Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Loopback by RogueAmoeba VS Soundflower

Compare Loopback by RogueAmoeba VS Soundflower and see what are their differences

Loopback by RogueAmoeba logo Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Get all the power of a high-end studio mixing board, right inside your Mac!

Soundflower logo Soundflower

Soundflower is a Mac OS X system extension that allows applications to pass audio to other...
  • Loopback by RogueAmoeba Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-27
  • Soundflower Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27

Loopback by RogueAmoeba features and specs

  • Powerful Audio Routing
    Loopback allows you to route audio from different sources and applications into a single output, giving you precise control over audio distribution on your Mac.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The app features an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that makes configuring audio sources and outputs straightforward and accessible for users of all skill levels.
  • Customizable Virtual Audio Devices
    You can create custom virtual audio devices that appear like physical devices, providing flexibility for different scenarios such as podcasting, streaming, or professional audio work.
  • Great Compatibility
    Loopback works seamlessly with a wide range of applications and audio devices, ensuring broad usability across various audio-related tasks.
  • High-Quality Audio
    Maintains professional-level audio quality, ensuring that there is no loss of fidelity during the routing process.

Possible disadvantages of Loopback by RogueAmoeba

  • Cost
    Loopback is relatively expensive compared to some other audio routing tools, which may be a barrier for budget-conscious users.
  • System Resource Usage
    The application can be resource-intensive, potentially affecting system performance, especially when used on older hardware.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    Despite the user-friendly design, the wide range of options and configurations might be overwhelming for users who are new to audio routing and virtual devices.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Users have reported occasional bugs and compatibility issues with certain applications or operating system updates, which can disrupt workflows.
  • Limited Support for Windows
    Loopback is only available for macOS, excluding Windows users from taking advantage of its features.

Soundflower features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    Soundflower is free to use and its source code is openly available on GitHub, which allows users to modify and improve the software as needed.
  • Simple Audio Routing
    Soundflower provides a straightforward way to route audio between different applications on macOS without requiring any additional hardware.
  • Lightweight
    The tool is lightweight and does not consume significant system resources, making it efficient to use alongside other applications.
  • Comprehensive Community Support
    Being a popular open-source project, it has a large user community, which can be helpful for troubleshooting and finding user-contributed enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of Soundflower

  • Compatibility Issues
    Soundflower can sometimes face compatibility issues with newer versions of macOS, which might require workarounds or custom builds.
  • No Official Support
    As an open-source project without official backing, users might encounter delays in receiving updates or fixes for existing bugs.
  • Complex Installation
    The installation process might be tricky for users unfamiliar with system settings or handling third-party kernel extensions.
  • Limited User Interface
    Soundflower lacks a graphical user interface, making it less intuitive for those who prefer visual controls over command-line or system settings adjustments.

Analysis of Loopback by RogueAmoeba

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Loopback is considered a good choice for users needing advanced audio routing solutions on macOS. Its feature-rich platform, ease of use, and robust performance make it a reliable tool for managing audio efficiently. The continuous updates and support from RogueAmoeba further enhance its value.

Why this product is good

  • Loopback by RogueAmoeba is highly regarded for its powerful audio routing capabilities on macOS. It allows users to easily route audio between applications and devices without the need for physical cables. Its intuitive and flexible interface makes complex audio setups manageable for both novice and advanced users. Additionally, Loopback is praised for its stability and high-quality audio handling, which is crucial for professional audio tasks.

Recommended for

  • Podcasters looking to record and mix audio from multiple sources
  • Musicians and producers requiring flexible audio routing for live performances or studio sessions
  • Streamers who need to manage audio input from various applications seamlessly
  • Audio engineers seeking a reliable tool to handle complex audio setups
  • Mac users who desire a simple solution for customizing their audio experience without additional hardware

Loopback by RogueAmoeba videos

Loopback Explaned

More videos:

  • Demo - Loopback Explaned

Soundflower videos

How to use Soundflower (Solve Mac Audio Problems for Streaming..etc.)

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How To Capture Mac Desktop/Game Audio in OBS Studio WITHOUT Soundflower/iShowUAudioCapture

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Loopback by RogueAmoeba and Soundflower)
Audio
73 73%
27% 27
Audio & Music
70 70%
30% 30
Audio Recording
84 84%
16% 16
Audio Mastering
42 42%
58% 58

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Loopback by RogueAmoeba and Soundflower

Loopback by RogueAmoeba Reviews

We have no reviews of Loopback by RogueAmoeba yet.
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Soundflower Reviews

Blackhole by ExistentialAudio
Soundflower is a Mac OS X system extension that allows applications to pass audio to other applications. Soundflower is easy to use, it just presents itself as a …

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Loopback by RogueAmoeba seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 127 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Loopback by RogueAmoeba mentions (127)

  • Tools that keep me productive
    I use Loopback for virtual audio sources. This is super helpful because I create an audio source, which is my microphone and the guest's (guests') audio, and treat it as one input source. I use this audio source as the audio source for live captioning. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Atlassian Acquires Loom
    No, it's very easy: https://existential.audio/blackhole/ Blackhole is Free and Open Source. Also, Rogue Amoeba has a product called "Loopback". It's not cheap, but it's another alternative: https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • EQ Mac audio INPUT?
    This is the basic idea, but there are other apps which can make it easier. I prefer using Audio Hijack for the EQ part and sending it to a pass-through device set up in Loopback (which, for this use case, functions the same as BlackHole). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Upgrading my gear, need some advice for recording multiple people
    - Loopback 2 by Rogue Ameba to create a pass-thru from the soundboard (Farrago, also by Rogue Ameba) to Skype so everyone can hear me talking in addition to the soundboard on the same line. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Yamaha MG10XU and Zoom only recognizing one channel from the mixer / audio interface
    At the risk of further complicating matters, you could try combining sources or otherwise experimenting with Loopback, an app that's designed to do all kinds of audio routing stuff. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Soundflower mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Soundflower yet. Tracking of Soundflower recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Loopback by RogueAmoeba and Soundflower, you can also consider the following products

Audio Hijack - Record any audio, with Audio Hijack!

Virtual Audio Cable - Ever wanted to record your speaker output? (loopback) This is for you.

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