pamixer

controls PulseAudio and PipeWire volume from the command line

TLDR

Get current volume

$ pamixer --get-volume

Set volume

$ pamixer --set-volume [50]

Increase volume

$ pamixer -i [5]

Decrease volume

$ pamixer -d [5]

Mute audio

$ pamixer -m

Unmute audio

$ pamixer -u

Toggle mute

$ pamixer -t

Set volume for specific sink

$ pamixer --sink [1] --set-volume [50]

SYNOPSIS

pamixer [--get-volume] [--set-volume n] [-i n] [-d n] [-m] [-u] [options]

pamixer controls PulseAudio and PipeWire volume from the command line. It provides simple volume management for scripting and keybindings.Volume operations work as percentages. Increase and decrease adjust relative to current level. Set-volume applies an absolute percentage.Mute control toggles audio without changing volume level. The toggle command provides single-key mute/unmute functionality.Sink selection targets specific audio outputs when multiple exist. Default sink is used when not specified. Sources control microphone and input levels.Allow-boost permits volume above 100%, useful for quiet audio sources. This may cause distortion with already-loud content.The tool works with both PulseAudio and PipeWire (through its PulseAudio compatibility layer).

PARAMETERS

--get-volume

Print current volume.

--set-volume N

Set volume percentage.

-i N, --increase N

Increase volume by N%.

-d N, --decrease N

Decrease volume by N%.

-m, --mute

Mute.

-u, --unmute

Unmute.

-t, --toggle-mute

Toggle mute state.

--get-mute

Print mute status.

--sink ID

Select sink (output).

--source ID

Select source (input).

--default-source

Use default source.

--list-sinks

List available sinks.

--list-sources

List available sources.

--allow-boost

Allow volume above 100%.

INSTALL

sudo apt install pamixer

sudo dnf install pamixer

sudo pacman -S pamixer

sudo apk add pamixer

sudo zypper install pamixer

nix profile install nixpkgs#pamixer

CAVEATS

Requires PulseAudio or PipeWire. Volume above 100% may distort. Sink IDs may change across reboots.

HISTORY

pamixer was created as a command-line alternative to graphical PulseAudio mixers. It enables volume control through scripts, keybindings, and status bars common in minimal window managers.