Audio ducking on Mac
Audio ducking on Mac means other apps get quieter while a call is on, and SoundDial does it for you: other apps drop to 30% of their volume and come back when the call ends.
Ducking is an old broadcast trick: background audio drops while something more important plays, then returns. On a Mac the important thing is usually a call, and the background is your music or a video.
What macOS gives you
macOS has one output volume for every app, so lowering it lowers the call too. Some call apps process their own audio, and Bluetooth headphones can sound quieter while their microphone is in use, but none of that lets you choose what gets lowered or by how much.
How ducking works in SoundDial
- Trigger: a call app or a listed browser reports that it is using audio input
- Effect: other playing apps play at your level, 5% to 80% in 5% steps (default 30%)
- The calling app and other communication apps are never lowered
- When the call ends, every app returns to its own level
Call apps: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, Discord, Slack, Webex, Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram and the system call services. Browsers: Safari, Chrome, Chrome Beta, Firefox, Edge, Arc, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi, which covers web calls such as Google Meet. SoundDial does not read or record microphone audio; it only checks whether input is in use.
Turn audio ducking off, or change how much
The setting is “Lower other apps during calls” in SoundDial's Settings, under Auto-Duck, and it is on by default. Raise the level to make the dip smaller, lower it to make music almost disappear, or switch it off and set levels yourself with each app's slider. While a call is detected, the menu shows “Call – others lowered”.
If your music still drops with SoundDial's setting off, the cause is elsewhere: check your call app's audio settings for automatic adjustments, and whether your Bluetooth headset switches to a headset mode when its microphone is on.
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FAQ
Does SoundDial duck when someone talks in a video?
No. The trigger is a call app or listed browser using audio input, not speech in other audio.
Why did my music drop while I was dictating?
A listed browser using the microphone for anything, dictation included, counts as a call. Raise the level or turn the setting off while you dictate.
Does ducking change my saved app levels?
No. It multiplies each app's own level during the call and restores it afterwards.
SoundDial: a volume slider and mute button for every app.
€14.99 one-time purchase · macOS 14.2+ · no subscription