EarTrumpet for Windows 11: Set Up Taskbar Audio Routing and Per-App Volume Controls

What Windows 11 already does​

Microsoft's support documentation says Windows 11 has a Volume mixer under Start > Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer. Under Apps you can check each app's volume and mute state. You can also choose an Output device for each app, since Windows 11 has a built-in Volume mixer in Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer (or Win+Ctrl+V).

So the gap is convenience, not capability. The guide's author agrees. He credits Microsoft for improving the built-in mixer. Pressing Win + Ctrl + V opens a Sound output panel with a slider for each app playing audio, and the panel also lists output devices. His complaints are about the interface:

• The panel shows each app as a small icon with no name beside it.
• It has no live level meters, so he can't tell which app made a stray sound.
• It has no per-app device picker. Routing means going to the full Settings page.

These are one reviewer's observations of his own PC. They are not a Microsoft-confirmed list of limitations. How Geek made a similar point in a separate review: EarTrumpet doesn't let you do anything that Windows doesn't already make possible.

What EarTrumpet adds​

The project's changelog backs up the main features. Version 2.0.0.0 added these:

• The ability to move apps between devices.
• The ability to view multiple devices.
• Multi-channel peak metering.
• Middle-click on the notification area icon to mute.
• A keyboard shortcut to open the flyout.

The newest changelog entry is 2.3.0.0. It adds these:

• Settings to turn scroll-wheel volume changes on or off, including when hovering over the icon.
• A community settings area.
• An optional logarithmic volume scale.
• Legacy shortcuts in the context menu that point to Windows' volume settings.
• Support for the Windows key in shortcuts.
• Linguistic sorting of device names.

The changelog shows no dates. This article doesn't date that release or treat the project as abandoned. The TweakTown author does note that the public changelog ends at 2.3 from 2023. He also says the settings window still looks like Windows 10.

The tool works through Windows' own audio APIs. One third-party summary says EarTrumpet is a front-end for Windows' existing audio APIs rather than a replacement audio engine. The project's site says it requires a recent Windows 10 or Windows 11 build.

Four clicks against five​

In the author's testing, the Windows route needs five clicks:

1. Right-click the speaker icon.
2. Choose Open volume mixer.
3. Expand the app in the Apps list.
4. Open its Output device dropdown.
5. Pick a device.

A full Settings window then opens over whatever you were doing.

The EarTrumpet route took him four clicks:

1. Click the tray icon.
2. Right-click the app.
3. Click the arrows button in the small panel that opens.
4. Choose a device from the list.

The app then moves under that device in the flyout. Choosing Always use the default playback device sends it back.

Treat the click counts as one person's experience, not a benchmark. Builds and settings can change the exact steps. The author himself says four against five isn't a big gap. His point is that staying on the taskbar and seeing every device in one list matters more than the one click saved.

Another reviewer describes a slightly different gesture on a different build. In that account you left-click the EarTrumpet icon, click its title bar to expand it, then right-click the app icon and click the icon to the left of the "x". Menu details may vary by version, so look at the controls on your own screen.

Installing and setting it up​

The guide gives two routes:

• Microsoft Store: search for EarTrumpet and pick the free listing from File-New-Project. The author saw a paid volume app promoted as an ad above the real listing on his PC, so check the publisher name before clicking Get.
• winget: run winget install -e --id File-New-Project.EarTrumpet in Terminal.

I couldn't independently check the current Store listing or winget package. The publisher name does match what other reviewers report. MakeUseOf, for example, lists the developer as File-New-Project.

Next, work through these first-run steps from the guide:

1. Crash data: the Welcome dialog has a "Send crash data to the EarTrumpet team" toggle that is on by default. Switch it off before closing the dialog if you'd rather not share that data. The changelog separately records that crash reporting can be turned on or off. Don't read this as a statement about all data collection, because the project's privacy policy is the place to check that.
2. Duplicate icons: Windows 11 groups its own speaker icon with Wi-Fi and battery, so you end up with two speaker icons. Right-click EarTrumpet's icon, choose Settings > General > Legacy settings, and turn on Use legacy EarTrumpet icon. That swaps in the app's horn logo. WindowsForum's earlier coverage describes the same setting.
3. Hotkey: open Shortcuts and assign a key combination to Open Taskbar flyout. The author found every shortcut blank by default.

When routing doesn't stick​

Some apps ignore the device you choose. The guide notes that some call and chat apps have their own speaker settings. If one of them ignores your choice, check that app's audio settings first. A WindowsForum discussion says the same: some applications manage audio device selection internally and will ignore or reset Windows' routing choices.

Microsoft's own troubleshooting page for app audio is also worth keeping in mind. Its steps are:

1. In Volume mixer, confirm the app isn't muted and its slider is up.
2. Confirm the right output device is selected for that app.
3. Restart the Windows Audio and Windows Audio Endpoint Builder services from services.msc.
4. Update the audio driver in Device Manager and restart.

These are general fixes, not EarTrumpet-specific, and Microsoft's page doesn't mention call apps.

Who should bother​

EarTrumpet makes sense if you regularly split audio, such as Spotify on speakers and a video on earbuds. It also suits anyone who wants meters and an always-visible list of what is playing where. If you only adjust app volume occasionally, the built-in mixer already covers it. The author says as much, and says the install can be skipped if routing never comes up for you.

The built-in mixer remains the supported fallback. It is also the place to verify what Windows thinks an app is using when audio goes missing. If Microsoft adds a per-app device picker to Quick Settings, the author says EarTrumpet becomes optional for him.

The TweakTown guide carries affiliate disclosures, but its subject is a free utility, and nothing here depends on buying anything.