How to Use the Equalizer for SoundCloud on iPhone, iPad & Mac
The official SoundCloud app has no equalizer. Here's how to add a real 10-band EQ to SoundCloud in about two minutes, free, using Soundy.
Quick answer: The SoundCloud app doesn't have a built-in equalizer. To equalize SoundCloud audio, install the free Soundy app, sign in with your SoundCloud account, play a track, open the full-screen player, and tap the equalizer icon (three horizontal sliders). Turn the toggle on, then pick a preset like Bass Booster or drag the 10 sliders (32 Hz–16 kHz, ±12 dB) to build your own curve.
SoundCloud is unbeatable for music discovery, but its official app has never included an equalizer, so every track plays back with a flat, one-size-fits-all sound. If your bass feels thin, vocals sit too far back, or a podcast is hard to make out, there's no way to fix it inside SoundCloud itself.
Soundy solves this. It's a free, ad-free SoundCloud player for iPhone, iPad and Mac that adds a true 10-band equalizer (powered by Apple's AVAudioEngine) with 22 iPod-style presets and fully custom curves. The steps below walk you through turning it on and dialing in your sound.
Turn on the SoundCloud equalizer in 8 steps
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Download Soundy free
Install Soundy from the App Store on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. It's free: no ads, no paid tier, and the equalizer is unlocked from the start.
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Sign in with SoundCloud
Open Soundy and tap Continue, then Sign In with SoundCloud. Authorize in the secure system browser and you'll be returned to the app, signed in. Don't have an account? Create one free at soundcloud.com/signup first.
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Play a track and open the full player
Find any track in Search or your Library and tap it to start playing. A mini-player appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap it to expand the full-screen player.
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Open the equalizer
In the full-screen player's bottom toolbar, tap the equalizer icon, the one that looks like three horizontal sliders. The Equalizer sheet slides up over the player.
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Turn the equalizer on
Flip the toggle at the top of the Equalizer sheet to switch the EQ on. When it's active, the equalizer icon in the player tints orange so you can see at a glance that it's working.
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Pick a preset
Tap any preset pill, whether Bass Booster, Rock, Jazz, Vocal Booster or 18 more. The selected preset fills orange and applies to your music instantly. This is the fastest way to improve your sound.
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Fine-tune the 10 bands
Want more control? Drag any of the 10 vertical sliders, spanning 32 Hz to 16 kHz with a range of ±12 dB each. The response-curve graph updates live as you drag, and your edits are saved automatically as a Custom curve.
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Set the preamplifier, then tap Done
Use the Preamplifier slider to set the overall level, turning it down slightly if a heavy bass boost starts to distort. Tap Done to close the sheet, or Reset to return to a flat curve. Your equalizer now applies to every track until you change it.
The 22 equalizer presets in Soundy
Presets are the quickest route to better sound. Each one shapes the 10 bands for a particular genre, source or listening situation. Soundy includes all 22 classic iPod-style presets:
- All-purpose: Flat, Loudness, Small Speakers, Deep
- Bass & treble shaping: Bass Booster, Bass Reducer, Treble Booster, Treble Reducer
- By genre: Acoustic, Classical, Dance, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Latin, Lounge, Piano, Pop, R&B, Rock
- For voice: Vocal Booster, Spoken Word (ideal for podcasts and audiobooks on SoundCloud)
Tips for the best sound
How to boost bass on SoundCloud
Tap Bass Booster for an instant low-end lift, or for finer control drag the 32 Hz, 64 Hz and 125 Hz sliders upward. If the bass starts to distort, lower the Preamplifier a little. That prevents clipping while keeping the extra weight.
Make vocals and podcasts clearer
Choose Vocal Booster or Spoken Word, or nudge the 1 kHz–4 kHz bands up a few dB to bring voices forward. Pair it with Soundy's playback speed control for the ideal podcast setup.
Build your own curve
Start from the preset closest to what you want, then drag individual bands to taste. Soundy keeps your adjustments as a Custom curve so your personal sound is always one tap away.
Good to know: the equalizer is applied at the audio-engine level, so it affects your iPhone or iPad speaker, wired and Bluetooth headphones, and AirPlay devices alike on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Equalizer for SoundCloud: FAQ
Does the SoundCloud app have an equalizer?
No. The official SoundCloud app for iPhone, iPad and Mac does not include a built-in equalizer. To equalize SoundCloud audio you need a third-party player like Soundy, which adds a real 10-band equalizer with 22 presets and custom curves.
How do I turn on the equalizer for SoundCloud in Soundy?
Play any track, tap the mini-player to open the full-screen player, then tap the equalizer icon (three horizontal sliders) in the bottom toolbar. Flip the toggle at the top of the Equalizer sheet to switch it on, then pick a preset or drag the 10 sliders.
How many bands does the Soundy equalizer have?
Soundy uses a true 10-band equalizer with bands at 32 Hz, 64 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz and 16 kHz, each adjustable by up to ±12 dB. It also includes a Preamplifier control for overall level.
What equalizer presets does Soundy include?
Soundy ships with 22 iPod-style presets: Flat, Acoustic, Bass Booster, Bass Reducer, Classical, Dance, Deep, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Latin, Loudness, Lounge, Piano, Pop, R&B, Rock, Small Speakers, Spoken Word, Treble Booster, Treble Reducer and Vocal Booster. You can also save your own custom curve.
How do I boost bass on SoundCloud?
Open the Soundy equalizer, tap the Bass Booster preset for an instant low-end lift, or drag the 32 Hz, 64 Hz and 125 Hz sliders upward for precise bass control. Use the Preamplifier to avoid clipping if the bass gets too loud.
Does the equalizer work on iPad and Mac too?
Yes. Soundy runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and the equalizer works identically on all three. EQ is applied at the audio-engine level, so it affects the built-in speaker, wired and Bluetooth headphones, and AirPlay devices.
Is the SoundCloud equalizer in Soundy free?
Yes. The full 10-band equalizer, all 22 presets and custom curves are completely free in Soundy. There are no ads and no in-app purchase required to unlock the equalizer.
Does the equalizer setting apply to all tracks?
Yes. Once the equalizer is on, your chosen preset or custom curve applies to every track you play until you change it or switch the equalizer off. Your settings are remembered between sessions.