How to Control Tab Volume Individually in Chrome

If you’ve ever had multiple tabs playing sound at once, like YouTube, Spotify, and a news site, you know how annoying it can be to figure out which one’s too loud. Luckily, Chrome gives you ways to manage sound tab by tab. You don’t have to mute your whole browser or switch between windows endlessly. With the right built-in tools and extensions, you can take full control of volume on each tab separately.

Here’s how to do it in simple steps.

1. Mute or Unmute Tabs Using Chrome’s Built-In Option

The easiest way to control sound on a per-tab basis is Chrome’s mute feature.

When a tab is playing sound, you’ll see a small speaker icon on it. Just right-click the tab and select “Mute site.” This instantly silences that tab without affecting others.

If you want the sound back, right-click again and choose “Unmute site.”

This works perfectly when you have multiple tabs open, for example, keeping background music from Spotify while silencing a loud video ad on another site.

Tip: If you’re using several tabs from the same site (like YouTube), muting one mutes all tabs from that domain. If you want finer control, you’ll need an extension.

2. Use the Volume Master Extension for More Control

If you want to adjust the volume level for each tab instead of just muting, the Volume Master extension is your best tool.

Here’s how to use it:

Install Volume Master from https://volumemaster.app/.
Click its icon next to the address bar.
A slider appears that lets you boost or reduce volume for that specific tab.

You can increase volume up to 600%, and it only affects that one tab. This means your YouTube music can play at full power while your background podcast stays soft and balanced.

The best part? It doesn’t slow down Chrome or interfere with other extensions.

3. Use Chrome Volume Mixer (Windows Only)

Windows users can fine-tune tab sound through the system volume mixer.

Right-click the speaker icon on your taskbar.
Choose Open Volume Mixer.
You’ll see a separate slider for Chrome.

While it doesn’t control individual tabs, it lets you control the browser’s overall sound level independently from system volume. Combine this with the Volume Master extension, and you have precise control over every sound.

4. Manage Sound with Extensions Like Audio Equalizer

If you want to do more than adjust volume, try using an equalizer extension like Audio Equalizer or Ears Audio Toolkit.

These let you adjust frequencies for each tab, so you can make dialogue clearer, reduce bass, or add more treble to music. They’re perfect for customizing how every site sounds, not just how loud it is.

For example:

Boost bass on YouTube Music.
Reduce high frequencies on a podcast tab.
Make online lectures sound sharper and easier to understand.

5. Manage Multiple Tabs at Once

If you’ve got a ton of tabs open, Chrome’s Tab Search feature (shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + A) helps find the noisy one quickly.

You can also right-click Chrome’s toolbar and enable “Mute site” for all open tabs from the same domain, keeping things organized while multitasking.

For power users, there’s an extension called Smart Tab Mute that automatically mutes background tabs and only allows the active one to play audio.

6. Troubleshooting Tip

If you install an extension and the sound still doesn’t change, try refreshing the tab or restarting Chrome. Some media players need a reload to recognize new volume settings.

Also, keep in mind that boosting sound too high for long periods can damage speakers or cause distortion. A good range is 150–300% for safe listening.

Final Thoughts

Managing volume across multiple Chrome tabs doesn’t have to be frustrating. Between Chrome’s built-in mute feature, the system mixer, and powerful tools like Volume Master and Audio Equalizer, you can fine-tune sound exactly how you want.

Whether you’re juggling work calls, streaming music, or watching videos, controlling tab volume individually makes your browsing smoother, quieter, and way more enjoyable.