How can I turn off sound for a single application?

Question

How can I turn off sound for a single application?

So I'm playing iTunes while browsing the web. I come to a webpage with some really annoying Macromdia Flash content. Lots of noise. I'd like to turn the sound off for my browser (Firefox) without turning off iTunes. Similar problem occurs when I'm playing games ... I'd sometimes like to be able to play my own music instead of the game soundtrack. So I'd like to be able to tell the game to be silent without turning the sound of my Mac off completely.

On my Windows XP machine, whatever application currently has control of the sound is the only one that can make noise. On the Mac the sounds layer together. That's much better in the case of, for example, e-mail app signaling that new mail has arrived. But it is really annoying for the two cases I mentioned above.

Is there any way in the MacOSX operating system to control the volume for a particular application? Is there any other sound control software that folks know about that I should consider acquiring?

Mac Book Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Jun 24, 2007 2:27 PM

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Answer 1

Jun 24, 2007 2:44 PM in response to Incompetent Fool

Kinda funny... I found this article while searching for an answer to my question:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93610

At the very end of the article, it mentions the "bug" that only one app on Windows can play direct sound at a time. That's exactly the "feature" I'm looking for on the Mac. Funny how one person's bug is another's feature. 😉

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Answer 2

Jun 24, 2007 5:37 PM in response to Incompetent Fool

If the application has no sound controls you can play it through Audio Hijack Pro. That has a "Mute" button. It can handle multiple applications simultaneously, with individual controls.
<http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/>

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Answer 3

Jun 25, 2007 2:47 PM in response to Malcolm Rayfield

I installed the demo version. Yep, that seems to do the trick. It says it will cause pops and noises in the sound after 30 days unless registered, but since I'm using it to mute, that may not be necessary. I'll contact the company and see if they will offer a discounted registration since I'm only wanting part of their functionality.

I'm also leaving the question as "unanswered" since I'd really prefer some other solution that doesn't involve spending money on another software product. But thank you for your help.

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