OPEN-SOURCE PICK · FREE
Background Music for Mac
Per-app volume and auto-pause
- Menu bar
- Audio & video
- Open source · GPL-2.0
- Free
- ★ 19.3k on GitHub
Background Music is a free, open-source audio utility for macOS. Set a volume for each app, pause your music automatically when something else plays, and record system audio.
Key features
PER-APP VOLUME
Turn one app down without touching the others.
AUTO-PAUSE MUSIC
Your music player pauses when another sound starts and resumes when it stops.
RECORD SYSTEM AUDIO
Capture the sound your Mac plays.
Who Background Music is for
- People in video calls while music plays
- Anyone annoyed by one loud app
- Podcasters
Install
With Homebrew:
Or use the Download button above and drag the app to your Applications folder.
Requirements: macOS 10.13 and later. Still marked alpha by its developer.
A free alternative to SoundSource
People often look for Background Music when they want what SoundSource does without paying. Background Music is free and its source code is public, so you can see exactly what it does on your Mac.
FAQ
Is it free?
Yes, free and open source under GPL-2.0.
How do I install it?
Download from GitHub releases or run brew install --cask background-music.
Background Music is made by kyleneideck, not by OneClickTool. We list it because we use it and recommend it; we are not paid to. Details checked against its README on 2026-10-07.