Definition
What is audio ducking?
Audio ducking is a mixing technique that reduces the level of one sound when another designated sound occurs. In video, it most often lowers background music beneath dialogue or narration, then returns the music to its normal level when the voice stops.
The level change can be created manually with volume keyframes or automatically with a ducker or sidechain compressor. Automatic tools listen to a source track and apply a controlled reduction to the target track. Attack, release, depth, and threshold settings determine how quickly and how far the music moves.
Effective ducking is transparent. The music should support the edit without competing with words, and its recovery should not pump or surge distractingly between phrases. Editors should listen on more than one playback system and leave enough headroom for dialogue, effects, and delivery loudness requirements.
Example in the edit
In a product film, the music drops gently whenever the narrator begins explaining a feature, then rises back to its previous level during the visual-only montage.
Why editors use it
Ducking protects intelligibility while preserving energy and mood from the music bed. It is a practical way to make dialogue-led edits clearer without muting the sound design completely.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Audio ducking
Is audio ducking the same as lowering music volume?
Lowering volume once is a static change. Ducking changes the music level in response to dialogue or another trigger, then lets it return when the trigger ends.
How much should music duck under dialogue?
There is no universal amount. Reduce it enough that every word is easy to understand, then judge the result against the music arrangement, voice recording, and delivery platform.
Why does ducked audio sometimes sound unnatural?
Fast timing, excessive gain reduction, or a short release can make the music pump between words. Smoother settings and manual refinement usually produce a more natural mix.