The Audio Interruption
Windows 11 features a communications management system designed to prioritize voice calls. Known technically as “audio ducking,” this feature automatically detects when you receive an incoming VoIP call (via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Skype) or a system notification, and immediately lowers the volume of all other applications by 80%. While intended to ensure you hear the caller clearly, this is incredibly jarring if you are listening to music, watching a movie, or playing a video game, as your primary audio suddenly dips to a whisper every time a minor notification pings in the background.
Isolating the Audio Streams
To stop Windows 11 from aggressively managing your volume levels and to ensure your music or game audio remains consistently loud regardless of incoming alerts or calls, you must disable the communications ducking feature entirely.
Press the Windows Key, type mmsys.cpl, and press Enter to open the classic Sound control panel directly (this is faster than navigating through the modern Settings app). In the small window that appears, look at the tabs across the top and click on Communications. You will see a prompt asking “When Windows detects communications activity:”. By default, it is set to “Reduce the volume of other sounds by 80%”. Click the radio button at the very bottom labelled Do nothing. Click Apply, then click OK to close the window. The change is immediate; Windows 11 will no longer duck your music volume when notifications or calls arrive, leaving you in complete control of your audio mix.