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For most people, EarTrumpet is the best free Windows app for controlling volume and choosing an output device for individual apps. It puts per-app sliders and routing controls in the system tray without installing audio drivers. Choose BetterTrumpet if you want reusable setups and extra controls, SoundSwitch if you mainly want keyboard shortcuts for changing devices, or Voicemeeter Banana for complex multi-input and multi-output routing. If you only change app volumes occasionally, Windows’ built-in Volume mixer may already be enough.
Which free Windows audio app should you choose?
The right choice depends on what you want to change. Per-app volume, per-app output routing, switching your default speakers, and mixing several virtual audio paths are different jobs. A small tray mixer is convenient for the first two; a hotkey utility is better for repeatedly changing devices; a virtual mixer is meant for more elaborate routing.
| App | Best for | Per-app volume and routing | Device switching | Profiles or automation | Setup and licensing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Volume mixer | Occasional per-app adjustments without installing anything | Per-app volume and output-device selection | Not primarily a hotkey tool | Not established in the cited Microsoft support material | Built into Windows 10 and 11 |
| EarTrumpet | Everyday control from the system tray | Yes; individual app sliders and output routing | Its main purpose is not global device hotkeys | Not established by its product description | Free and open source; no extra driver or reboot required |
| BetterTrumpet | People who want saved audio setups and additional controls | Yes | Has broader mixer controls; not the focused hotkey choice | Profiles, persistent mute, media controls, themes, undo/redo, and command-line interface | Free and open source; Windows 10 version 1803 or newer and Windows 11; installer and portable builds |
| SoundSwitch | Quickly changing playback or recording devices with a shortcut | Per-app rules are listed among its features | Yes; global playback and recording hotkeys | Profiles and configurable notifications | Free and open source; tray utility |
| Voicemeeter Banana | Streaming and complex virtual audio routing | Routing is handled through its mixer and virtual buses rather than a simple per-app tray interface | Not the central use case | Advanced routing and processing features | Donationware; installs virtual audio drivers and requires a reboot |
The comparison reflects the features documented by the Windows support material and each project’s official page or FAQ. Where a feature is not specified there, it is marked as not established rather than assumed absent.
Choose by the problem you need to solve
- One app is too loud or needs to play through headphones: start with Windows Volume mixer or install EarTrumpet for more convenient tray access.
- You regularly switch among work, gaming, calls, and speakers: consider BetterTrumpet for profiles and persistent controls.
- You want a single shortcut to change the active output or microphone: use SoundSwitch.
- You need separate virtual paths for streaming, chat, games, or multiple microphones: consider Voicemeeter Banana, understanding that setup is more involved.
What Windows can do without another app
Windows 10 and Windows 11 already provide per-app volume controls and let you check the output device selected for an app. That means a third-party mixer is not required just to turn down one program or direct it to another output. The main difference is workflow: Windows provides the underlying controls, while tray utilities can make them quicker to reach or add features such as profiles and hotkeys.
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Use the built-in mixer first if you make these changes only now and then, want to avoid installing software, or are diagnosing whether an app has its own volume set too low. Check the app’s volume and the output device assigned to it. A program can be muted or routed to a device that is not the one you are listening to, even when Windows system sounds work normally.
Microsoft’s support guidance for the case where system sounds work but a particular app is silent also recommends restarting the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services, or updating audio drivers. Those are troubleshooting options, not a reason to install a mixer: first confirm the app’s own mixer level and output selection.
EarTrumpet: the simplest per-app mixer
EarTrumpet is a free, open-source Windows tray mixer made by File-New-Project. It provides a slider for each active app and can move an individual app to another output. For example, you can keep music on speakers while routing a call to headphones. It uses standard Windows audio APIs and does not require extra drivers or a reboot.
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When EarTrumpet fits
- You want separate sliders for active applications.
- You need to send a particular app to speakers, headphones, or another available output while leaving other apps alone.
- You prefer a tray-based utility that does not install an additional audio driver.
It is not the most feature-rich option in this group. The documented product description does not establish saved profiles, persistent mute, or global device-switching hotkeys. If those are the specific features you need, BetterTrumpet or SoundSwitch is a more direct match.
BetterTrumpet: per-app control with reusable setups
BetterTrumpet is a free, open-source mixer for Windows 10 and 11. Its FAQ specifies Windows 10 version 1803 and newer, as well as Windows 11, and says both installer and portable builds are available. Alongside per-app volume and output routing, it adds reusable profiles, persistent hard mute, media controls, themes, undo/redo, and a command-line interface.
Profiles are useful when the best device and volume arrangement changes with the task. You might want a call setup that favors a headset, a gaming arrangement with different app levels, and a speaker setup for general listening. The benefit is not just more controls; it is the ability to keep preferred arrangements as profiles rather than rebuilding the same set of choices each time. The FAQ lists these functions, but does not specify a limit on profiles or a particular automatic profile-triggering rule, so do not assume either.
Installer or portable build?
BetterTrumpet offers both formats. Choose the installer if you want a conventional installed app; choose the portable build if that distribution format better suits your Windows setup. The available information does not establish a feature difference between the two builds. Check that the computer meets the stated Windows requirement before troubleshooting an installation.
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Choose BetterTrumpet over a simpler tray mixer when its profile and persistent-mute functions matter to you. If you only need to move one app to headphones or adjust its slider, those extra controls may be unnecessary.
