Install SoundAssist Connect
The desktop app: download, sign in, and what it adds to the browser.
What Connect is
SoundAssist Connect is the desktop app. The browser version of SoundAssist does ~80% of what you need; Connect adds the parts that need OS-level integration:
- Right-click a file in Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) and send it straight to SoundAssist; no browser, no upload dialog.
- Per-app system-audio capture: stream what your DAW is playing, in quality a browser can't reach (Windows today; see below for macOS).
- A work folder that copies itself to The Vault as you save.
- A tray icon that keeps Connect one click away: Open SoundAssist, Quit.
- Starts with your computer, so your folders keep syncing.
- Auto-update: Connect checks on launch and every 30 minutes, and updates itself in the background.
Download
Get the installer at soundassist.online/download, or click Download Connect in the top bar of the browser app.
Available builds:
- Windows:
.zipwith an.exeinstaller. Not signed with a paid EV certificate yet, so SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then Run anyway. - macOS:
.dmgfor Apple Silicon (M1 or newer), macOS 14.4+. This is an early-access build, not signed with a paid Apple Developer certificate yet, so macOS says it's from an unidentified developer. On first launch, right-click the app and choose Open. On macOS Sequoia, if there's no Open button: System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, then Open Anyway.
On macOS, Finder right-click upload (under Quick Actions) and automatic updates work just like on Windows. One thing is not on macOS yet: per-app system-audio capture; it needs macOS 14.4+ and arrives in an upcoming signed build.
First-time setup
- Run the installer.
- Open Connect.
- Sign in with the same SoundAssist account you use on the web.
- Pick a work folder in The Vault if you want your work copied there as you save.
Connect starts with your computer out of the box, so your folders keep syncing without you thinking about it. The switch for that sits in The Vault, next to your work folder.
You can be signed in on multiple devices simultaneously. Sessions sync across them: start a session on the desktop, see it appear on your phone's browser.
What's different from the browser
| Feature | Browser | Connect |
|---|---|---|
| Upload tracks | ✓ | ✓ + right-click from Explorer / Finder |
| Listen / share | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live sessions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Folders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Capture your DAW's audio | no | ✓ (Windows) |
| Work folder auto-sync | no | ✓ |
| Tray icon menu | no | ✓ |
| Starts with your computer | no | ✓ |
| Native file picker | no | ✓ |
| Auto-update | n/a | ✓ |
Most workflows work fine in either. Use Connect if:
- You're uploading from DAW exports regularly.
- You want the people listening to hear your DAW itself, not a re-record.
- You want a folder on your machine copied to SoundAssist as you work.
- You're in sessions often + want them in their own window.
Updating Connect
Connect auto-checks for updates on launch and every 30 minutes after that (Windows and macOS). When a new version is available you'll see a notification with Update + restart / Later.
Updates happen in the background; they don't interrupt a session in progress. Restart applies the new version.
One macOS note: because the early-access build isn't Apple-signed yet, macOS may re-ask for permissions (like microphone access) after an update. Everything else about updating is automatic.
Uninstall
- Windows: Settings → Apps → SoundAssist Connect → Uninstall.
- macOS: drag the app from /Applications to Trash.
Uninstalling Connect doesn't touch your SoundAssist account or files; all your data stays on the web app.