How do I control Macbook volume when a DP display is connected?

Question

When I plug my Mac into a DisplayPort monitor that has loudspeakers, the Mac's volume controls become disabled.

Is Apple assuming that if I have external speakers I am so much better using their own volume control that I have to be forced to do it? That is annoying because the monitor's volume controls are buried in terrible menus accessed by terrible buttons on the back of the monitor.

Also, if I am inside an app where I can select the audio device and I select the Mac's internal speakers, the volume controls are STILL disabled. Is there no way to control the volume of an app when an external speaker is connected even if the app is not using the external speaker?????

Some additional info: It's a Macbook Pro 13" 2018 version. Using a Thunderbolt to Displayport cable, plugging in to a Dell monitor with speakers. In another location I use the same cable to plug in to Dell monitors with Displayport but without built in speakers in the monitors. At that location the volume controls remain active and they control the internal speaker in the laptop as they should.

Answer 1

It's because Apple computers don't support CEC (Consumer Electronics Control).

Basically, macOS doesn't allow you to control end devices attached via HDMI or DisplayPort. Changing the volume would be considered "controlling the device"

Answer 2

1. MonitorControl Control your external monitor brightness & volume on your Mac. It does not require installing a driver.
2. SoundFlower MacOS system extension that allows applications to pass audio to other applications.

Answer 3

I did the 14 day trial of SoundControl which did work, but I wasn't really willing to pay $15 for something that I feel should be available out of the box for all MacOS machines.

After some more digging I came across eqMac2. Quick install, free and open source, and worked straight away. Highly recommend anyone reading this to give it a try.

Answer 4

I found two commercial apps which support this:

• SoundSource (just enable the "Super Volume Keys" feature in the preferences)
• SoundControl

Both apps have a free trial. I've tried SoundSource and it works for me. I have not had the opportunity to try SoundControl.

Answer 5

And there is an app for that,

build in to your OS X.

In the utility folder >> Audio MIDI

try it, you will like it !

It will allow you to have simultaneous output to multiple devices.

I could not test it for your set up so let me know if it worked.

Answer 6

Not perfect but you change master volume:

Shift + Option + ⬆

or

Shift + Option + ⬇

Answer 7

One solution: use external monitors connected to the monitor's audio out jack. Then you have volume control. If using headphones then add a headphone volume control pass through on the wire.

Answer 8

If an App allows you to select its output device, and you select one that allows volume control, you CAN control it even when a DP or HDMI monitor is connected. This is contrary to what I said in this question and contrary to my comments to the Accepted Answer. Perhaps this was fixed in the last two years or perhaps I was wrong when I wrote the question and comments.

Here's the complication and how you do it, that works today with Catalina and I think also worked with later versions of High Sierra.

Say you have your master audio output device set to "Monitor 2" (a DP monitor) and you have an app with it's own selectable audio output set to "USB Speaker", which allows volume control from the Mac's UI. In order to control that volume you have to first change the master Audio output to USB Speaker. If some other app that doesn't have its own device selection is making sound through the monitor, it will also switch to the USB speaker. But then you can modify the speaker's volume.

Switching between devices in the master controller will show you and allow you to control each device's volume, it's only the DP and HDMI ones will be greyed out.