VolumizerFind the feature you need
Choose a category in the sidebar to reveal its topics, or search by a control name. Each topic links directly to its instructions, so you can bookmark or share it.
This guide describes the v1.8.1 development build. Some controls may change before the public release. Always begin at a low listening volume.
Getting started
Install and open Volumizer
Install the extension from its official Chrome Web Store listing once published. Pin it using Chrome’s Extensions menu, open a normal website with audio, then click the Volumizer icon. During pre-release testing, use a trusted unpacked development build.
Use the extension on a normal webpage with audio playing. Browser settings pages and other restricted pages cannot be captured. Pin the extension from Chrome’s puzzle-piece Extensions menu for quick access.
Turn audio processing on or off
Use the power button at the top of the extension popup. The extension processes the current tab’s audio. Turn it off to stop processing and return control of the tab’s audio to Chrome.
The power control starts or stops processing for the current tab. If you open a different tab, that tab has its own audio session. The ON badge indicates processing is active; ERR indicates a problem that needs attention.
Set a comfortable volume
Move the main Volume slider. 100% is the reference level, values below 100% reduce volume, and values above 100% boost it. You can also choose one of the quick volume buttons: 100%, 150%, 200%, or 300%. Start at 100% and increase gradually.
Start with your computer volume low, set Volumizer to 100%, turn processing on, and play a quiet sample. Raise the slider in small steps. A 200% setting is not guaranteed to sound twice as loud.
Equaliser
Choose a sound profile
Open Equaliser. Select Flat, Deep bass, Voice clarity, Bright, or Warm for a starting point. The profiles are quick starting points, not guaranteed improvements for every recording.
Adjust individual frequencies
Use Bass for low frequencies, Midrange for the central frequencies, and Treble for higher frequencies. The Reset control returns the equaliser to its default settings. Reducing an overemphasised frequency can sound cleaner than boosting every frequency.
For speech, try a modest midrange adjustment. For music with too much rumble, lower bass or apply a low-cut filter. If the sound distorts, reduce boosted bands and the main volume.
Effects and playback
Reverb
Open Effects and move the Reverb slider to add a sense of space. At zero, the reverb effect is off.
Reverb can make music or ambient recordings feel spacious, but it can reduce speech clarity. Keep the effect subtle for podcasts and spoken content.
Echo and delay
Use Echo to control the repeated-sound effect and Echo delay to change the interval between repeats. Start with a small amount to avoid muddiness.
Long delays and high echo amounts can overlap with the original audio. Lower Echo to zero when you want the effect disabled.
Playback speed
Change the playback-speed slider or use 0.70×, 0.85×, 1.00×, and 1.25× shortcuts. The Slow + reverb button applies a combined effect; Normal playback returns to normal speed and sound-effect defaults.
Speed controls affect playback on the supported tab. Websites with custom players may behave differently. Return to 1.00× if audio or video becomes out of sync.
Advanced audio controls
Stereo balance
Open Advanced and use Stereo balance to shift sound toward the left or right channel. The centre position keeps the channels balanced.
Low-cut and high-cut filters
Low-cut reduces frequencies below a selected point. High-cut reduces frequencies above a selected point. Extreme values can remove much of the audible signal.
Dynamic compression
Enable Dynamic compression to reduce the difference between louder and quieter parts of the signal.
Compression reduces dynamic range. It does not simply increase the main volume, and it may make background sounds more noticeable.
Volume levelling
Enable Volume levelling for additional dynamic-range compression. This is not a calibrated loudness-normalisation or equal-loudness guarantee.
Mono audio
Enable Mono audio to combine the left and right channels into a mono signal.
Peak limiting
Enable peak limiting to reduce digital clipping risk at high boost. It cannot prevent hearing damage or guarantee a safe output level.
Peak limiting reduces digital clipping within the processing chain. It does not measure the loudness at your ears or protect speakers and headphones from every possible damage.
Saved presets
Save your settings
Open Tools, find Sound presets, enter a name in Create a preset, then select Save preset. The preset saves the current audio settings.
A preset captures the current sound configuration so you can reuse it later. Give it a descriptive name such as “Speech” or “Late-night listening”.
Apply or remove a preset
Select a saved preset from the dropdown and choose Apply. To remove one, select it and choose Delete selected. Deletion is intentional, so export a backup if you might need it later.
Website preferences
Remember a website
Open Tools and enable Remember settings for this website. Volumizer stores that website’s origin and selected audio settings locally, allowing different sites to have different preferences.
After enabling memory, adjust the sound, switch away and return to that website, then check the displayed settings. Remembered settings are associated with the website origin, not every individual page.
Understand what is remembered
Website memory is distinct from temporary per-tab settings. It is stored locally and can be included in settings exports. Only enable it for websites whose settings you want remembered.
Keyboard shortcuts
Configure shortcuts
Open chrome://extensions/shortcuts in Chrome. Find Vularo Volumizer and assign keys to Toggle audio processing, Increase tab boost by 10%, and Decrease tab boost by 10%. The suggested toggle shortcut is Alt+Shift+V, although availability varies by browser and operating system.
Chrome or another application may already use it. Select a different combination on the Chrome shortcuts page.
Shortcut safety
A shortcut can start processing without opening the popup. Shortcut activation is capped at 150% boost for safety. Check the extension badge for ON or ERR and open the popup to inspect settings if something seems wrong.
Sleep timer and active tabs
Start or cancel a timer
Open Tools, find Sleep timer, choose 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours, then select Start timer. Choose Cancel timer to remove the pending timer. Stopping processing also clears the timer.
The timer stops Volumizer processing for that tab after the chosen interval. It does not necessarily pause the website’s media player or shut down the computer.
Manage other tabs
Open Tools and use Active tabs to view tabs currently being processed. Use Turn off for a listed tab to stop its processing without navigating to that tab.
Backups and updates
Export a backup
Open Tools, find Backup and restore, and choose Export settings. Keep the exported file somewhere you control. It can help restore your presets and preferences after a reinstall or device change.
Export your settings before reinstalling Chrome, changing computers, or testing a development build. Store the file securely, because website preferences may contain website origins.
Import settings
Choose Import settings and select a previously exported Volumizer settings file. Imported values are validated and clamped to supported ranges. Review the resulting settings before enabling audio processing.
Update without losing data
Normal Chrome Web Store updates keep persistent settings when the extension ID stays the same. For unpacked development builds, update the existing folder and click Reload instead of uninstalling. Uninstalling can erase locally saved data. Temporary per-tab session settings are deliberately not retained across browser sessions.
Troubleshooting and safety
No audio or no boost
Confirm the tab is playing audio, Volumizer is switched on, and the website is a normal Chrome page. Browser-internal and some protected pages may block tab capture. Try reloading the webpage.
Check the browser tab is not muted, confirm the correct output device is selected, and make sure the page is not a protected Chrome page. If audio still fails, switch processing off before refreshing the page.
Distortion or unexpected loudness
Immediately lower the system volume or stop playback, then reduce Volumizer to 100% or lower. Disable reverb and echo and adjust filters gradually. A limiter cannot make unsafe listening safe.
A shortcut does not work
Check chrome://extensions/shortcuts for conflicts and verify the extension is enabled. An ERR badge indicates a processing error. Reopen the popup and retry on a supported tab.
Need more assistance?
Read the Help and FAQs, explore the feature overview, or check the release history.