Volume Check
Keep it at
a sane level
Get a nudge when your listening volume creeps up.
Your studio buddy for healthier mixing.
A friendly (and slightly pushy) duck that helps you keep the volume sane, take regular breaks, and stay fresh for the next session.
Download Free
For macOS and Windows
Animated preview of the Volume Duck app window: a sleeping duck in headphones, a listening level history, a status line and controls for volume, pause and break.
What is Volume Duck?
Volume Duck is a free desktop companion for music producers, mixing engineers and other audio professionals on macOS and Windows. A friendly, slightly pushy duck helps you keep your listening volume sane, reminds you to take regular breaks during long sessions, and offers an optional Strict Mode for when you need tough love.
Keep it at
Break Reminder
Take breaks
Gentle (or not so gentle) reminders to step away and rest your ears.
Angry Duck
Strict mode
For when you know better but still need a little tough love.
How it works
Download it free
Grab Volume Duck for macOS or Windows. All it takes is your email.
Mix like you always do
The duck keeps you company and nudges you when your listening volume creeps up.
Take the break
When it is time to step away and rest your ears, the duck lets you know. Need tough love? Turn on Strict mode.
Frequently asked questions
Is Volume Duck free?
Yes. Volume Duck is free on macOS and Windows. You get it by entering your email address on this site, which creates your free license and signs you straight in to your account. There is nothing to pay at any point, and the signup never asks for card or payment details.
Your account page shows your license key, and it is where the macOS and Windows downloads appear.
Which operating systems does Volume Duck run on?
Volume Duck is made for macOS and Windows. After the free signup on this site, your account and the download page list both systems, so you can pick the one you work on. It is a standalone desktop companion, so it runs on your computer rather than inside a particular music program.
There is one free license per email address, and you manage it from your account.
Does Volume Duck work with my DAW?
Volume Duck works independently of any DAW. It is not something you load on a track: it runs as its own small desktop app next to whatever music software you use, so switching DAWs does not change how the duck keeps an eye on your listening volume and your breaks.
Use it with any music software you like, or with none at all.
What does Volume Check do?
Volume Check gives you a nudge when your studio gets consistently louder than your own reference listening level. It uses your computer microphone to follow relative room loudness, shows a simple listening level history with a reference line, and reacts to sustained increases rather than every brief musical peak.
You set the reference by playing music at a comfortable level for a short moment, and you can recalibrate at any time. If you skip microphone access, the other features keep working.
What does Break Reminder do?
Break Reminder tracks your active working time and reminds you to step away at intervals you choose. The suggested default is 45 minutes of work and 10 minutes of rest. A gentle heads up comes first, then a stronger reminder, and you can take the break or snooze it.
Working time does not keep counting while your computer sleeps or the app is closed.
What is Strict Mode?
Strict Mode is an optional, tougher version of Break Reminder, and it is off by default. When a break is due it warns you first, then it may lower your listening volume, but only on supported audio outputs it has verified. You can always restore the volume right away or switch Strict Mode off.
If volume control is not supported on your output, Strict Mode sticks to visual reminders and never claims it changed your audio.
Does Volume Duck record or upload my audio?
No. Volume Duck uses your microphone only to measure relative room loudness for Volume Check. No audio is recorded, stored or uploaded: no conversations, no raw microphone audio and no transcripts. Microphone access is optional, and if you skip it, Break Reminder and Strict Mode still work as usual.
Volume Duck is designed for local use on your own computer.
Is Volume Duck a sound level meter or a hearing test?
No. Volume Duck shows relative listening levels compared with your own reference, not calibrated dBA readings, and it is not a hearing test or a medical diagnosis. Laptop microphones cannot guarantee an accurate physical sound pressure measurement, so treat the duck as a friendly nudge, not a measuring instrument.
If you have concerns about your hearing, talk to a hearing professional.
How do I get Volume Duck?
Click Download Free, enter your email address and press Get Volume Duck. Your free license is created and you land in your account, signed in, with your license key. The macOS and Windows downloads are listed in your account and on the download page as soon as they are published.
Later you sign in with a one time link sent to your email. There is no password.
