♬⋆.˚ ✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎺 ⸝⋆｡°✩ ˚.⋆♬

BetterTrumpet

Windows volume control that actually feels good to use.
A polished fork of EarTrumpet with themes, media controls, profiles, a CLI, and a settings window that does not look like it is from 2012.

Install · Highlights · CLI · Build · Community · License

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What it is

BetterTrumpet keeps the part that mattered from EarTrumpet: fast per-app audio control. Then it adds the polish and automation that Windows should have had in the first place.

system tray -> BetterTrumpet -> per-app volume
                           ├── themes
                           ├── media popup
                           ├── profiles
                           ├── settings (React/Fluent UI)
                           ├── undo / redo
                           └── CLI / updates

Install

Method	Best for
GitHub Releases	The quickest install or the portable zip
Winget	People who prefer the Windows package manager
Chocolatey	Existing Chocolatey users
Build from source	Contributors and local testing

Release

Download the latest installer or portable build from GitHub Releases.

Winget

winget install --id xmn.BetterTrumpet

Chocolatey

choco install bettertrumpet

Source

Build the app as x86 Release.

git clone https://github.com/xammen/BetterTrumpet
nuget.exe restore EarTrumpet.vs15.sln
& "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe" EarTrumpet\EarTrumpet.csproj /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86 /p:OutputPath=..\Build\Release /t:Rebuild /v:minimal

First Run

1. Launch BetterTrumpet.
2. Click the tray icon to open the volume flyout.
3. Hover the tray icon for the media popup.
4. Right-click for settings and device switching.
5. Use Ctrl+P to pin the flyout.
6. Use Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y to undo and redo volume changes.

Highlights

Area	What you get
Settings	Full React/Fluent UI settings window with Sage Glass design, deep search, and every settings page
Focus-lost	Attenuate or mute apps when they lose focus, with configurable fade and per-app scope
Themes	12 curated presets across 5 categories, 7 color channels, per-theme opacity, and dynamic album-art mode
Media popup	Hover player with cover art, seek, shuffle, repeat, and per-app volume
Profiles	Save, restore, export, import, rename, and apply full audio setups with per-device hotkeys
CLI	Pipe-based CLI with JSON output, 20+ commands, and a friendly bt shortcut
What's-new	In-app feed with polls, surveys, and live votes (beta, disableable)
Telemetry	Anonymous ping on startup, no data sold, fully disableable. Manual log export stays on your machine
Performance	Eco mode trims animations and peak meter FPS when you want it lighter
Reliability	Auto-update prompts, crash reporting, and background health monitoring

Themes

Three looks, same controls, same workflow.

Windows Clean, calm, and close to the system look.

Spotify Brighter accents with a music-first feel.

Pixel Low-key, chunky, and a bit retro.

Pick the look that fits your setup, or switch when the mood changes.

CLI

BetterTrumpet exposes a pipe-based CLI. Commands return JSON, and the app must be running for remote commands to work.

BetterTrumpet.exe --list-devices
BetterTrumpet.exe --set-volume 75
BetterTrumpet.exe --set-volume +10 --app spotify
BetterTrumpet.exe --mute --device "Speakers"
BetterTrumpet.exe --set-default "Headphones"
BetterTrumpet.exe --set-device spotify.exe "Headphones"
BetterTrumpet.exe --apply-profile "Night Mode"
bt save focus
bt save discord --apps-only
bt focus
bt volume discord 67
bt toggle-mute discord
bt batch --set-volume 67 --app discord --set-volume 30 --app vivaldi
bt doctor

Area	Commands
Devices & apps	--list-devices, --list-apps, --get-volume, --set-volume, volume, --mute, mute, --unmute, unmute, --toggle-mute, toggle-mute
Routing	--get-default, --set-default, --set-device
QuickTrumpet	presets, save, apply, mode, direct preset aliases like bt focus, plus compatible --list-profiles, --apply-profile
Automation	batch, doctor, --watch, --ping, --check-update, --export-settings, --import-settings
Help	--version, --help

Settings

The settings window is now a modern React/Fluent UI app with a collapsible sidebar, deep search, and the Sage Glass design language.

Page	What it controls
Shortcuts	Flyout, mixer, settings, volume up/down, device switch, per-device hotkeys
QuickTrumpet	Presets-first profiles with recordable hotkeys, rename, export, import
Rules	App volume rules (set at launch, lock), folder defaults
Appearance	Theme presets, custom colors, tray icon, dynamic album art
Media popup	Hover delay, show while paused
Performance	Peak meter FPS, eco mode
Updates	Auto-check for updates
Privacy	Telemetry toggle, what's-new feed toggle
Diagnostics	Log export, version info

Hotkeys

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Z	Undo last volume change
Ctrl+Y	Redo last volume change
Ctrl+P	Pin / unpin the flyout
configurable	Open flyout, mixer, settings, or switch device

Onboarding

The onboarding wizard has 5 pages:

• Audio
• Appearance
• Privacy
• Ready
• Tray pin

It also covers telemetry, update channels, and startup preferences during setup. Onboarding no longer auto-shows on first launch — you can open it anytime from the tray menu or by holding Left Ctrl at startup.

Build From Source

nuget.exe restore EarTrumpet.vs15.sln
& "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe" EarTrumpet\EarTrumpet.csproj /p:Configuration=Release /p:Platform=x86 /p:OutputPath=..\Build\Release /t:Rebuild /v:minimal
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File build-portable.ps1
& 'C:\Users\xammen\AppData\Local\Programs\Inno Setup 6\ISCC.exe' installer.iss

Supported Systems

OS	Status
Windows 10 (1803+)	Supported
Windows 11	Supported

Tech Stack

Area	Stack
Language	C# / WPF
Framework	.NET 8 for Windows
Audio	Windows Core Audio
Media	Windows Media Session
Settings	React / Fluent UI / WebView2
Packaging	MSBuild + GitVersion + Inno Setup + portable zip
CLI	Named pipe IPC
Telemetry	Anonymous ping (homemade, no third-party SDK)

Community

• GitHub Issues — bug reports and feature requests
• Reddit — discussions, feedback, and general hangout

Credits

Based on EarTrumpet by David Golden, Rafael Rivera, and Dave Amenta.

License

MIT License

♬⋆.˚ ✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎺 ⸝⋆｡°✩ ˚.⋆♬

made with volume ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