Product · Mac app
Stream Mac audio to your iPhone
The free MixOutpost app for Mac sends whatever your Mac is playing to your iPhone, lossless and encrypted. No plugin slot, no loopback driver, and no feedback loop.
The MixOutpost plugin is the best route when your DAW can load it: it sits on the master bus and sends exactly that bus. But sometimes there's no plugin slot to use. Your DAW might not load AU or VST3, the audio might come from a video editor or a browser, or you might just want to hear the whole Mac on your phone. That's what the MixOutpost app is for. It comes in the same free installer as the plugin. The plugins run on macOS 12 or later; sharing Mac audio (all apps) from the app needs macOS 14.2 or later.
Two sources
Mac audio (all apps)
This is the default. It uses a system audio tap, a feature built into macOS, to capture the mix your Mac is playing, while your speakers or interface keep playing normally. It's the same audio you hear from the Mac, from every app, sent to the phone.
- No loopback driver. You don't install a virtual audio device or reroute your Mac's output. Your audio settings stay as they are.
- No feedback. There's no microphone in the chain, and the app never plays the captured audio back out on the Mac.
- Needs macOS 14.2 or later and the Screen & System Audio Recording permission, which macOS asks for the first time.
Audio input
Pick any input device on the Mac from the menu in the app's main window: an interface input, a hardware return or anything else your Mac sees as an input. The app sends that input to the phone and never plays it back out on the Mac. A single active input channel is sent to both sides.
Microphones and feedback
If you choose a microphone, the app shows a feedback warning. The phone's speaker can feed back into the mic in the same room. Use headphones on the phone, or keep them apart.
Mute
The Mute checkbox sends silence to the phones instead of the audio. Use it when you're about to play something the listeners shouldn't hear, then untick it to carry on.
Who it's for
Pro Tools users
The AAX plugin is built and coming once it's signed for Pro Tools. Until then, run Pro Tools as usual and share Mac audio with the app. See Pro Tools.
Video editors
Hear a timeline on the phone the way viewers will, check dialogue on a small speaker, and read loudness against broadcast and streaming delivery targets.
Any DAW or app
Hosts that don't load AU or VST3, browser-based tools, reference players: if the Mac can play it, the app can send it.
A quick reference check
Play a released track from any app on the Mac and hear it on the phone next to your own mix, without bouncing and AirDropping files.
The same stream as the plugin
Everything past the source is shared with the plugin. The app sends lossless 48 kHz audio, converting from other rates the same way the plugin does. Only paired phones can listen, every connection uses TLS 1.3, and one pairing covers the app and every plugin instance on the Mac. The phone doesn't know the difference: you get the same meters, Listen as Mono and Side, loudness targets, EQ, recording and A/B.
Plugin or app?
| Plugin | Mac app | |
|---|---|---|
| What it sends | One bus (e.g. the Stereo Out) | All Mac audio, or one input |
| Other apps' sounds | Not included | Included |
| Surround | 5.1 to 7.1.4 | No, plugin buses only |
| Needs a plugin slot | Yes | No |
Because the tap captures everything the Mac plays, system alerts and other apps come along too. Silence them while you're checking a mix.
Questions
Do I need a virtual audio driver like a loopback device?
No. The Mac audio (all apps) source uses the system audio tap built into macOS, so there's nothing extra to install and your Mac's output stays as it is.
Why doesn't it feed back?
The app captures what the Mac plays and sends it to the phone, but never plays it back out on the Mac. With the tap there's no microphone involved. If you choose a microphone as an input, the app warns you, because the phone's speaker could feed back into it.
Which macOS version does Mac audio (all apps) need?
The system audio tap needs macOS 14.2 or later, and macOS will ask you to allow Screen & System Audio Recording for MixOutpost. The rest of MixOutpost runs on macOS 12 or later.
Can I use it with Pro Tools?
Yes. Until the AAX plugin ships, run Pro Tools as usual and share Mac audio with the app. The phone hears the Mac's output, so mute other apps' sounds while you check.
Is it the same quality as the plugin?
It uses the same lossless 48 kHz stream, pairing and TLS 1.3 encryption. If the Mac's output runs at another rate, it's converted to 48 kHz, as with the plugin.
Hear your mix on your phone
Free Mac plugin (AU, VST3) and iPhone app. Lossless, bit-exact and encrypted.