fbpx

Struggling to adjust the volume on your new Mac? For some people, volume adjusting isn’t important but it plays a huge role for musicians, editors, and video gamers. Low volume on Mac devices might even frustrate casual users, given how expensive a Mac can cost.

But don’t fret, we’re here to help.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to make your MacBook louder by adjusting its volume. Read on and learn how to deal with some volume issues that you might encounter while using your Mac PC.

Is Low Volume on Mac an OS Problem?

People say that Macs have a low sound level because of Apple’s design intention. The theory is that the company put a limit on the maximum volume to preserve the speakers, meaning low volume on Mac devices is by design. Many people put this theory into a test by using a MacBook with both macOS and Windows installed.

With an app to measure the sound output, they played music using the maximum volume. The macOS was much louder compared to Windows. It’s louder by 10.3 dB, which debunks this myth.

Check the macOS Settings First

Before you use unconventional methods, check the settings on the MacBook first. Ensure that they’re properly set. If they aren’t, setting them to your preferred volume is enough to remedy the problem.

To start, go to your System Preferences and check the Sound Panel. Once the dialog box appears, go to the Sound tab. If it isn’t already, set the Balance in the middle since moving it to either end will mute one of your speakers.

After that, check whether the Mute box isn’t checked. If it is, uncheck it since it’s the reason you don’t have any sound at all.

At the bottom of the dialog box, you’ll see the option for “Show volume in the menu bar”. Check this box if you want to control your Mac’s volume from the menu bar. A good shortcut for moving the volume slider is to press the keyboard’s F11/F12 keys or the Touch Bar’s volume control.

Using the F11/F12 keys to change the volume of the Mac, you might find it difficult to get your preferred sound level. It’s because the volume level will change in big increments. It’s easily remedied if you hold down the Shift and Option keys while pressing F11 or F12.

MacBook Suddenly Decreasing Volume

Some users report that their Mac volume is too low. There are a lot of reasons this can happen. But if the Mac volume is too low, here are some common fixes:

1. Force Quitting Applications

Sometimes, applications will take control of the speaker volumes. It’s not a problem until these apps don’t release their reins. A good example is Safari, especially when you open websites that take control of your speakers.

Another application that exhibits this problem is Team Viewer. For this application, you can force quit after each session. An alternative is to unselect the “Computer sound” option in its settings.

A good way to return your Mac volume to normal is to force-quit all applications and reboot your computer. If that doesn’t fix the problem, the issue lies somewhere else.

Is your Mac sound not working? If so, click the link and learn how to fix the most common audio problems with your Mac PC. It’s a good read, especially if you’re having problems with your Bluetooth audio connection.

2. Resetting the NVRAM/PRAM and SMC

NVRAM and PRAM contain most of your Mac’s memory. This includes some information about your speaker’s settings. When corrupted, you’re unable to change the sound volume of your Mac computer.

It’s easy to reset your PRAM and NVRAM since the process is the same. Press your power button for six seconds to turn off the Mac. After that, start your Mac and wait for 20 seconds before pressing four keys at the same time: Command, Option, P, and R.

How to Increase the iTunes Volume

Is iTunes your main app for listening to music and podcasts? If so, you’re in luck since there’s a way for you to boost its sound volume. Start the iTunes app and go to the Equalizer item from the Window menu.

An alternative is to press the Command, Option, and E at the same time. This brings up the Equalizer window, allowing you to pick a preset. The default is Flat, but you can manually boost all frequencies.

Do the latter and compare the volumes before and after using a test music file. For example, increasing the Preamp to its maximum volume will increase the overall sound by 4dB. Maximizing all the frequencies will make the sound louder, but it becomes distorted.

How to Increase the Volume for Other Media Players

Watching DVD movies on your Mac is better if you try out VLC media player. It’s louder than iTunes by 2.5dB when the volume is at its maximum. The good news is that you can increase the volume beyond this.

To do this, go to the VLC Preferences and choose the Audio tab. It has the “Always reset audio start level to” option. Its default is 100%, but you can boost this up to 200%, which makes it 5.5dB louder than iTunes.

This app also has an Equalizer that you can access using the Window menu. Go to Audio Effects, enable the Preamp, and set it to its maximum. This will make it 6.5dB louder than iTunes, which isn’t recommended since it might damage your ears.

Learn How to Make Mac Louder Today!

These are some ways for you to increase the volume on Mac computers. Whether it’s the computer or some apps, follow this guide to get your preferred volume. If these problems persist, contact a professional and let them sort it out for you.

Did this guide help you adjust your Mac’s volume? If so, keep reading our blog for more tech tips and hacks.


INFOtainment News

Contributing authors to the INFOtainment News team. Let us know if you'd like to contribute as well.

View all posts

1 comment

Leave a Reply!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

INFOtainment News

Contributing authors to the INFOtainment News team. Let us know if you'd like to contribute as well.

Get The Newsletter

Enter your email address to subscribe to ITN and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Advertisement

Instagram

Instagram has returned empty data. Please authorize your Instagram account in the plugin settings .

Book Recommendations

Brilliantly

SAFE!

2022

Categories