Change System Volume from Command Line on Mac OS
Oftentimes the awesome GUI applications we love are simply gloss over a command line functionality. While I do love a visual app, it's always good to know how to do things from command line, if only for the sake of automation. I've covered loads of command line secrets, most notably Mac Camera Access, so I wanted to figure out if I could control volume from command line.
Change Mac System Volume
The secret to changing Mac system volume from command line is through osascript:
# Max volume
sudo osascript -e "set Volume 10"
# Mute
sudo osascript -e "set Volume 0"
# 50% volume
sudo osascript -e "set Volume 5"
Values range from 0 (muted) to 10 (maximum volume). Note that you don't get to see a nice volume change indicator -- the volume simply changes without any feedback.
![7 Essential JavaScript Functions]()
I remember the early days of JavaScript where you needed a simple function for just about everything because the browser vendors implemented features differently, and not just edge features, basic features, like addEventListener and attachEvent. Times have changed but there are still a few functions each developer should...
![Conquering Impostor Syndrome]()
Two years ago I documented my struggles with Imposter Syndrome and the response was immense. I received messages of support and commiseration from new web developers, veteran engineers, and even persons of all experience levels in other professions. I've even caught myself reading the post...
![Image Protection Using PHP, the GD Library, JavaScript, and XHTML]()
Warning: The demo for this post may brick your browser.
A while back I posted a MooTools plugin called dwProtector that aimed to make image theft more difficult -- NOT PREVENT IT COMPLETELY -- but make it more difficult for the rookie to average user...
![Create a Photo Stack Effect with Pure CSS Animations or MooTools]()
My favorite technological piece of Google Plus is its image upload and display handling. You can drag the images from your OS right into a browser's DIV element, the images upload right before your eyes, and the albums page displays a sexy photo deck animation...
Thank you for this tip. Are you sure that the maximum value is 10? On my Mac with High Sierra, the maximum value get on 7. The 8, 9, 10 also change the value to maximum. I did double check it by viewing the pop-up small window on volume indicator on menu bar.
This is how it’s done on Mojave:
The deprecated way is to specify a number between 0 and 7 for “set volume”
Is there a way to similarly look up the current volume setting (let’s say, in Mojave or Catalina)?
Options to get the current volume setting:
or