Increase Volume Above 100% on Ubuntu

Ubuntu can raise speaker or headphone volume above the normal 100% limit using GNOME Over-Amplification. On Ubuntu 26.04, enable it from Settings → Sound; if you want an exact percentage such as 130%, use the PipeWire wpctl command instead. The GUI steps below are for the standard Ubuntu desktop (not Kubuntu, Xubuntu, or other flavors).

Use over-amplification only when normal 100% output is still too quiet. Extra software gain can cause clipping (the boosted audio exceeds what the digital signal can represent cleanly), which makes already-loud material sound harsh or distorted.

Quick answer

Ubuntu increases volume above the normal 100% level with Over-Amplification.

On Ubuntu 26.04:

1. Open Settings → Sound.
2. Enable Over-Amplification.
3. Raise the output volume above 100%.

For an exact command-line level on PipeWire:

wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 130%

Start with a modest boost (for example 120% or 130%). More gain does not always sound clearer once clipping starts.

Increase Ubuntu volume above 100% from Settings

This is the recommended method when you want the GNOME desktop to remember that volumes above 100% are allowed.

Enable Over-Amplification

1. Open Settings from the application menu.
2. Select Sound.
3. Turn on Over-Amplification.

In Settings → Sound, the Over-Amplification row should switch on and stay enabled after you leave the panel:

With over-amplification on, drag Output volume past the usual 100% mark (for example 130%):

The percentage label beside the slider should read above 100% only when the toggle is on.

Return the volume to 100%

Drag the output slider back to 100%, or turn Over-Amplification off to restore the usual range.

Increase Ubuntu volume above 100% from the command line

Use the command line when you want a specific percentage, a scriptable one-liner, or a quick check of the default output device.

Open the Terminal application from the Ubuntu app menu before running the commands below. Run wpctl, gsettings, and pactl as your normal logged-in desktop user; you do not need sudo for volume changes.

Check the current output device

In PipeWire, an output device such as your laptop speakers, headphones, or HDMI audio is called a sink. Run wpctl status to see the audio devices PipeWire manages, then look under Audio → Sinks:

wpctl status

On a desktop with built-in speakers or headphones connected, look for a line marked with * under Sinks. That star marks the default output WirePlumber routes sound to.

Set volume above 100% with wpctl

wpctl is WirePlumber’s command-line tool for controlling PipeWire audio. It accepts percentages, where 100% is the normal level (1.0 on WirePlumber’s scale):

wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 130%

@DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ is a built-in alias that means “use my current default output device,” so you do not have to type a device number. Numeric sink IDs can still change when you plug in USB headsets or HDMI displays.

GNOME Over-Amplification controls whether GNOME’s own volume UI and media keys can go above 100%. wpctl sets the PipeWire sink level directly and does not require that GUI toggle.

wpctl usually prints nothing when the command succeeds. Confirm the level while logged into your normal Ubuntu desktop:

wpctl get-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@

WirePlumber prints the level on a 1.0 = 100% scale (so 130% often appears as 1.30). Exact formatting can vary slightly by version; read the number your system returns rather than expecting a percentage suffix in the output.

Return to normal listening level:

wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 100%

Enable Over-Amplification with gsettings

gsettings lets you read or change GNOME desktop settings from the terminal. The command below checks the same setting controlled by the Over-Amplification switch in Settings → Sound:

gsettings get org.gnome.desktop.sound allow-volume-above-100-percent

false

false means Over-Amplification is disabled; true means it is enabled.

Enable over-amplification from the terminal:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.sound allow-volume-above-100-percent true

Disable it again:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.sound allow-volume-above-100-percent false

After you set the key to true, the Sound panel slider can exceed 100% the same way as using the GUI toggle. Use wpctl when you also need to set the numeric level.

Compatible alternative: pactl

Ubuntu 26.04 uses PipeWire, but it provides a PulseAudio-compatible interface so older commands such as pactl can still work. You do not need to install or switch back to PulseAudio as your main audio server.

If you prefer that syntax:

pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ 130%

Install pulseaudio-utils when pactl is missing. Prefer wpctl on Ubuntu 26.04 unless you are maintaining scripts that already call pactl.

What does volume above 100% mean?

The volume slider is software gain, not a guarantee that the hardware can play louder without side effects.

