Download SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC v7.3.2 for Windows PC
SoundSwitch 7.3.2 from the Belphemur project is a free, open-source Windows utility that switches your playback and recording devices with a hotkey —...
Technical Specifications & System Requirements
Software notes
Features
- Two configurable hotkeys switch your default playback and recording devices instantly, replacing the multi-click trip through Windows Sound Settings every time you swap between speakers and a headset.
- Per-application profiles switch audio devices automatically when a chosen program starts, so a game can use your headset while the rest of Windows keeps using the speakers.
- Notifications in several styles, including a compact banana-style banner and standard Windows notifications, confirm each switch on screen so you always know which device is active.
- It is completely free and open source under the GPL from the Belphemur project, with signed releases and automatic updates delivered through GitHub.
- A microphone mute shortcut, tray-icon device cycling and a device list you can trim keep the utility fast for both keyboard-first and mouse-first users.
Considerations
- SoundSwitch only switches devices: it offers no per-app volume mixing, equaliser or audio effects, so users wanting those features need an additional tool.
- New users must spend a few minutes configuring which devices join the switch cycle and which hotkeys to use, because the defaults may not suit every setup.
- It is Windows-only, and some advanced settings, such as forcing the Windows communication device, are easy to misconfigure if changed without understanding them.
How SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC Compares to Top Alternatives
EarTrumpet gives every app its own volume slider in a polished flyout and can route apps to devices, while SoundSwitch's job is switching the default playback and recording devices themselves — by hotkey, or automatically through per-app profiles.
foobar2000 is a music player, library and transcoder that chooses an output only for its own playback, while SoundSwitch changes the Windows default playback and recording devices for every application at once.
About & Overview: SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC
SoundSwitch, from the open-source Belphemur project maintained by Antoine Aflalo, solves a small Windows annoyance completely: swapping audio devices. Instead of opening Sound Settings every time you move from speakers to a headset, you press a hotkey and SoundSwitch switches the default playback device instantly; a second hotkey does the same for your microphone or other recording device. Clicking its system-tray icon cycles through devices, and per-application profiles can switch outputs automatically when a chosen program starts — a game can go to your headset while everything else stays on the speakers. It can also force specific communication devices, show notifications in several styles, mute the microphone with a shortcut, and update itself from GitHub releases. To be clear about identity: this is the free Windows audio utility from the Belphemur project on GitHub, not the SoundSwitch lighting-control product sold for DJs. Version 7.3.2 is the current stable release, free and open source under the GPL.
In-Depth: SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC
One hotkey instead of Sound Settings
SoundSwitch, from the open-source Belphemur project maintained by Antoine Aflalo, solves a small Windows annoyance completely: swapping audio devices. Instead of opening Sound Settings every time you move from speakers to a headset, you press a hotkey — Ctrl+Alt+F11 cycles the default playback device by default, and Ctrl+Alt+F7 does the same for your microphone or other recording device. Clicking its system-tray icon cycles through devices with the mouse, and you can trim the device list so the cycle only includes the devices you actually use. Notifications in several styles confirm each switch on screen, so you always know which device is live. It is one of those utilities you install once and then wonder how you lived without. Version 7.3.2 is the current stable release, free and open source under the GPL — and to be clear about identity, this is the Windows audio utility, not the SoundSwitch lighting-control product sold for DJs.
Per-application profiles: the automatic version
Per-application profiles are the feature that lifts SoundSwitch above the built-in sound menu: set them once and outputs switch automatically when a chosen program starts — a game can go to your headset while everything else stays on the speakers, and a meeting app can land on the right device without you touching anything. It can also force specific communication devices, mute the microphone with a shortcut, and update itself from GitHub releases. The core trick removes a dozen clicks from the most common audio chore on a Windows PC, and the tray icon gives mouse users the same one-click cycling as the hotkey gives keyboard users.
A switcher, not a mixer
SoundSwitch's scope is deliberately narrow: it only switches devices. There are honest limits — it cannot change per-app volumes, apply effects or fix a badly behaved driver, so users wanting mixing or equalising need an additional tool. First-time users must also spend a few minutes choosing which devices appear in the cycle and which hotkeys to use, because the defaults may not match their setup, and some advanced options, such as forcing communication devices, should be left alone until needed. None of that dents the recommendation: version 7.3.2 is actively maintained by the Belphemur project and small enough to forget about between uses — exactly what a background utility should be. It is Windows-only (Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit), needs about 60 MB of space and 512 MB of RAM.
How to Install & Verify SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC
Get SoundSwitch_v7.3.2.0_Release_Installer.exe (version 7.3.2, about 18 MB) from the official Belphemur/SoundSwitch releases page on GitHub. Avoid lookalike download sites, and note this is the audio utility, not the DJ lighting product of the same name.
Launch the installer, approve the Windows prompt and let setup finish. SoundSwitch starts automatically and lives in the system tray near the clock; if it does not start with Windows, enable that option in its settings.
Right-click the tray icon, open Settings, and tick the playback and recording devices you want in the switch cycle. Press Ctrl+Alt+F11 to switch playback and Ctrl+Alt+F7 for recording, and change those hotkeys here if they clash with another program.
Related Windows PC Software & Alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions & Verification Guide
Is SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC free and open source?
Yes. SoundSwitch Audio Device Switcher for Windows PC is completely free and open-source software. You can download and use it at no cost, and its source code is publicly available.
How to Switch audio output on PC?
With SoundSwitch, you press a hotkey instead of opening Sound Settings: by default Ctrl+Alt+F11 cycles the default playback device instantly — speakers to headset and back — and an on-screen notification confirms which device is now live. Clicking the SoundSwitch system-tray icon cycles playback devices with the mouse instead.
How do you change the audio output device?
SoundSwitch changes it with a configurable hotkey (Ctrl+Alt+F11 by default for playback, Ctrl+Alt+F7 for your microphone or other recording device), and both shortcuts can be changed in Settings. You can trim the device list so the cycle only includes the devices you actually use.
Can a PC output sound to two devices?
SoundSwitch itself switches the default device rather than mixing one stream to two outputs at once — it is a switcher, not a mixer. Its per-application profiles get you the practical version of it: assign your game or meeting app to your headset while everything else stays on the speakers, applied automatically when that program starts.
What are SoundSwitch's default hotkeys?
By default, Ctrl+Alt+F11 cycles the playback device and Ctrl+Alt+F7 cycles the recording device. Both can be changed in Settings, and you can also click the SoundSwitch tray icon to cycle playback devices with the mouse.