Posted By Paul Kafasis on November 12th, 2026

SoundSource 6.2 is here, bringing a host of improvements in another free update. There’s more efficient audio handling, improved compatibility with AirPods and Game Mode, and interface refinements throughout the app. Read on for the highlights, or download this free update immediately.

New in SoundSource 6.2

With almost two dozen improvements, SoundSource 6.2 is faster, more efficient, and more polished than ever. Here are some highlights.

Better Audio Handling, With Less Overhead

The most notable changes are in the ARK plugin, which powers SoundSource’s audio handling. We’ve substantially improved its efficiency, helping SoundSource use less CPU and memory, particularly when idle. We’ve also enhanced compatibility with MacOS’s Game Mode and AirPods with Head Tracking enabled, eliminating issues that could previously interfere with audio playback.

SoundSource is designed to run all day, every day, and these improvements help it do so with even less impact on your Mac.

Improved Audio Unit Controls

SoundSource makes it easy to apply Audio Unit effects to any audio on your Mac. With version 6.2, working with those effects is easier than ever. The generic Audio Unit interface now organizes parameters into groups, making complex effects easier to manage. Even better, you can use Command-F to quickly filter the list of parameters and find exactly the control you need. These changes are particularly welcome when working with Audio Units that offer dozens, or even hundreds, of adjustable parameters.

Interface and Accessibility Improvements

You’ll also find interface improvements throughout SoundSource. We’ve smoothed animations, improved responsiveness, and eliminated several visual glitches. Of particular note, SoundSource’s minimize animation (seen when unpinning the main window) has been made at least 43% more fun.

We’ve also worked to make SoundSource more accessible and easier to use. VoiceOver support has been reviewed and refined throughout the app, and we’ve polished the interface for new touch input on the Mac. We anticipate making further improvements in the future, so if you have any feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out.

And More

There’s plenty more in this update. Get a comprehensive look at what’s new in SoundSource 6.2 with the release notes.

Get SoundSource 6.2 Now

If you’re already running SoundSource 6, just open the Settings window and click Check for Update to get the latest, free of charge.

Still running SoundSource 5? There’s never been a better time to upgrade. See what’s new, then download SoundSource 6. Existing customers are eligible to upgrade at a substantial discount.

And if you haven’t tried SoundSource yet, visit the SoundSource page to learn how it can give you superior control over all the audio on your Mac. You can download a free trial and hear the difference for yourself.

Posted By Paul Kafasis on September 25th, 2026

Today, we’re very glad to announce a free update to Airfoil, our home audio streamer. The new version 5.13 restores the app’s ability to stream audio to all Apple TV and HomePod devices. Previously, the tvOS 27 and HomePod OS 27 updates introduced an issue which prevented that streaming from working.

Fortunately, we were eventually able to develop a workaround for this issue. Audio is now flowing to these devices once again. Airfoil 5.13 is now available for all Airfoil users on MacOS 14.4 and higher. Get it now by selecting Check for Updates from the Airfoil menu. Happy streaming!

Posted By Paul Kafasis on September 24th, 2026

Apple has now released MacOS 27 (Golden Gate), and all of our products support this latest version of the Mac’s operating system. We’ve already issued a couple of quick updates to SoundSource, to fix problems which arose with the official OS release. At present, we’re keeping an eye out for any further issues.

We’re also already recommending upgrading your Mac to Golden Gate. The new OS includes several important audio improvements, and as a result, Golden Gate provides the best experience when using our apps. Below, you’ll find details on key bug fixes Apple included in MacOS 27.

• Issues which led to excessive CPU consumption have been eliminated

  MacOS’s underlying “coreaudio” system makes extensive use of aggregate device technology to handle audio. In the past, there were a handful of bugs which negatively impacted the system when working with audio.

  Golden Gate features improvements to how those aggregate devices are managed. These changes have eliminated multiple problems which could lead to excessive CPU usage when capturing audio. This is likely to most noticeable for SoundSource, but all of our products will benefit.

  For: Airfoil Audio Hijack Loopback Piezo SoundSource

• Audio capture is now more reliable, particularly with VOIP apps

  MacOS 26 (Tahoe) contained a backend bug which could prevent application audio from being captured when using two different devices for input and output. This configuration is most commonly seen with VOIP applications like Zoom or FaceTime, and the result was that audio captures would unexpectedly lead to silence.

  This bug is resolved on Golden Gate, and these captures should always work as expected.

  For: Airfoil Audio Hijack Loopback Piezo SoundSource

• CPU usage reductions and the elimination of hangs
  
  On both MacOS 15 (Sequoia) and MacOS 26 (Tahoe), another issue with MacOS’s audio system could lead to high CPU usage. This problem manifested when SoundSource launched and setup, as well as when other applications began playing audio. In the worst cases, the issue could even lead the system to hang, necessitating a restart.

  Thankfully, MacOS 27 has eliminated this bug. As a result, the amount of CPU SoundSource uses is reduced, and those hangs are eliminated.

  For: SoundSource

Another Notable Improvement in MacOS 27

Back in January, we posted about the extraneous icons on menu items found in MacOS 26 (Tahoe). We’re quite pleased that Apple has scaled these icons way back in Golden Gate. Next, perhaps app icons can once again be permitted to have distinct shapes?

Get the Latest

With these notable bugs fixed in Golden Gate, it’s already worth considering upgrading your computer to MacOS 27.0. Of course, we also recommend using the latest versions of our own products, by selecting Check for Updates from within the app.

Posted By Paul Kafasis on September 11th, 2026

Apple’s new MacOS 27 (Golden Gate) will arrive September 14, 2026, and as our always helpful Status page shows, our entire product lineup now offers support for it. Once you download our latest versions, you’ll be all set to run Golden Gate.

Here’s a quick list of versions that support Golden Gate:

It’s always good to exercise caution when updating your Mac’s operating system, particularly on production machines. That said, our testing has shown Golden Gate to be a marked improvement over MacOS 26 (Tahoe). Of particular note for our users, Golden Gate includes fixes for several flaws in the Mac’s underlying audio system.

Whenever you choose to update your Mac, Rogue Amoeba’s apps are ready for Golden Gate. Make sure you have our latest versions, and you’ll be all set.

Posted By Paul Kafasis on September 10th, 2026

With Apple now having announced a September 14 release date for this fall’s OS updates, we need to issue a warning to users of Airfoil. Unfortunately, Apple’s forthcoming tvOS 27 and HomePod OS 27 updates contain a critical bug that prevents Apple TVs and HomePods from playing AirPlay streams sent by Airfoil. If your devices update to the OS 27 versions, Airfoil will no longer be able to stream to them.

We have created a support article with more information. If you use Airfoil to stream to an Apple TV or a HomePod, we strongly encourage you to read it. It contains more details on the issue, as well as useful instructions for preventing your devices from automatically updating.

Read About Issues With tvOS 27 and HomePod OS 27 →

Consider SoundSource for AirPlay streaming from your Mac

Of special note, that page has details on using SoundSource to stream from your Mac to AirPlay devices. Because SoundSource streams via a very different mechanism than Airfoil, it is unaffected by the aforementioned bug.

With the AirPlay functionality added in version 6, SoundSource has proven to be a very capable home streaming tool.

Helpful Links

• AirPlay Support: This helpful page from SoundSource’s manual provide details on using SoundSource to stream via AirPlay.
• SoundSource product page: Learn more about SoundSource and download its free trial.