Auto Ducking
MarcX Studio

Wispr Flow on Mac

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

Wispr Flow can mute or pause your music while you dictate. If you would rather hear it softly in the background, Auto Ducking lowers it to a level you choose and brings it back when you finish.

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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.

01Wispr Flow music while dictating

How do you lower music instead of muting it in Wispr Flow?

Leave Wispr Flow’s Mute all audio while dictating setting off, which is the default on a Mac, and let Auto Ducking handle the volume. When Wispr Flow turns the microphone on, Auto Ducking fades your Mac volume down to your Lower to level, from 0 to 20%. When dictation ends, it waits for your restore delay and fades the previous volume back. Auto Ducking only checks whether the microphone is in use and never records, transcribes or uploads audio.

02Wispr Flow on Mac

What Wispr Flow’s sound settings do on a Mac

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

  • Mute all audio while dictating lives in Settings > System > Sound, and is off by default on a Mac.
  • When it is on, Flow mutes the whole default output device, then restores it when dictation stops.
  • On outputs that have no mute control, such as some USB interfaces, Flow sets the volume to 0 and restores the previous level afterwards.
  • Pause is an experimental option for personal subscriptions and trials. It pauses supported players and resumes them at the end.

03Wispr Flow on Mac

Why lower instead of mute

Music at a low level keeps your rhythm going between sentences and avoids the jump back to full volume. With Auto Ducking you choose how low it goes, how smoothly it fades and how long it waits before coming back, and you can keep a different level for speakers and headphones.

FIG.01

Set up Auto Ducking with Wispr Flow

  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.

Dictate with Wispr Flow, 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.

Lower music instead of pausing it in Superwhisper

What Superwhisper’s Sound while recording choices do to your music, and how to set the exact level, fades and restore delay 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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