Comparison · Mac
Soundflower alternatives for Mac
For years, Soundflower was the free way to send one app’s sound into another on a Mac, and plenty of guides still tell you to install it. On a current Mac it won’t run. Here’s what happened, and what does the same jobs now.
A note before you read: we make Patch, one of the tools on this page. We’ve tried to be fair, including about when a free tool is the better pick.
The short version
- Soundflower’s own page marks it deprecated: Apple silicon Macs aren’t supported, and its last release is for Big Sur 11.1 and earlier.
- BlackHole is the free driver most people move to. Like Soundflower, it carries sound but doesn’t mix it.
- If you used Soundflower to get music or an app into a call with your voice, a router with a mixer is the shorter path.
What happened to Soundflower
Cycling ’74 built Soundflower as a free, open-source virtual audio device. In 2014 it passed to Rogue Amoeba, and at the end of 2015 its original author, Matt Ingalls, took it back. Its GitHub page now opens with a deprecation notice saying Apple silicon Macs are not supported.
Its last release, 2.0b2, is labelled for macOS Big Sur 11.1 and earlier, and its notes say M1 Macs aren’t supported yet. Soundflower is a kernel extension, the older kind of driver Apple has been moving away from, and its installer isn’t signed. On an Intel Mac with a newer macOS it may be blocked; on Apple silicon it won’t run.
What you used it for
Most people installed Soundflower for one of three jobs, and each now has a better fit:
- Music or a video into a call, with your voice. A router with a mixer, or your call app’s share sound.
- Recording your Mac’s sound. OBS captures app audio on macOS 13 and later, and the macOS screen recorder can include system audio on macOS 27. See screen recording with audio.
- Moving audio between music apps. A virtual cable such as BlackHole, or Loopback for many channels.
The alternatives
| Tool | Cost | Apple silicon | Mixes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patch | $39 once, free trial | Apple silicon only, macOS 26+ | Mic and up to four apps |
| BlackHole | Free, open source | Yes, and Intel | None: a virtual cable |
| Loopback | $99, free trial | Yes, macOS 14.5+ | Any apps and devices |
| Soundflower | Free, open source | No | None: a virtual cable |
Prices and requirements are from each maker’s own site, checked on 29 September 2026.
BlackHole
BlackHole, from Existential Audio, is the closest thing to Soundflower today: a free, open-source virtual audio driver, maintained, for Intel and Apple silicon Macs. Version 0.7.1 came out in July 2026. It carries sound bit for bit and has no window or mixer, so pairing it with your mic means building devices in Audio MIDI Setup. What the BlackHole setup takes.
Loopback
Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback is the full router: virtual devices built from any apps and hardware, a level for each, channel mapping and monitors. Version 2.5 needs macOS 14.5 or later. It costs $99, and the free trial adds noise after 20 minutes. Loopback vs BlackHole.
Patch
Patch, which we make, does the one job most people installed Soundflower for. It mixes your mic and up to four apps, with a level for each and a limiter, into one virtual microphone called Patch Mix for Zoom, Discord, Google Meet or OBS. It needs a Mac with Apple silicon on macOS 26 or later, and makes one mix rather than any number of devices.
Moving off Soundflower
- Remove Soundflower if it’s still installed, with its uninstaller script, or by deleting Soundflower.kext from /Library/Extensions, then restart.
- Open Audio MIDI Setup and delete any Multi-Output or Aggregate Devices built around Soundflower.
- Set your Mac’s output back to your headphones or speakers.
- Install the replacement, and choose its device where you used to choose Soundflower: Patch Mix as the microphone, or BlackHole as the output and input.
Questions
Does Soundflower work on M1, M2 or later Macs?
No. Soundflower’s GitHub page says Apple silicon Macs are not supported, and its last release, 2.0b2, says M1 Macs aren’t supported yet. Nothing newer has come out. On an Apple silicon Mac, use BlackHole, Loopback or Patch.
Is BlackHole the same as Soundflower?
It does the same basic job: a virtual device that carries sound from one app to another. BlackHole is maintained, runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, and comes in 2, 16 and 64-channel versions. Like Soundflower, it has no mixer of its own.
Why won’t Soundflower install on my Mac?
Soundflower is an old-style kernel extension. Its last release is labelled for macOS Big Sur 11.1 and earlier, and its installer isn’t signed, so newer macOS versions block it or need you to approve it in System Settings. On Apple silicon it doesn’t run at all.
Should I uninstall Soundflower?
If it no longer works on your Mac, yes, so old guides and apps stop pointing at it. Soundflower installs Soundflower.kext in /Library/Extensions; remove it with its uninstaller script if you have it, then restart.
Who makes Soundflower now?
Cycling ’74 built it and handed it to Rogue Amoeba in 2014. At the end of 2015, its original author, Matt Ingalls, took it back. Rogue Amoeba now points people to its own app, Loopback.