---
title: "Online Audio Ducking Tool: Lower Music Under Voice | ShoutingNow"
description: Audio ducking lowers background music when speech or another trigger track plays. Upload both files, pick a preset, adjust threshold and timing, preview…
url: "https://shoutingnow.com/tools/audio-volume-ducker/"
image: "https://shoutingnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/shoutingnow-preview-scaled.webp"
---

# Online Audio Ducking Tool: Lower Music Under Voice

Audio ducking lowers background music when speech or another trigger track plays. Upload both files, pick a preset, adjust threshold and timing, preview the mix on your device, then export the ducked result privately in the browser.

## How to duck background music under a voice

Audio ducking automatically turns background music down while a voice or other sidechain track is active, then brings the music back up during gaps. It is the standard fix when narration gets buried under a bed track in podcasts, explainers, and voice-over mixes.

1. Upload background audio: drop in the music or ambient bed that should duck under speech.
2. Add the voice or trigger track: load the narration, dialogue, or any file that should control ducking from the Ducking panel.
3. Choose a preset: start with Podcast, Voice-over, or Presentation, then tweak duck amount and threshold if the mix still feels loud or sluggish.
4. Preview and export: listen with bypass to compare, align voice start offset if needed, then save MP3, WAV, M4A, M4R, or FLAC from the stage head.

## What audio ducking does

Ducking watches the sidechain level and reduces only the background gain when the trigger crosses your threshold. Unlike a simple volume fade, the background follows an envelope with attack while it drops, hold while speech continues, release while it recovers, and optional lookahead so music eases down just before words begin.

This tool mixes one background track and one sidechain track at a time. It does not draw manual automation lanes or run a full multitrack timeline. For sequential clip assembly, use the [Audio Joiner](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/audio-joiner/) first, then duck the mixed bed here.

## Settings that produce natural voice-over ducking

### Duck amount and threshold

**Duck amount** sets how far the background drops, measured in decibels. Moderate values around 10 to 15 dB keep music present without fighting the voice. **Threshold** is the sidechain level where ducking begins. If music barely moves, lower the threshold. If it ducks on room noise, raise it or tighten detector filters in Advanced settings.

### Attack, hold, release, and lookahead

**Attack** controls how quickly the background turns down once speech is detected. Fast attacks catch words cleanly; slow attacks feel softer but can let the first syllable sit on top of loud music. **Hold** keeps attenuation in place briefly after the sidechain falls, which reduces pumping between short words. **Release** sets how smoothly the music returns during pauses. **Lookahead** starts ducking a few milliseconds before speech audibly begins so the bed is already down when narration hits.

### Pumping and detector filters

Pumping is the audible swell when music rushes back between words. Longer hold and release times, a softer knee, and RMS detection usually calm it. Optional high-pass and low-pass filters on the detector ignore rumble and bright hiss so speech triggers ducking more reliably without changing how the voice itself sounds.

## Recommended settings for podcasts, videos, and presentations

Use case
Starting preset
What to listen for

Podcast intro bed under host
Podcast
Music should sit under speech without losing the groove between sentences

Narration over stock music
Voice-over
First word should not fight the bed; raise duck amount if music still masks consonants

Slide voice-over with light bed
Presentation
Background stays audible in pauses but never competes with the presenter

Heavy music under sparse speech
Strong duck
Use when you need a clear voice with minimal bleed from loud tracks

After choosing a preset, adjust background gain and voice gain in Advanced if one track was mastered louder than the other. Pair with the [Audio Volume Changer](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/audio-volume-changer/) on individual sources first when one file is far hotter than the other.

## Audio ducking compared with compression and volume automation

Method
What moves
Best for

Sidechain ducking
Background follows an external trigger track
Music under voice, DJ drops, broadcast beds

Compressor on one file
Loud parts of the same track are reduced
Uneven speech or spikes inside a single recording

Manual volume automation
You draw every fade by hand
Film mixes and DAW timelines with many lanes

Static gain
One fixed level change
Simple louder or quieter fixes without timing

Web Audio compressors cannot sidechain one file from another natively, which is why this tool precomputes a ducking envelope from the trigger track and applies it to the background during preview and export. For tone shaping before ducking, open the [Audio Equalizer](https://shoutingnow.com/tools/audio-equalizer/) on either source.

## Privacy and browser processing

Both tracks decode, analyze, mix, and export on your device. ShoutingNow does not upload your audio for ducking. Very long or high sample rate files can use significant memory while the envelope is calculated and the mix is rendered, so trim unused sections or work with shorter excerpts if the browser warns about memory. An optional safety limiter can cap mixed peaks before encoding.

## Related audio tools

- Audio Volume Changer
- Audio Equalizer
- Audio Trimmer
- Audio Editor

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is audio ducking?
Audio ducking automatically lowers one track, usually background music, while another track, such as speech, is active. The background returns during gaps so narration stays clear without manual fader rides.

### How much should background music be lowered under speech?
Many voice-over beds sound natural with roughly 10 to 15 dB of ducking. Heavier beds or loud music may need more. Use bypass to compare and trust your ears rather than a fixed number.

### What threshold should I use for voice ducking?
Start near the default around -30 dBFS and adjust while you preview. If ducking rarely triggers, lower the threshold. If room noise or breath triggers it, raise the threshold or enable detector high-pass filtering.

### What do attack, hold, and release change?
Attack sets how fast the background drops when speech starts. Hold keeps ducking active briefly after the sidechain falls to avoid pumping between words. Release controls how smoothly the music comes back during pauses.

### Can I duck music under a voice-over without uploading files?
Yes. Both tracks stay in your browser for decoding, envelope analysis, preview, and export. ShoutingNow does not send your audio to a server for ducking.

### Why does the music pump between words?
Pumping happens when release is too fast or hold is too short, so the bed surges back during brief gaps. Increase hold and release, try RMS detection, or soften the knee until transitions feel steady.

### Which audio formats can I export?
You can export MP3, WAV, M4A, M4R, and FLAC using the same browser encoder path as other ShoutingNow audio tools. Open MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, or FLAC sources up to 100 MB each.

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