Questions,
answered once, honestly.

No. It reads levels from your input device in real time and does not record, store, or transmit any audio. macOS requires microphone permission for any app that opens an audio input — flexMeter installs a tap on the input device to calculate levels, and that's all.

macOS requires microphone permission for any app that accesses audio input devices, even if the app only reads signal levels. flexMeter uses that permission solely to calculate the meter levels shown on screen.

Yes. flexMeter detects every input device macOS sees via CoreAudio — built-in mic, USB interface, Thunderbolt interface, virtual audio device. It supports 1 to 8 channels per device.

flexMeter notices, switches the engine over to the system default input, and shows a brief status message. It does not crash, quit, or freeze the strip.

VU (300ms integration) is slow and reads average loudness — it's what broadcast uses for voice. PPM (IEC 60268-10 Type I) has a fast attack and slow return, so it catches short transient peaks a VU reads past. LUFS (ITU-R BS.1770-4) uses K-weighted gated loudness and is the measurement streaming platforms actually check against — momentary, short-term, and integrated readings all update in real time.

M (Momentary) is loudness over the last 400ms — it reacts almost immediately. S (Short-term) is loudness over the last three seconds, which smooths out brief fluctuations. I (Integrated) is the gated loudness across the whole measurement period — the number to match against a platform target. Hit Reset Integrated to start a new measurement at the top of a take.

Switch to LUFS, pick the preset that matches your target — YouTube/Spotify (-14), Apple Music/Podcast (-16), EBU R128 (-23), ATSC A/85 (-24), or ARIB TR-B32 (-27). A cyan reference line appears on the strip at that target level. Aim to keep your integrated (I) reading near it.

Green below -12 dB (safe). Yellow between -12 and -6 dB (warm). Red above -6 dB (approaching clipping). Peak hold indicators turn red above -6 dB too, so a glance tells you the same story.

Three ways: press Command-Shift plus an arrow key, long-press the strip for half a second and drag it, or use the Position picker in the menu bar settings or the right-click context menu.

Yes. The panel uses macOS collection behaviors that let it sit above fullscreen apps and follow you across every Space. That's the entire reason the app exists.

Yes. By default, mouse events pass through to whatever is underneath. Right-clicking opens the context menu; long-pressing enables drag mode temporarily. Nothing else gets intercepted.

Yes. When multiple displays are connected, a display picker appears in settings. Pick the screen you want. The choice is remembered, and the strip re-positions itself when you rearrange your displays.

No. It runs as a menu bar agent. No Dock icon, no app window — every control lives in the menu bar dropdown and the right-click context menu.

macOS 26.4 (Tahoe) or later, on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer).

flexMeter is $29.99 as a one-time purchase. The public beta is free through 1.0 launch. The launch promo runs the first 2–4 weeks at $19.99. When the next major release ships — vintage skins, including the VU needle skin — the new-customer price rises to $39.99 and existing customers get that update free.

flexMeter will be available as a direct download from the website and on the Mac App Store at the same price. Direct purchases include a license key for the Macs you personally own.

The current beta meters CoreAudio input devices only — it doesn't yet read system output, per-app audio, or the OBS program bus directly. Output/program metering, source models, stereo correlation, on-air mode, and dead-air alerts are roadmap items, not current promises. LUFS measurement uses incremental gating, which is the right tool for live monitoring; for strict EBU R128 delivery checks, confirm with your delivery toolchain.