Open-source macOS menu bar app

Music that knows when to step aside.

FlowSound fades and pauses Apple Music or Spotify when other apps play audio, then restores it when things become quiet again. Netease Cloud Music is available as an experimental adapter.

Built for macOS 15+. Official Apple Music and Spotify support. Experimental Netease Cloud Music. Local-first, no analytics.

Featured on FlowSound - Auto-fade Apple Music or Spotify when other apps play audio | Product Hunt

Audio focus for your music app

No overlap. No sudden silence.

Without FlowSound manual
Apple Music / Spotify / Netease
Video / other audio

Two soundtracks compete until you pause one by hand.

With FlowSound automatic
Apple Music / Spotify / Netease
Video / other audio
fade out pause resume

Music steps aside, then returns from the same paused position.

Avoid overlapping audio. Avoid sudden silence. Stay in flow.

Demo

Watch FlowSound react to other audio.

The menu bar app listens for app audio activity, fades your selected music app out, pauses it, then restores the previous volume.

Trust

Simple, local, auditable.

Simple

Lives in the menu bar. Turn it on or off anytime.

Private

No recording, no uploads, no analytics, no server.

Open source

Built in Swift with Core Audio and local music app automation.

Permissions

Why macOS asks for access.

FlowSound needs a few local permissions to do one job. It does not use a network service.

Audio Capture

Used to detect whether other apps are producing audio.

Automation

Used to control the selected music app. Experimental adapters may also need Accessibility for menu commands.

Login Item

Optional, only if you enable Launch at Login.

FAQ

Small answers before you download.

Does FlowSound record audio?

No. FlowSound only computes local audio activity levels.

Does it upload anything?

No. FlowSound has no analytics, no server, and no upload feature.

Does it work with Spotify?

Yes. FlowSound supports Apple Music and Spotify through local AppleScript.

Can it support other music apps?

Apple Music and Spotify are official. Netease Cloud Music is experimental and uses menu commands plus Core Audio output feedback, so it may break if the app menu changes.

Does it support Chinese?

Yes. FlowSound supports English and Simplified Chinese, with automatic language selection and a manual preference.

Why does macOS warn me when opening it?

Current builds are ad-hoc signed tester builds until a Developer ID notarized release is available.