minimum system version is macOS 14.2. VolumeKeys supports Apple silicon and Intel Macs; use the free trial to confirm your exact macOS, interface and driver combination.
Will it work with my interface or display?+
VolumeKeys supports compatible Core Audio outputs, including USB and Thunderbolt interfaces as well as HDMI or DisplayPort displays that appear as a standard stereo output. Drivers can still behave differently, so use the full 7-day trial as the final check.
Does VolumeKeys need an internet connection?+
Not for normal audio use. Internet is needed to download, buy and activate VolumeKeys. After successful activation, a paid license is designed for normal offline use, subject to its local license state and technical requirements.
Is VolumeKeys a subscription?+
VolumeKeys is a one-time purchase. The checkout shows the final price and applicable taxes before you order.