"What does SoundSiphon do on Mac?"

"SoundSiphon captures audio from individual applications on your Mac and makes it available as a virtual microphone or recording source. It is particularly useful for isolating the audio from one specific app, like a browser or media player, without capturing everything else."

"What is the cheapest SoundSiphon alternative for Mac?"

"BlackHole is free but requires 20+ setup steps. Soundshine costs $7.99 and routes all system audio as a virtual mic with a 30-second setup. If you need per-app isolation specifically, SoundSiphon may be the better fit."

"Can I use Soundshine instead of SoundSiphon for Zoom?"

"Yes, for sharing audio on video calls. Soundshine routes your Mac's system audio as a microphone input in Zoom, Discord, Teams, and other apps. If you only need one source playing at a time, Soundshine covers the same use case."

"Does SoundSiphon work on Apple Silicon Macs?"

"SoundSiphon is compatible with Apple Silicon. Check the developer's site for the current minimum macOS version, as audio driver software is more sensitive to OS updates than most apps."

SoundSiphon Alternative for Mac: What It Does and When You Don't Need It

SoundSiphon comes up a lot when you search for how to capture or share audio from a specific app on Mac. It solves a real problem, and for certain workflows it is the right tool. For most people who find it, though, there is a simpler option.

Here is the honest breakdown.

What SoundSiphon Actually Does

SoundSiphon installs a virtual audio driver that can capture the audio output of individual applications. You can target a specific app (say, Safari, Spotify, or QuickTime) and route that app’s audio into a virtual device, separate from everything else playing on your Mac.

This is genuinely useful for:

Recording audio from a specific browser tab without picking up system sounds or other apps
Isolating an app’s audio for streaming without affecting your microphone or other audio sources
Passing one app’s output into another app’s input, like routing a media player’s audio into recording software

The per-app targeting is SoundSiphon’s specific strength. It lets you be surgical about what you capture.

What Most People Are Actually Searching For

Most people who land on SoundSiphon are trying to do one thing: share music or system audio on a video call. That is a different problem.

You are on Zoom (or Discord, or Teams, or Google Meet), you want to play Spotify for the people on the call, and you cannot figure out how. You search, SoundSiphon appears, you consider it.

For that use case, you do not need per-app audio targeting. You need your system audio routed into a virtual microphone. The distinction matters because it affects which tool is the right fit.

SoundSiphon isolates one app's audio stream. Soundshine routes all system audio as a virtual mic input.

When SoundSiphon Is the Right Choice

SoundSiphon earns its place when you need per-app isolation:

You need to record audio from one browser tab without capturing everything. Recording a podcast interview from a web app while music plays elsewhere. SoundSiphon lets you target just that tab.

You are routing audio between professional apps. Capturing a specific app’s output to feed into DAW software, recording a specific player into GarageBand without all system audio.

You want clean isolated stems for a specific app. If your workflow requires separating sources, per-app targeting matters.

For those cases, SoundSiphon is a reasonable choice.

When Soundshine Is the Right Choice

If you are sharing audio on a video call, routing system audio to OBS for streaming, or recording what is playing on your Mac, you do not need per-app isolation. You need all your system audio accessible as a microphone input.

Soundshine does exactly that. Install it, flip the toggle in your menu bar, and any app you use for calls (Zoom, Discord, Teams, Google Meet, FaceTime) sees “Soundshine Microphone” as an input option. Select it, and everyone on your call hears your system audio.

One toggle. Thirty seconds to set up. $7.99 one-time.

Direct Comparison

Use Case	Tool	Cost
Share audio on video calls	Soundshine	$7.99
Record audio from a specific app	SoundSiphon	See their site
Record system audio, free, setup required	BlackHole	Free

If you have tried SoundSiphon and found the per-app targeting is more than you need, Soundshine is the simpler option for call audio. If you specifically need to isolate one app, SoundSiphon is built for that.

Download Soundshine free and see if the 30-second setup covers your use case. The trial is fully functional. If it does, $7.99 buys the full version.