The Audio Ducking Issue
If you use Google Chrome as your primary communication tool—relying on web apps like Google Meet, Discord Web, or Zoom in the browser—you might experience a jarring audio issue. Whenever a call connects or someone speaks, Chrome may automatically lower the volume of your other browser tabs (like a background YouTube video or Spotify Web Player). This “ducking” feature is intended to ensure you can hear the conversation clearly over background noise. However, if you are intentionally trying to share audio or listen to music while passively sitting in a voice channel, having Chrome constantly throttle your media volume is incredibly frustrating.
Disabling the Communications Throttle
To retain consistent audio levels and stop Google Chrome from automatically lowering the volume of other tabs during web calls, you must disable the operating system’s underlying communication settings, as Chrome relies on the OS to handle this.
Google Chrome does not have an internal setting to stop audio ducking; it obeys Windows. If you are on a Windows PC, press the Windows Key, type Change system sounds, and hit Enter to open the classic Sound Control Panel. Click on the Communications tab at the very top. You will see a prompt asking what to do “When Windows detects communications activity.” Select the bottom radio button: Do nothing. Click Apply and OK. You must restart Google Chrome completely for the change to take effect. Chrome will now push all audio from all tabs at your specified volume, regardless of whether a web call is currently active.