You install a new app. It launches for the first time. It immediately plays audio — an intro sound, a notification, a tutorial video — at full system volume. You weren't expecting it. Your headphones are on. Your ears ring.
macOS has no concept of "default volume for new apps" because macOS doesn't have per-app volume. Every app gets the system volume, and the system volume is whatever you last set it to. New apps don't get special treatment — they just blast at whatever level everything else is at.
Why this is a problem
When you first launch an app, you have no idea how loud it's going to be. Some apps play sounds immediately (onboarding tutorials, notification sounds, welcome videos). If your system volume is at 80% because you were listening to music, that new app's sound is also at 80% — which might be way louder than comfortable for an unexpected audio source.
This is especially jarring with:
- Communication apps (Slack, Teams) that play a startup sound
- Apps with video tutorials on first launch
- Games that blast title screen music immediately
- Browser-based apps that auto-play content
The fix: default volume for new apps
SoundDial has a configurable default volume for new apps. In settings, you set what volume level newly detected apps should start at — for example, 70%. The first time any app launches and produces audio, SoundDial sets it to 70% instead of 100%.
This means:
- No surprise full-volume audio from newly installed apps
- Every new app starts at a comfortable, predictable level
- You can then adjust it up or down from the default as needed
- Once adjusted, the volume memory feature remembers that app's level for future launches
It's a small feature, but it solves a genuine daily annoyance — the "new app surprise blast" that catches everyone off guard at least once.
Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store — €14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, macOS 14.2+.