Audio ducking

What is Audio ducking?

Audio ducking is a technique that automatically lowers the volume of background music or ambient sound whenever a primary audio track, such as dialogue or voiceover, becomes active. It keeps the mix balanced so the most important audio stays clear without requiring manual volume adjustments for every moment.

When you'd use it

1. 1When a voiceover or dialogue track needs to be heard over background music.
2. 2When background music overwhelms spoken words in a review of the rough cut.
3. 3When the video alternates between a talking-head segment and a music-only moment.
4. 4When a product demo has both screen-capture narration and an underscore track running simultaneously.
5. 5When the final mix sounds muddy because two audio layers compete at similar volumes.

Example

A travel creator uses an upbeat track at full volume during B-roll transitions, then the track drops by 12 dB whenever the creator speaks to camera. The music stays audible throughout, reinforcing the energy of the footage without competing with the narration.

Use cases

1. 1Lowering a background playlist automatically whenever a founder speaks to camera.
2. 2Keeping a lifestyle montage energetic while making the voiceover narration legible.
3. 3Balancing interview audio against a trending audio track used for platform reach.

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