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Mac notification guide

Give Spark its own notification sound on your Mac

So important mail is something you hear the moment it lands — and Spark doesn't sound exactly like every other app on your Mac.

Pick Spark's color and how it flashes, then add rules that match a specific sender or subject.
Pick Spark's color and how it flashes, then add rules that match a specific sender or subject.

Why Spark sounds like everything else on your Mac

macOS plays one alert sound for every notification and only lets you switch an app's sound on or off — never change it. So Spark chimes exactly like Slack, a calendar reminder, or any other app, and a message you were waiting for is easy to miss in the pile.

Spark is already good at deciding who gets to notify you — but once a message does come through, it borrows the same Mac sound as everything else, so you still have to stop and look.

What you can do without TrillMark

How TrillMark makes Spark stand out

TrillMark reacts to the banner Spark shows. Add Spark, give it a sound you'll recognize and a color, and important mail arrives as a sound you know plus a labeled flash — so you can tell Spark apart from Slack and everything else without looking.

Because TrillMark can read the notification's text, you can layer a rule right on top of Spark's own filtering: a louder, more distinct sound only when a message is from a particular client or the subject contains a word like “invoice” or “urgent,” while everyday mail stays soft or silent.

It reads that text only on your Mac, only to decide how to react, and never sends it anywhere — which matters for email.

Set it up in about a minute

  1. Open TrillMark and add Spark from the popular-apps list or a recent alert.
  2. Give it a sound you'll know by ear and a color; TrillMark labels the flash with the app's name.
  3. Keep using Spark's smart notifications to decide which mail notifies you at all.
  4. Optional: add a rule in TrillMark with a louder sound for a key sender or a subject keyword, so the mail that matters stands apart.
  5. Turn off the system sound for Spark in Notification settings so you hear only the sound you chose.

TrillMark is launching soon

Give Spark its own sound and a colored, labeled flash. Leave your email and I'll let you know the moment it's ready.

Questions about Spark

Can I set a custom notification sound for Spark on my Mac?

Not with Spark or macOS alone — Spark decides which mail notifies you, but the notification uses your Mac's single alert sound, and macOS only lets you turn that sound on or off. TrillMark reacts to the banner and plays a sound you choose, with a colored, labeled flash.

Does TrillMark replace Spark's smart notifications?

No — they work together. Keep using Spark to decide which mail is worth a notification; TrillMark then gives those notifications a distinct sound and a colored, labeled flash, plus optional rules for your most important senders.

Can I get a louder alert for one important sender?

Yes. Add a rule that matches that sender's name or a subject keyword and give it a louder, distinct sound, while everyday mail stays soft or silent. The text is read only on your Mac and never leaves it.