BalanceBar help

Back to a better listen.

A quick guide to the little controls in your menu bar.

Getting started

Download the released BalanceBar app from this website or the Mac App Store when available.
Download and open the DMG. Drag BalanceBar onto the Applications shortcut, then eject the disk image. Open BalanceBar from Applications.
Click the five-bar BalanceBar icon in your Mac’s menu bar to open the controls. It doesn’t have a Dock window.

Installing BalanceBar

This free download is locally signed, but has no Apple Developer ID certificate or notarization. macOS may block it on first launch because Apple cannot verify the developer. Download it only if you trust MarSys and are comfortable with that limitation.

Download and open the DMG. Drag BalanceBar onto the Applications shortcut, then eject the disk image. Open BalanceBar from Applications.
Try opening BalanceBar. If macOS says the developer cannot be verified or Apple cannot check it, close that message.
If you choose to proceed, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and look for Open Anyway for BalanceBar. Confirm Open when prompted.
Look for the five-bar icon in your menu bar.

Some managed Macs do not allow this option. If macOS reports malware or a damaged app, stop instead of overriding the warning. See Apple’s guide to opening downloaded apps.

Your audio controls

Mono audio

Switch it on to combine the left and right channels into the same content for both ears. It’s useful when you’re wearing just one earbud. This is a Mac-wide setting, so it affects the audio from your apps together.

Left and right balance

Move the slider toward the ear you want louder. The L/R readout shows position along the balance slider, with 50/50 at the centre; it is not the volume of each ear. Center returns to equal balance. Balance follows the current output selected in macOS. It doesn’t change which device your Mac plays through.

Separate ear volumes

On the Balance tab, turn on Separate ears for independent Left and Right volume sliders. Each percentage is that channel’s volume; moving one leaves the other unchanged. Switching modes does not change your sound. This requires writable channel controls, verified with AirPods Pro 3. Outputs without these controls show Unavailable. Balance and ear-volume controls are disabled while sharing.

Connect both pairs of headphones to your Mac in Bluetooth settings.
Open BalanceBar → Share audio and select at least two stereo outputs.
Click Start sharing. Adjust each device’s slider to set its volume. Where a device doesn’t expose volume, use its own controls.
Click Stop sharing to return to your previous output.

Left/right balance is disabled while sharing; mono remains a Mac-wide setting. Bluetooth timing may differ between devices. Use your Mac’s microphone for calls to keep Bluetooth headphones in stereo mode. Two-AirPods playback and independent volume testing are still pending.

If the previous output disconnects, select a connected output in Sound settings before stopping or quitting. BalanceBar stores recovery information locally so it can recognize an interrupted sharing session.

Keyboard volume controls

In Share audio, enable Volume keys and allow BalanceBar under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring. While sharing, volume up and down adjust all selected outputs together, preserving their relative levels. Mute silences both; press it again to restore their levels. Each output must support volume adjustment. The native macOS master-volume slider remains unavailable for multi-output devices; use the keyboard or BalanceBar’s individual sliders.

Launch at login

Turn it on if you want BalanceBar to start when you sign in. If macOS asks for approval, open Login Items from the app and allow it. Turn the switch off to stop launching automatically.

Will it work with my setup?

BalanceBar requires macOS 13 or later. The app is built for both Apple silicon and Intel. We’ve verified mono and balance with AirPods Pro 3 on our development Mac. Native Liquid Glass is available on macOS 26 or later; earlier versions use standard translucent materials. Separate Intel and older macOS testing is still pending.

Your output must expose a writable stereo balance control. Some HDMI, digital and aggregate outputs do not. Bluetooth headphones can expose fewer controls while their microphone is being used for a call. BalanceBar shows unavailable controls instead of pretending to change them.

Balance is unavailable. What can I try?

Open Sound settings and choose a stereo output, such as your Mac’s speakers or headphones. If your headphones are in a call, try again after the call ends. Some devices simply don’t expose stereo balance.

macOS refused an adjustment.

Read the error shown in the app. Reconnect the output and try its balance control in macOS Sound settings. If you changed output devices during an adjustment, try the control again on the new output.

I can’t find the app after opening it.

Look for the small five-bar icon at the top of your screen. If your menu bar is crowded or has a camera notch, check whether your menu-bar management app is hiding it. Opening BalanceBar again also opens its controls.

Does it reset my sound when I quit?

Mono and balance stay as you left them. Stop sharing returns to your previous output when connected. Quit also restores that output; if it’s missing, select another output in Sound settings first.

How do I remove BalanceBar?

Turn off Launch at login, return your audio settings to your preference, and choose Quit. Move BalanceBar from Applications to the Trash. Removing the app does not reset your Mac’s sound settings.

Can I control two headsets or separate apps?

Version 1.1 adds shared output and separate device volumes where supported. It does not mix individual apps. See Share audio above for setup and the current testing limitations.

Contact MarSys

The public support inbox is being set up. For now, the answers on this page cover the current version.

For an audio issue, include your macOS version, BalanceBar version, output-device model and what you expected to happen. Please don’t send passwords or audio recordings.

Website sponsorship helps keep BalanceBar free. A clearly labelled placement is available on the home page, away from the download controls. No ads are placed inside the app.

Sponsor enquiries will open when the public support inbox is available.