Best Video and Audio Extensions for Chrome

Updated October 2026

How to choose a media tool

Start with the problem you have. Is the video too slow or too fast, is the sound too quiet or flat, or is it an old Flash file that will not play?

• Speed. Video Speed Controller changes how fast a page plays video or audio. It does not change loudness or tone.
• Loudness. Volume Booster Tab raises a tab's volume, with a limiter and a basic equalizer.
• Tone. Umbra EQ shapes sound with 11 bands and bass boost, and it can also raise volume past 100%.
• Age of the project. Umbra EQ and Volume Booster Tab are young repos with one maintainer each. Their update pace is unproven. Video Speed Controller has a longer record, with releases in April and August 2026.
• Old Flash content. Ruffle emulates Flash Player and plays Flash content it finds on a page. The project does not promise that every file works.
• Distortion. Boosting volume can distort sound at high levels, so use small steps and keep the limiter on.
• Access you grant. The two sound tools capture a tab's audio. Read each install prompt.
• Privacy. Umbra EQ's PRIVACY.md and Volume Booster Tab's PRIVACY.md say they collect and send nothing. Those are the developers' own statements, not audits. For Video Speed Controller, we could not read the developer's privacy policy when we checked; read it before installing.

Our picks at a glance

Which extension changes video speed?

Video Speed Controller. It controls any HTML5 video or audio element on any site, from 0.07x to 16x. You get an overlay, shortcuts you can change, and a default speed for each site. Players that do not use a standard HTML5 element will not respond to it.

Which one is best for a tab that plays too quietly?

Volume Booster Tab is the direct pick. It raises a tab's volume up to 600%, with a limiter, equalizer presets and channel balance. Umbra EQ can also push volume past 100% behind a limiter. High boosts can distort sound, so go slowly.

Do I need both a volume booster and an equalizer?

Not always. Volume Booster Tab includes a limiter and equalizer presets, so it may be enough for quiet tabs. Umbra EQ has a fuller 11-band equalizer, with saved presets and site rules. Pick Umbra if you want to shape the sound, not only raise it.

How can I play old Flash content in Chrome?

Ruffle. It is an open-source Flash Player emulator, written in Rust, that finds Flash content on a page and plays it. The Chrome extension needs no setup. We did not test a list of files, and the project does not say which content works, so some files may not play.

Are these extensions safe to install?

We can say what each one asks for. Video Speed Controller asks for storage and runs on web pages. Umbra EQ asks for activeTab, tabCapture, storage and offscreen, per its source manifest. Volume Booster Tab's permissions come from its build script, so check the install prompt. Ruffle’s source manifest asks for storage, scripting and declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess, plus access to all sites. Read each prompt before you add one.

Can I use them together?

You can install more than one, but two sound tools on one tab may pile boosts on top of each other. We have not tested this. Video Speed Controller changes speed, not sound, so it pairs with either sound tool. Try a combination on a quiet video first.

Good to know

Loud is not the same as clear. If a boost makes sound crackle, lower it. Two of these three projects are new, so check their GitHub pages for recent updates before you rely on them every day.

Also see: Best Chrome extensions for students.