The Communication Mute
macOS contains hidden audio behaviors designed to improve communication. If you are listening to music or watching a video, and suddenly receive an incoming FaceTime call, a notification ping, or if you launch an application that activates your microphone (like a video conferencing tool), macOS will often automatically lower the volume of all other background audio. This “audio ducking” or attenuation is meant to ensure you can hear the caller clearly. However, if you are livestreaming, recording a podcast, or simply prefer to manage your own audio mix, having the system arbitrarily slash your volume levels is incredibly disruptive.
Preventing Audio Attenuation
Unlike Windows, macOS does not have a single, simple checkbox in the primary Sound settings to completely disable audio ducking globally; you must stop macOS from automatically lowering your volume by adjusting accessibility features and specific application settings.
First, check VoiceOver, which is the most common culprit for global audio ducking on a Mac. Click the Apple logo > System Settings > Accessibility. Click on VoiceOver. Click the VoiceOver Utility… button. In the utility window, select Sound on the left. Uncheck the box that says Enable audio ducking. Secondly, you must check the settings of individual communication apps. For instance, open FaceTime, go to FaceTime > Settings in the menu bar, and look for any audio management options. For absolute, low-level control over all audio routing and ducking prevention, audio professionals often rely on third-party routing software like Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback or Audio Hijack to force specific volume levels.