SoundSwitch: change devices with a hotkey
SoundSwitch is a free, open-source tray utility built around switching audio devices. Its official project page lists global hotkeys for cycling playback and recording devices, along with per-app rules, profiles, and configurable notifications. That focus makes it a better fit than a per-app mixer when the recurring hassle is changing from desk speakers to headphones, selecting a microphone, or moving to devices connected through a dock.
| Action | Documented default shortcut |
|---|---|
| Cycle playback devices | Ctrl+Alt+F11 |
| Cycle recording devices | Ctrl+Alt+F7 |
| Mute microphone | Ctrl+Alt+M |
These are the documented defaults, not a guarantee that the same key combination will be free on every computer. If a shortcut conflicts with another application or is awkward to reach, use SoundSwitch’s configurable hotkey settings. The project page also lists notifications, which can help confirm which device became active after a cycle.
SoundSwitch changes devices; it is not the most direct replacement for a mixer when your main task is independently balancing many apps. Its per-app rules and profiles are useful supporting features, but its distinctive advantage is the global shortcut workflow.
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Voicemeeter Banana: advanced virtual audio routing
Voicemeeter Banana is for users who need a more flexible audio layout than a standard per-app mixer provides. Examples include separating game and chat audio for a stream, combining multiple microphones, or routing audio through virtual inputs and outputs. The VB-Audio download page lists version 2.1.2.2, dated December 12, 2025, with five inputs, five outputs, two VAIO virtual input/output buses, an eight-channel recorder, VBAN networking, and compressor, gate, and limiter processing. Standard is included.
Those capabilities come with more setup complexity. Voicemeeter installs virtual audio drivers, and VB-Audio instructs users to run setup as administrator and reboot. Applications and Windows devices may need to be directed to the appropriate virtual or physical endpoints before the routing behaves as intended. This is a more invasive configuration than using a tray mixer or a device-switching utility, so it is best reserved for a real multi-path audio need.
Licensing and setup expectations
The Voicemeeter User Manual describes its model as “Simple donationware”: the functions are available, while users are asked to pay when the software is useful to them or used professionally. Do not mistake that model for a conventional paid feature tier based on the documented manual.
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- Download the version listed on VB-Audio’s official page and run setup as administrator.
- Allow the virtual audio drivers to install, then reboot as instructed.
- After restart, choose the relevant Voicemeeter virtual endpoints in Windows or in the applications whose audio you want to route.
- Configure the desired input, output, or processing path in the mixer, then test each application and physical device separately.
The available feature list establishes the number of inputs, outputs, buses, recorder channels, and processing tools, but does not prescribe a single correct routing layout. Plan the signal path around the applications and devices you actually use; a larger mixer is not automatically an improvement if you only need one app slider.
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How to route one app to headphones and another to speakers
For a straightforward split, use the Windows Volume mixer or EarTrumpet. The key is to distinguish an app’s output assignment from the system-wide default output. Changing an app’s destination should affect that app, not the other applications you leave assigned to their existing destinations.
- Connect and make available both output devices, such as speakers and headphones.
- Open the Windows Volume mixer, or open EarTrumpet from the system tray.
- Find the app you want to move and select the desired output device for that app.
- Leave the other app’s output assignment unchanged, then play audio in both apps to check that each reaches the intended device.
- If the app does not appear or the change has no effect, make sure it is active and producing audio, then check its own audio settings and the Windows app-level output selection.
For example, route a calling app to headphones while leaving a music app on speakers. Use a hotkey utility such as SoundSwitch when you want to change the active playback device globally, rather than assign different outputs to individual apps.
How to choose without overcomplicating your setup
A useful decision rule is to install the least complex tool that solves the recurring problem. The built-in mixer covers basic per-app control. EarTrumpet improves convenient access. BetterTrumpet adds saved configurations and extra controls. SoundSwitch targets device changes on demand. Voicemeeter Banana provides a virtual routing environment for users who need multiple paths.
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- Move to EarTrumpet if you want per-app sliders and routing readily available in the tray.
- Move to BetterTrumpet if reusable profiles, persistent mute, media controls, or its command-line interface answer a concrete need.
- Use SoundSwitch if the slow part of your routine is selecting playback or recording devices manually.
- Use Voicemeeter Banana only when virtual inputs, outputs, or processing are needed for a multi-source setup.
More features do not necessarily mean better day-to-day control. A driver-based virtual mixer can solve routing problems that other tools do not target, but it also adds installation and configuration steps. Conversely, a hotkey switcher is excellent at changing a device quickly but is not a substitute for a full mixing layout.
Fix app audio problems before changing tools
If system sounds work but one application is silent, changing mixers may not address the cause. Check the app’s level and its selected output first. Then use Microsoft’s recommended recovery options for this symptom: restart Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, or update the audio drivers.
Quick Recap
- Only one app is silent: inspect that app’s volume and output selection in the Volume mixer.
- The app plays through the wrong device: change its per-app output assignment rather than changing the default device for every app.
- A hotkey appears to do nothing: verify the active device list and check whether the shortcut is configured or conflicts with another app.
- A virtual routing setup is silent after installation: verify that the application is using the intended virtual endpoint and that the physical output is assigned in the mixer.
- System sounds work but the app remains silent: restart the two Windows audio services named above or update the relevant driver.
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