Install
Install from the Mac App Store, or open the downloaded DMG, drag EQK into Applications, eject the disk image, then open EQK.
EQK manual
EQK setup, features and troubleshooting.
A practical guide to installing EQK, routing an app, loading headphone correction, using AI Tune, and getting unstuck.
Install & setup
Hear a tuned app in four steps.
The direct EQK 3.2 build requires macOS 14.6 or later and supports Apple silicon and Intel. The separate App Store version is currently 2.2 and requires macOS 15.6 or later.
Choose a path
Pick a running music or video app, or open the Local Library player for FLAC, ALAC, WAV, and MP3 files.
Allow capture
For app routes, approve System Audio Recording when macOS asks. The local player does not need this permission.
Shape & compare
Start playback, choose a correction profile or preset, then use Bypass to compare the original and tuned signal.
Private by design. App audio is processed live and discarded. EQK stores your routes and tuning locally on your Mac.
Supported applications
Dedicated players work best.
EQK intentionally shows a curated set of music, video, podcast, and local-player apps whose audio can be isolated as its own route.
Music & listening
Apple MusicSpotifyTIDALAmazon MusicSoundCloudDeezerPlexampAudirvānaRoonQobuzPandora
Video, podcasts & local files
Apple TVPodcastsQuickTime PlayerVLCIINAKodiMovistInfuseElmedia PlayerPlexNetflixDisney+Prime VideoHuluMUBIAudibleOvercastPocket Casts
Browsers: ordinary browser tabs are excluded because macOS exposes their mixed audio process, not one isolated stream per tab. A website saved as its own app from Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Brave can appear separately; Chrome-family web apps may still share browser audio.
Guide articles
Learn the desk one layer at a time.
Patchbay & routes
Each route remembers its app, custom 10-band EQ, output device, correction profile, AI mode, and playback state.
- Open the source app first.
- Add it from Patchbay.
- Choose Off, Auto, or On for route activity.
AI Tune
Song mode analyzes playback on your Mac and adjusts as the song plays. Your manual adjustments remain on top; Bypass is the fastest comparison.
- Start with a clean signal.
- Let the song play while it learns.
- On a compatible Mac, Apple Intelligence can optionally refine the result.
- Adjust the result to your taste.
Headphone correction
Search the bundled library of 3,985 profiles and load the exact model you use. Correction and creative EQ remain separate layers.
- Match the full model name.
- Keep correction fixed.
- Use broad custom EQ for taste.
Import an EQ file
Community imports accept AutoEQ / EqualizerAPO parametric .txt files with a Preamp line and PK, LS/LSC, or HS/HSC filters.
Current imports become editable Saved presets, not vetted correction-library entries.
Local Library
Play FLAC, ALAC, WAV, and MP3 without capture permission. Drag songs or folders into the queue, then use the same EQ and AI desk.
The local player remains available after the premium trial.
Updates & licence
Choose Check for Updates in EQK or control automatic downloads in Settings. Your routes, settings and licence carry over.
A lifetime web licence activates up to two Macs and can be deactivated before moving devices.
Troubleshooting
Fast checks for the common failures.
The app is playing, but EQK shows no signal
Confirm playback is active, the right app route is selected, and its activity mode is On or Auto. Then check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen & System Audio Recording and make sure EQK is enabled.
If permission was changed while EQK was open, quit and reopen EQK.
A browser or browser tab does not appear
This is expected for normal tabs: macOS does not expose them as isolated audio sources. Use the service's dedicated Mac app or save the site as its own app. Safari web apps provide the cleanest isolation.
My headphones are not in the correction library
Try the manufacturer's exact spelling and model variant. If no vetted profile exists, use EQK without correction or import an AutoEQ/EqualizerAPO parametric file as a Saved preset. You can also share the file on the community page.
The audio sounds too loud, distorted, or heavily changed
Use Bypass to isolate EQK's contribution. Reset the custom EQ, check preamp/output trim, then add correction and AI Tune one layer at a time. Avoid stacking a surgical imported preset over the same correction profile.
EQK does not reopen or becomes unstable
If you use the direct build, install the current version, 3.2, from the notarized DMG and replace the copy in Applications. App Store customers should update through Apple. Your saved state and licence are retained.
I need to move or recover my licence
Deactivate the old Mac from EQK's licence screen before activating the new one. If the key is lost, use the recovery form on the licence help page.
Why does EQK ask for Contacts or Location?
Both are optional. EQK uses them locally only when you choose to save Home or Work layouts. You can decline and use EQK without those layouts.