Audio Ducking: Lower Music Under Voice
Turn on one project switch and the music dips whenever a voice speaks, then comes back in the pauses. Pick Gentle, Medium or Strong. The editor preview approximates the dip; the export applies the real thing.
Audio Ducking: Lower Music Under Voice Features
EchoWave's audio ducking is used by voice-over creators, podcasters and video editors who put music under speech.
Automatic ducking
Make background music step aside whenever someone talks
Audio ducking lowers one sound while another is playing, so music sits under a voice instead of competing with it. In EchoWave it is a single project switch, Lower music under voice, with three strengths. It keys off your voice clips: any video clip and any audio clip you mark as Voice. Everything else on the audio lanes is treated as music and ducks. Add the voice with add voice-over to video, and match levels first with normalize audio.
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3
strengths: Gentle, Medium, Strong
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1
project switch, no per-clip setup needed
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2
roles: Voice drives, Music ducks
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720p
top resolution when you export on the free plan
How it behaves
What the Lower music under voice setting does
Ducking is one switch with a few rules. Knowing them saves a confusing first listen.
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One switch, three strengths
In Settings, under Audio, turn on Lower music under voice and choose Gentle, Medium or Strong. Start on Medium, then go stronger if the voice still gets buried, or gentler if the music pumps too obviously.
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Voice drives, music ducks
Video clips (with their own sound) and audio clips with the Ducking role set to Voice drive the dip. Audio clips default to Music. A voice-over recorded in the editor is marked Voice for you.
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A sidechain in the export
The export applies real sidechain compression keyed on the voice. It reacts to how loud the voice actually is, so the music rises again during pauses instead of staying down for the whole clip.
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A preview that approximates
While you edit, the preview estimates where the voice is from the waveform and dips the music to match. It is close, not identical, so listen to the exported video once before you publish.
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Works with the rest of the mix
Set levels first with Normalize loudness, use fades at the ends of the music, and keep the music clip volume sensible. Ducking then works on top of whatever volume each clip already has.
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What it cannot do
It cannot pick a voice out of a single file that has music and speech mixed together, and the switch is project-wide rather than per clip. For manual control of one section, adjust that music clip with volume keyframes instead.
How it works
How to duck music under a voice
Four steps in the editor.
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Add the voice and the music
Put the speaking video, voice-over recording or podcast audio on the timeline, then add a music track from the Media panel or upload your own file.
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Check each clip role
Select an audio clip, open Details and look at Ducking role. Set recorded speech to Voice and background tracks to Music. Video clips always count as voice, so mute any b-roll clip whose own sound should not trigger the dip.
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Turn on Lower music under voice
Open Settings, find Audio, switch on Lower music under voice and choose Gentle, Medium or Strong. The Music under voices tile in AI Studio turns it on as well.
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Play, then export and listen
Play the timeline to hear the approximate dip, adjust the strength, then export. The free plan renders an MP4 up to 720p with a small badge, with the exact ducking in the sound.
Who it's for
Who uses audio ducking
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Voice-over creators
Narration over a travel, product or explainer video stays clear while the music bed holds the mood between sentences.
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Podcasters with video episodes
Intro music fades down under the host and returns in the breaks, without hand-drawing volume curves.
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Tutorial and course makers
Background music under screen-recorded lessons stops competing with the instructor.
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Interview editors
A quiet music underscore sits beneath the speakers and swells in the gaps between answers.
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Small business video
Product demos with a presenter on camera keep the soundtrack low whenever the presenter speaks.
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Wedding and event editors
Speeches and vows take priority over the music track under them.
Let the music step aside for your voice
Add your voice and music, switch on Lower music under voice and export. Ducking has no plan label in the editor, and the free plan exports video up to 720p with a small badge.
What creators say after trying EchoWave
About the EchoWave team
EchoWave is a browser-based video and audio editor built by Lemon Vault LLC since 2018. The people who build the editor write these guides and test every step in the production app before publishing.
Audio Ducking FAQ
How do I make background music quieter when someone talks?
Open Settings, find Audio and switch on Lower music under voice, then choose Gentle, Medium or Strong. The music dips whenever a video clip or an audio clip marked Voice is speaking, and comes back in the pauses.
What do Gentle, Medium and Strong change?
They set how far the music dips under speech. Gentle leaves the music easily audible, Medium is a balanced default, and Strong pulls it well down. The preview shows an approximation, so check the export before settling.
Why is my music not ducking?
Check the roles. Only video clips and audio clips set to Voice drive the dip, and audio clips default to Music. Also check the voice clip is not muted and its volume is above zero, since those clips are ignored.
Does the preview match the exported audio?
Not exactly. The editor preview estimates when the voice is active and applies a similar dip. The export uses real sidechain compression, so the final sound can differ slightly. Listen to the exported video once before publishing.
Can it separate speech and music in one audio file?
No. Ducking needs the voice and the music on separate clips. A single file with both mixed together has one role, so nothing in it triggers the dip. Put the speech and the music on their own clips.
Is audio ducking free?
The switch has no plan label in the editor. What you export follows the usual rules: the free plan gives an MP4 video up to 720p with a small badge and a short end card, and audio-only downloads need a paid plan.
Can I duck only part of a track?
The setting is project-wide, so it applies wherever a voice plays. For a manual dip in one place, give that music clip volume keyframes or split the clip, instead of relying on the switch.
Does it work with a voice-over I record in EchoWave?
Yes. A voice-over recorded in the editor is marked Voice automatically, so the music dips under it as soon as the setting is on. Imported audio defaults to Music, so set its role by hand.
Audio ducking music under voice
Switch on Lower music under voice and pick a strength. The free plan exports video up to 720p with a small badge.
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