# How to play audio through two outputs at once on a Mac

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

<strong>Short answer:</strong> To play audio through two outputs on a Mac, make a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup and choose it as your output. It works, but the volume keys and slider stop working, some apps won't play to it, and it applies to every app. To send just one app to two outputs and keep volume control, use a mixer such as Earmix, which we make.

## How to make a Multi-Output Device

Audio MIDI Setup comes with macOS, in Applications › Utilities.

1. Open **Audio MIDI Setup**.
2. Click **+** and choose **Create Multi-Output Device**.
3. In the list on the right, tick **Use** next to each output you want, for example the Mac's speakers and a pair of headphones.
4. Pick the **Primary** device. That's the one the others keep time with.
5. Turn on **drift correction** for the outputs that aren't primary, so they stay in step.
6. Open System Settings › Sound and choose the Multi-Output Device as your output.

Everything the Mac plays now comes out of all the ticked devices together.

## The limits of a Multi-Output Device

- **No volume control.** The volume keys and the Sound slider don't work on a Multi-Output Device. You have to set the level on each device, or in each app. BlackHole's README puts it plainly: "macOS does not support changing the volume of a Multi-Output device".
- **Some apps won't play to it.** BlackHole's README also notes that multi-outputs can be buggy and some apps won't work with them.
- **It's all or nothing.** Every app goes to every output in the device. You can't send only Spotify to the second speaker.
- **You switch it by hand.** When you're done, you go back to System Settings › Sound and pick a normal output again.

For a one-off, such as a party playlist on two speakers, it's free and good enough. If you want this often, or for one app only, a mixer is easier.

## Two outputs for one app, with volume

Earmix can send one app to two outputs at once, kept in sync, while every other app stays where it is.

1. Open Earmix from the menu bar (macOS 14.2 Sonoma or later).
2. Open the app's settings from the Mixer tab.
3. Choose its output, then add a second one.
4. Use the app's slider for its volume, from silent to 400%.

![Earmix's Devices tab, listing the Mac's outputs](https://earmix.app/img/devices-light-1x.png "The Devices tab lists every output Earmix can send to.")

Because Earmix sets each app's volume itself, the slider keeps working, and your volume keys still control the Mac's main output. You can also send an app to an AirPlay speaker, or [send each app to its own output](https://earmix.app/different-output-per-app-mac.html) instead of copying it to two.

## Other apps that do this

| | Price | Several outputs | Volume keeps working | Per app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-Output Device | Free, built in | Yes | No | No |
| **Earmix** | $12.99 early bird ($49), one Mac | Two per app | Yes | Yes |
| SoundSource | $49, all your Macs | Output Groups | Not listed | Yes |
| FineTune | Free, open source | Multi-device output | Not listed | Not listed |

*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.*

FineTune is free and has multi-device output, so try it first if price matters. SoundSource's Output Groups come from Rogue Amoeba, a long-established developer, and one licence covers all your Macs. Loopback, also from Rogue Amoeba, makes virtual devices that combine apps and inputs, for more involved setups; it's $99.

## When you want a virtual device instead

Some people make a Multi-Output Device so they can record the Mac's sound with BlackHole while still hearing it. That works, with the same volume limits. If recording is the goal, there are simpler ways now: see [how to record internal audio on a Mac](https://earmix.app/record-internal-audio-mac.html) and our [BlackHole alternative guide](https://earmix.app/blackhole-alternative.html).

## Questions

### Can a Mac play audio through two outputs at the same time?

Yes. Make a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup and pick it as the output. Every app then plays on all the devices in it.

### Why can't I change the volume of a Multi-Output Device?

macOS doesn't support volume on a Multi-Output Device, so the volume keys and slider do nothing. Set each device's level separately, or use a mixer app that controls volume itself.

### How do I play sound on AirPods and speakers at once on a Mac?

Add both to a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup and tick Use for each, or use a mixer such as Earmix to send one app to both while the rest stay on one output.

### Can I send just one app to two outputs?

Not with macOS alone, since a Multi-Output Device applies to every app. Earmix can send one app to two outputs, kept in sync, and SoundSource has Output Groups.

---

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/