# BlackHole alternatives for Mac

By Sheik Ahamed, who makes Earmix. Checked on 5 November 2026.

<strong>Short answer:</strong> BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver with no interface, so most people use it to record Mac audio or to send sound to two places. If you want that without a Multi-Output Device, Earmix, which we make, records and controls each app directly. If you need a virtual device to feed into other apps, Loopback is the paid option with an interface.

## What BlackHole does, and where it gets awkward

BlackHole adds a virtual audio device to your Mac. Anything sent to it can be picked up as an input by another app. It's free (a donation is suggested), open source under GPL-3.0, runs on Intel and Apple silicon, and comes in 2, 16, 64, 128 and 256 channel versions.

It's only a driver, though. It has no window, no per-app control, and it doesn't record by itself. To record, you pair it with QuickTime, Audacity or OBS. To still hear what you're recording, you make a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup. That's where people run into trouble:

- **Volume keys stop working.** BlackHole's own README says macOS doesn't support changing the volume of a Multi-Output Device. The keys and the slider do nothing.
- **Some apps won't play to it.** The README also notes that Multi-Output Devices can be buggy.
- **It's all or nothing.** Everything the Mac plays goes to BlackHole. You can't pick one app.

## Soundflower on Apple silicon

Soundflower was the old free choice. It's deprecated, its last release was in 2014, and it doesn't support Apple silicon. On a current Mac, BlackHole replaced it, and the apps below replace both.

## The alternatives compared

| | Earmix | BlackHole | Loopback 2 | Audio Hijack 4 | Piezo | Background Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 early bird ($49) | Free | $99 | $69 | $29 | Free |
| Interface | Menu bar app | None | Yes | Yes | Yes | Menu bar app |
| Records by itself | Yes, per app | No | Not listed | Yes | Yes | System audio, via its virtual input |
| Records one app | Yes | No | Not listed | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Per-app volume | Yes, to 400% | No | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Several outputs at once | Two per app, in sync | With a Multi-Output Device | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Virtual device for other apps | No | Yes | Yes, combines apps and inputs | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| macOS | 14.2 or later | Not listed | 14.5 to 27 | 14.4 to 27 | 14.4 to 27 | Not listed |
| Open source | No | Yes, GPL-3.0 | No | No | No | Yes, GPL-2.0+ |

*From each app's website, checked November 2026. "Not listed" means the website doesn't mention it, not that the app can't do it. All names belong to their owners.*

## Earmix: record and route without a Multi-Output Device

Earmix is a per-app volume mixer that also records. Open an app's options in the menu bar and press **Record**: only that app's sound is saved to Music › Earmix Recordings as an .m4a. The app keeps playing as normal, and your output stays your normal speakers or headphones. For a call, your voice is mixed in, with a switch to leave it out.

If you used BlackHole to hear audio in two places, Earmix can send each app to its own output, or to two outputs at once kept in sync, including AirPlay. See [how to play audio through multiple outputs](https://earmix.app/multiple-audio-outputs-mac.html).

It also does the things BlackHole never tried to: a slider for each app, a 10-band EQ per app, ducking during calls and [one output per app](https://earmix.app/different-output-per-app-mac.html). It needs macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later. One licence covers one Mac at a time. It's not open source, and it comes from a newer, smaller developer than Rogue Amoeba.

## Where BlackHole is better

- **It's free and open source.** If you only record now and then and don't mind the setup, it costs nothing.
- **It's a real virtual device.** If you want to send an app's sound into another app as if it were a microphone, for example into OBS for a stream or into a DAW, you need a virtual device. BlackHole does that, with up to 256 channels.

## Who should pick Loopback, Audio Hijack or Piezo

Rogue Amoeba has made Mac audio tools for a long time, and the three cover different jobs:

- **Loopback 2** if you want what BlackHole does, with an interface: virtual devices that combine apps and inputs.
- **Audio Hijack 4** if you record often and want a System Audio source, VoIP calls, mics and local transcription in one app.
- **Piezo** if you just want to record an app or a Zoom or FaceTime call in one click.

Their trials add noise to recordings after 10 minutes, so you can test them before buying.

**Background Music** is free and also installs a virtual device. It gives per-app volume and can record system audio through its virtual input. Its README still calls it alpha, and macOS shows the mic indicator while audio plays.

## What they cost

- **BlackHole:** free, donation suggested.
- **Background Music:** free.
- **Earmix:** $12.99 once at the early-bird price, $49 regular. 14-day free trial with every feature, no account or card. 14-day refund.
- **Piezo:** $29 one-time.
- **Audio Hijack 4:** $69 one-time.
- **Loopback 2:** $99 one-time.

## Moving from BlackHole to Earmix

1. Open **System Settings › Sound** and set the output back to your speakers or headphones, not the Multi-Output Device.
2. In **Audio MIDI Setup**, select the Multi-Output Device you made and remove it with the **−** button.
3. If nothing else uses BlackHole, remove it as described in its README.
4. Install Earmix and give it **System Audio Recording** permission. Nothing is recorded until you press Record.
5. To record, open an app's options in Earmix and press Record. See [how to record internal audio on a Mac](https://earmix.app/record-internal-audio-mac.html).

## Questions

### What is the best BlackHole alternative for Mac?

For recording one app or a call without a Multi-Output Device, Earmix or Piezo. For a virtual device with an interface, Loopback. For a free virtual device, BlackHole itself is still the usual choice.

### Is there a Soundflower alternative for Apple silicon?

Yes. Soundflower doesn't support Apple silicon. BlackHole is the free driver that replaced it, and runs on Apple silicon. Earmix also supports Apple silicon, and Rogue Amoeba's Loopback and Audio Hijack support current macOS up to 27.

### Why don't my volume keys work with BlackHole?

Because your output is a Multi-Output Device, and macOS doesn't support changing its volume. Set the volume in each app, or switch back to your speakers when you're done.

### Can I record Mac audio without a Multi-Output Device?

Yes. On macOS 27 the Screenshot app can include system audio. On macOS 14.2 or later, Earmix records an app without a Multi-Output Device. Audio Hijack and Piezo record apps directly too.

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Earmix gives every Mac app and browser tab its own volume, output and EQ. Free for 14 days, then $12.99 once (early bird, regularly $49). https://earmix.app/