Sound Booster MaxWebsite Volume vs System Volume: How to Control Sound per Chrome Tab
Swasthik Raj- Updated
- 3 min read
System (master) volume sets the level for the whole computer. Website volume is the level of one site or tab. Chrome has no built-in per-tab volume control beyond muting a site, so to turn one tab up or down on its own you need a volume extension such as Sound Booster Max, which sets each tab anywhere from 0% to 600%.
Two tabs are playing. One is a quiet lecture, the other is a music player that is too loud. Turning the master volume up fixes the lecture and makes the music worse. This is the situation that a per-tab volume control solves, and Chrome does not have one built in.
The three layers of volume on a computer
- System or master volume. The speaker icon in your taskbar or menu bar. It scales everything that plays.
- App volume. On Windows, the volume mixer lets you set a level for each program, so Chrome can be quieter than a game. Chrome counts as one app, however many tabs it has. For boosting outside the browser, see volume boosters for PC.
- Website volume. The level of one site or tab inside the browser. This is the layer that is missing by default.
What Chrome offers on its own
- The site's own slider. Most players have one, up to 100%.
- Mute site. Right-click a tab and choose Mute site to silence it completely.
- Media controls. The music-note button in the toolbar lets you pause and skip, and shows which tabs are playing.
There is no way to set a tab to, say, 40% or 250% without an extension.
How a volume extension adds per-tab control in Chrome
A volume extension takes the audio from one tab and applies its own level. It is one of several types of sound extension for Chrome. With Sound Booster Max:
- Click the green icon on the tab you want to change. A small control window opens for that tab.
- Move the slider. Below 100% makes the tab quieter than normal. Above 100% makes it louder, up to 600%.
- Repeat on another tab if you want a different level there.
Each tab keeps its own setting for the browsing session. The control window also lists the tabs that are currently playing media, so you can find the noisy one and jump to it. In settings you can choose the level new tabs start at.
When to use which control
| Situation | Best control |
|---|---|
| Everything is too loud or too quiet | System volume |
| The browser is loud compared with other apps | Windows volume mixer |
| One website is too loud | The site's own slider, or a volume extension below 100% |
| One website is too quiet at full volume | A volume extension above 100% |
| You want silence from one site | Mute site |
Using both together
The cleanest setup is to pick a comfortable system volume and leave it alone. Then use per-tab control for the exceptions. Quiet tab: raise it. Loud tab: lower it. Your notification sounds, calls and other apps stay where you expect them.
Raising the system volume to compensate for one quiet tab means everything else is too loud the moment you switch away.
"Master volume" and "Volume Master"
The master volume is your computer's main volume control, described above. Volume Master is also the name of a different Chrome extension. If you were looking for per-tab control and boosting, Sound Booster Max is a free volume extension for Chrome that does both: a 0% to 600% slider for each tab.
Limits of website volume control
- It applies to tabs in Chrome on a computer, not to other apps.
- It works on sites that play audio in the tab. A few protected players behave differently.
- Chrome on phones does not support extensions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I normalize volume across tabs automatically?
Not with Sound Booster Max. It applies the level you set for each tab and keeps it there.
Does lowering a tab below 100% reduce quality?
No. Reducing level does not cause distortion. Only boosting loud audio does.
How do I increase volume on Chrome without changing system volume?
Use a volume extension on the tab. Sound Booster Max raises one Chrome tab from 100% up to 600% and leaves your system volume and every other tab as they are. The steps are in how to make Chrome louder.
