EarTrumpet

EarTrumpet is a free Windows application that replaces the built-in volume mixer with something considerably more useful. It lives in the system tray and gives you a separate volume slider for every app that is currently producing sound, rather than forcing you to dig through Windows settings or use the limited controls built into the taskbar icon.

Beyond per-app volume control, EarTrumpet lets you move individual applications between different audio output devices on the fly. If you want your music to play through speakers while a video call uses headphones, you can set that up directly from the tray without changing system-wide defaults. You can also manage which device is the default and set custom inputs and outputs per application.

The interface adapts to your Windows color scheme and works in both light and dark mode. Keyboard shortcuts can be configured for common actions. The app supports more than 20 languages, with translations contributed through the Crowdin platform.

EarTrumpet is available through the Microsoft Store, which handles automatic updates. It won the 2022 Microsoft Store Community Choice Award in the open platform category and has been covered by The Verge, Windows Central, TechQuickie, and Linus Tech Tips as a recommended alternative to Windows' default audio controls.

The source code is written in C# using WPF, the Windows-native UI framework. The README is extensive and includes a full translator credit section and additional technical details. The full README is longer than what was shown.