Auto Ducking
MarcX Studio

Superwhisper on Mac

Lower music instead of pausing it in Superwhisper

Superwhisper pauses your music by default when you start recording. You can switch that to keep playing, mute, lower or muffle, or let Auto Ducking set the exact level for you.

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Auto Ducking
Auto Ducking status panel in dark mode lowering the Mac volume from 80% to 10% while an AI assistant uses the microphone.

01Superwhisper pause music

How do you keep music playing while recording in Superwhisper?

Open Superwhisper’s Sound while recording setting and choose Keep Playing, globally or for the modes you use. Then let Auto Ducking lower the music: when Superwhisper turns the microphone on, Auto Ducking fades your Mac volume to your Lower to level, from 0 to 20%, and fades it back after your restore delay. Auto Ducking only checks whether the microphone is in use and never records, transcribes or uploads audio.

02Superwhisper on Mac

Superwhisper’s five Sound while recording choices

From Superwhisper’s documentation, checked on 2026-10-27:

  • Keep Playing: music keeps playing at full volume.
  • Pause: music pauses, then resumes when you stop. This is the default.
  • Mute: music goes silent while you record.
  • Lower: music gets quieter.
  • Muffle: keeps the beat and bass under your voice. It needs macOS 14.2 or later and the System Audio Recording permission, and falls back to Lower without it.

03Superwhisper on Mac

Global or per mode

The setting applies to every mode by default. To give one mode its own behaviour, set Sound while recording in that mode’s settings. For example, use Keep Playing in your writing mode and let Auto Ducking lower the music there.

04Superwhisper on Mac

What Auto Ducking adds

Auto Ducking lets you pick the exact level, from 0 to 20%, and set how smoothly it fades down and back. A restore delay keeps the volume steady through short pauses, each sound output remembers its own level, and the same setup works with every other app that uses your microphone.

FIG.01

Set up Auto Ducking with Superwhisper

  1. 01

    Leave music to Auto Ducking

    In your dictation app, keep its own sound option on Keep Playing (Superwhisper) or leave Mute all audio while dictating off (Wispr Flow), so only one app changes the volume.

  2. 02

    Choose the Lower to level

    In Auto Ducking, pick how quiet music gets while you speak, from 0 to 20%. Speakers, headphones, displays and AirPods each keep their own level.

  3. 03

    Set the fades and restore delay

    Fade down as you start, wait a moment after the microphone turns off, then fade back, so short pauses between sentences keep the volume steady.

  4. 04

    Pick the apps

    Use App Rules to let every microphone app lower the volume, or only the dictation apps you choose.

Auto Ducking Ducking settings with the Lower To level, Restore Delay and the During Calls switch.

Record with Superwhisper, keep the music

Every feature is free for 7 days. After that, a one-time Lifetime Unlock keeps automatic lowering on.

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Related Auto Ducking pages

What dictation apps do to your music on a Mac

What Wispr Flow and Superwhisper do to your music while you dictate on a Mac, and how Auto Ducking lowers it to the level you choose, then brings it back.

Keep music playing, quieter, while you dictate with Wispr Flow

Where Wispr Flow’s mute and pause settings are on a Mac, what they do to your music, and how to keep music playing at a quieter level with Auto Ducking.

Use background music during Mac dictation

Keep music playing while you dictate on a Mac, just quieter, and bring it back when you finish.

Adjust the ducking level on Mac

Choose how quiet background audio gets while the microphone is on, with fades, presets and shortcuts.

Auto Ducking

A Mac menu bar app that lowers background audio when the microphone turns on, then restores your volume.

Sources, checked 2026-10-27

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