Developer tokyomeltdown has released a paid upgrade to the free LUFSBar menu bar meter, adding the ability to insert plugins directly into a Mac’s system audio and read the loudness that comes out the other side.
LUFSBar Pro uses macOS’s built-in system audio tap, so no virtual audio device or driver installation is required to route sound through it. Up to five Audio Units can be chained onto whatever the Mac is playing, whether that’s a DAW, a browser tab, or Apple Music, letting a room-correction EQ or a reference chain apply everywhere rather than only inside a session.
LUFSBar Pro puts up to five Audio Unit plug-ins into the sound your Mac is playing, and measures the result to EBU R128 / ITU-R BS.1770. The reading lives in the notch, so it costs no menu bar room and does not disappear behind a full-screen app.
LUFSBar Pro features
- Reading displayed in the MacBook notch area, expandable into a full panel with meters, targets, and the insert rack.
- Up to five Audio Units inserted into system audio, reorderable by drag with one-button bypass, with the chain and settings persisting between launches.
- Output switching that follows a DAW’s audio to a different device mid-playback, without touching the DAW itself.
- M/S/I LUFS and True Peak metering via libebur128, per ITU-R BS.1770-4 and EBU R128, with Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and R128 target judging.
- Reference snapshot saving, showing plain (uncolored) deltas against the saved reference for S, I, and TP.
- Device or per-app measurement selection, so only the intended audio source is read.
LUFSBar Pro for macOS 14.4+ is available to purchase for $12 USD. A 14-day full-featured free trial is available to try the software. The original LUFSBar meter remains free and open source.
More information: tokyomeltdown
