Let’s face it, internal computer speakers are only so powerful. If you come across a video that has been mixed or recorded at a low level and are straining to hear it, there is only so much good pressing the volume up button will do. Then there is a matter of sound quality. If you are streaming music online and something sounds off to you, you cannot necessarily go into the track and remix/remaster it.
If you want to go beyond the original mix and what your computer’s sound card will allow, you’ll need to install some extensions.
Keep This In Mind
- Locate your Chrome extension icons before starting. These are located to the right of your address bar. If you haven’t downloaded any in the past, you will not be able to see the location until you install extensions.
- If after downloading the extensions you find that they are not functioning, make sure your Chrome permissions are allowing the extensions access to your web pages. Control + click or right click (depending on whether you use MacOS or PC) on the particular extension you want to check permissions for. Select “Manage Selections” in the pop up menu.
Audio Boost Extension
To increase the sound of your audio, we suggest installing the Volume Booster PRO extension.
- Go to the Google Chrome web store and go to Volume Booster PRO.
- Click “Add to Chrome.”
- Click on the blue speaker icon in your extension list next to the address bar.
- A small pop-up window will appear where you can adjust the volume of the audio currently playing on the page. You can increase volume up to 600%.
- Once you have set your volume through Audio Booster, the extension icon will display a number on the tab playing audio. This is the Audio Booster level.
- Click the extension icon again. Underneath the volume slider you’ll notice “Tabs playing audio right now.” Listed underneath the volume slider will appear the names of the websites playing audio. Clicking on one will redirect you to that tab. You can adjust each individual tab’s volume without compromising the settings on a different tab playing audio.
Another alternative to Audio Booster Pro is “Audio Booster – Increase Your Sound.” This can also be found in the Google Chrome web store and functions similarly to Audio Booster Pro. The biggest difference is the pop up window display. Increase Your Sound will display the tabs playing audio, but only show audio levels on the extension icon. The simplicity makes it more appealing for those who prefer less clutter.
Both have minimal differences in quality. Increase Your Sound does seem to focus more on bass levels. Audio Booster Pro provides a more equalized sound boost. My suggestion is to download both extensions individually and test them out.
Audio Equalizer Extension
To improve audio quality, download the Professional Equalizer extension.
- Go to the Google Chrome web store and search for Professional Equalizer.
- Click “Add to Chrome.”
- Look for the green-blue play icon on your extension list and select it while on the tab currently playing audio.
- An equalizer pop up window will appear where you may adjust the EQ.
With Professional Equalizer, you can work with different sound bands, custom adjusting treble, mid-range, and bass levels, and the preamp. You can also choose from 21 preset equalizer settings based on the genre of audio you’re dealing with.
The Results
By downloading an audio booster and equalizer extension, you will have better control over the quality and volume of what is coming out of your speakers. Sometimes there really is no fixing a poor sound mix, but perhaps that’s a challenge you’re willing to take! Extensions can work wonders.