        Normal listening
               |
     100%  (normal software volume limit)
               |
        Over-amplification
               |
     120–150%  (additional software gain)
               |
               +--> louder perceived level
               |
               +--> higher clipping / distortion risk

Clipping means the boosted audio exceeds the available digital range, which can make it sound harsh or distorted. If the source is already close to its maximum digital level, pushing past 100% often adds distortion rather than useful loudness. GNOME warns that over-amplification may reduce audio quality.

PipeWire, WirePlumber, and PulseAudio compatibility

Ubuntu 26.04 does not use a standalone PulseAudio daemon as the primary audio server. PipeWire handles the audio streams, while WirePlumber decides how devices and applications are connected and provides tools such as wpctl. pipewire-pulse adds the PulseAudio-compatible interface so pactl and pavucontrol can still work.

         Ubuntu 26.04 Desktop
                 |
                 v
             PipeWire
                 |
     +-----------+-----------+
     |                       |
 WirePlumber            pipewire-pulse
 (wpctl)                      |
                               +--> pactl / pavucontrol still work

Prefer wpctl on 26.04 for CLI volume changes. pactl remains a compatible alternative through pipewire-pulse when you already know PulseAudio-style commands.

Optional: Control individual apps with pavucontrol

You do not need pavucontrol just to enable volume above 100%; it is most useful when you want separate controls for individual apps or output devices.

Installing software changes the system, so this is the one step here that needs administrator privileges:

sudo apt install -y pavucontrol

If Ubuntu says the package cannot be found, refresh the package list with sudo apt update and run the install command again. See the apt command for how install fits into package management.

Open PulseAudio Volume Control and use the Output Devices tab to increase the output level. Through PipeWire’s PulseAudio-compatible interface, pavucontrol can expose levels above 100% without installing PulseAudio separately. Use the Playback tab when you want to adjust one application instead of the whole output device.

Before boosting: check why Ubuntu sounds too quiet

Over-Amplification is useful when Ubuntu is already using the correct speaker or headset but the audio is still too quiet. It does not fix a muted channel or the wrong device.

Check these first:

• Application volume is already at 100% for the app you are listening through
• Settings → Sound points to the correct output (built-in speakers, HDMI, USB headset)
• Physical volume buttons or controls on the laptop, speakers, monitor, or headset are turned up
• The underlying sound device is not muted or set very low in alsamixer

As a final hardware-level check, Ubuntu also provides alsamixer, a terminal mixer for the sound device. Run:

alsamixer

If you have more than one audio device, press F6 and choose the one you are actually using, such as the built-in sound card or a USB headset. Confirm master or headphone channels are not muted (MM means muted; press M to toggle mute). Press Esc to exit alsamixer.

If everything is configured correctly and the source itself is quiet, enabling Over-Amplification is appropriate.

If only one video or music file is quiet, raising volume inside that player may be preferable to boosting the entire system.

Does over-amplification reduce sound quality?

It can. Pushing software gain above 100% increases the chance of clipping when the original audio is already close to its maximum digital level. A small boost may sound acceptable with quieter recordings, while already-loud audio can distort quickly.

Practical guidance:

• Try 120% or 130% before larger values
• If distortion appears, lower the slider or reduce boost inside the media player instead of stacking gain in multiple places
• Disable Over-Amplification when you no longer need the extra headroom

Troubleshooting

Summary

Ubuntu raises volume above the normal 100% ceiling through GNOME Over-Amplification. On Ubuntu 26.04, enable it under Settings → Sound, then drag the output slider past 100%, or turn the same behavior on with gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.sound allow-volume-above-100-percent true.

For exact levels on PipeWire, use wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 130% and confirm with wpctl get-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@. @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ avoids hard-coding sink numbers that change when hardware changes. pactl set-sink-volume @DEFAULT_SINK@ … still works through pipewire-pulse if you need compatibility syntax.

Treat boosts above 100% as extra software gain, not unlimited hardware power. Start near 120–130%, and back off when you hear clipping. Optional pavucontrol helps when you need per-app or per-device sliders; it is not required for the basic Settings workflow.

Do not add pactl commands to /etc/profile just to enable this feature at login. GNOME stores the Over-Amplification preference itself, while login-script audio commands can run before the graphical desktop audio stack is ready.

References

• Ubuntu Desktop Help — sound
• GNOME Settings Daemon — allow-volume-above-100-percent
• WirePlumber wpctl manual
• Ubuntu packages — pipewire