Why FaceTime turns your music down on a Mac, and how to stop it

By Hardeep Singh, maker of CallLane · Updated 8 October 2026

FaceTime switches on Apple's voice processing for your mic, and macOS lowers all other audio by about 20 dB while it's on. FaceTime has no setting to stop this, and neither does System Settings. Playing the call through its own output device keeps the rest of your audio at full volume. CallLane does that automatically.

What you notice

You’re on FaceTime with someone and press play on a show you both want to watch. The moment the call connects, the show drops to a whisper. Turn the volume up and the call gets louder, but the show stays quiet next to it. Spotify, a browser tab and the TV app all get the same treatment.

Why it happens

FaceTime uses Apple’s voice processing to cancel echo from your speakers. When that processing is on, macOS ducks every other sound on the same output by about 20 dB. Apple added a way for apps to ask for less ducking in macOS 14, but FaceTime doesn’t offer it as a setting.

The Audio duckingcheckbox in VoiceOver Utility won’t help. It’s for the screen reader. Here’s why.

How to stop it

1. Install CallLane and run its setup. It adds an audio device called CallLane.
2. Start or join a FaceTime call. Open the Video menu in the menu bar, then Output, and pick CallLane.
3. Play your music or video. It stays at full volume, and the call plays at the level you set in CallLane.

Without CallLane, you can pick your Mac’s built-in speakers as FaceTime’s output and keep your music on headphones. The music stays loud, but the call comes out of the speakers.

AirPods sound worse on FaceTime too

If you use AirPods, FaceTime also switches them to their mic, and Bluetooth drops to low-quality headset audio. CallLane fixes that as well by keeping your Mac’s mic as the input. Details here.

Questions