Mac apps that stop audio ducking during calls: every option compared (2026)
Of the Mac apps I checked, three stop calls from ducking your music: Duckproof and Unduck Pro, both free and open source, and CallLane, which is paid and also keeps AirPods out of headset mode. You can also route around ducking by hand with BlackHole or Loopback. SoundSource and Audio Hijack handle per-app volume, effects and recording, but neither is advertised as a ducking fix. SoundDial's Auto-Duck and AudioDucker lower your music on purpose, during calls or when you speak.
Tested on macOS 27.0.1 with CallLane 1.0.5, .
What audio ducking is
When a call app turns on Apple’s voice processing, macOS lowers every other sound by about 20 dB until the call ends. macOS has no setting to stop it, and the VoiceOver “Audio ducking” checkbox is a different feature. The full explanation is in how to turn off audio ducking on a Mac.
Every option side by side
Free apps first, then the do-it-yourself route, then paid apps in alphabetical order.
| App | Price | Call ducking | AirPods headset-mode fix | macOS | Signed and notarized | Open source | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duckproof | Free | Stops it. The call plays into its own virtual device, so macOS ducks only the call | By hand. Its FAQ says to pick another mic in FaceTime | 14.2 or later | Yes | Yes, GPL-3.0 | Admin password for its driver, then pick Duckproof as the speaker in each call app |
| Unduck Pro | Free | Stops it. It notices calls and resets macOS's ducking | Not advertised | 14.2 or newer | No. Self-signed, not notarized | Yes, MIT | Open Anyway once in Privacy & Security, allow mic access. No driver |
| BlackHole or Loopback, set up by hand | BlackHole free; Loopback $99 | Routes around it. You send the call to a virtual device and forward that device to your headphones | Not advertised | BlackHole: 10.10 or newer. Loopback: 14.5 to 27 | BlackHole: yes, per its README. Loopback: not stated | BlackHole: yes, GPL-3.0. Loopback: no | Build the route yourself in Audio MIDI Setup or Loopback, pick it in each call app, redo it when your headphones change |
| Audio Hijack | $69 one-time; free trial with limits | Not advertised. It records and processes app and system audio | Not advertised | 14.4 to 27 | Not stated | No | You build each audio chain yourself |
| AudioDucker | $10, 7-day refund | The opposite. It lowers your music when you use your mic or start talking | Not advertised | 15 (Sequoia) and 26 (Tahoe) | Notarized, per its site | Not advertised | Zero configuration, per its site |
| CallLane | One-time purchase, 14-day refund | Stops it. Call apps play into the CallLane device, so macOS ducks only the call | Yes, for apps that follow the system input (Lock input) | 14 or later | Yes | The driver is (GPL-3, from BlackHole); the app is not | Admin password once for the driver, then pick CallLane as the speaker in each call app |
| SoundDial | €14.99 one-time on the Mac App Store | Not advertised. Its own Auto-Duck lowers other apps to 30% during calls, on purpose, and can be turned off | Not advertised | 14.2 or later | Mac App Store app | Not advertised | One audio permission, with a guided setup |
| SoundSource | $49 one-time; free trial with limits | Not advertised. It sets volume, output and effects per app | Not advertised | SoundSource 6: 15 to 27 | Not stated | No | Install its ARK plugin (admin password), allow system audio and mic access |
Each option in a paragraph
Duckproof. Duckproof gives FaceTime, or any call app that lets you choose a speaker, a virtual output of its own and forwards it to your headphones. It works the same way CallLane does for ducking. It can also lower other apps by 6 to 30 dB if you want some ducking, and boost FaceTime up to 300%. It’s free, GPL-3.0, and signed and notarized. Duckproof vs CallLane.
Unduck Pro. Unduck Pro uses Apple’s process taps instead of a driver. It spots calls on its own and keeps resetting macOS’s ducking, and it adds a per-app volume mixer and a separate call volume. It’s free and MIT licensed, but self-signed, so the first launch needs Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. Unduck Pro vs CallLane.
BlackHole or Loopback, set up by hand. BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver, and Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback builds virtual devices with monitoring. Neither is made for call ducking, but you can use them for the same trick the apps above automate: the call plays into a virtual device, and you forward it to your headphones with a Multi-Output Device or Loopback’s monitoring. It costs nothing with BlackHole. Expect some trial and error, and the manual method needs redoing when your headphones change.
Audio Hijack. Audio Hijack records audio from any app, microphone or the whole system, and adds effects and streaming. Rogue Amoeba doesn’t advertise it as a fix for call ducking. Pick it if you want to record or process audio; it is the wrong tool if you only want your music to stay loud.
AudioDucker. AudioDucker comes up in searches about ducking, but it does the reverse of what this page is about. It fades your music when you dictate or talk, using on-device voice detection, and brings it back when you stop. Useful if you want that; it won’t keep music loud during a call.
CallLane. I make CallLane. It uses the same virtual-device approach as Duckproof, and adds Lock input: it keeps the Mac’s input on its own mic (or a USB mic) and puts it back when AirPods reconnect or an app moves it. Call and dictation apps on the System default mic then leave AirPods in high-quality mode. It runs on macOS 14.0 and 14.1, which the two free apps don’t. What it works with.
SoundDial. SoundDial is a per-app volume mixer with an equalizer for each app and a per-app output picker. Its Auto-Duck feature lowers your other apps while you’re on a call (5% to 80%, or off), so it’s the right pick if you want control over how much things drop, not a way to keep them at full volume. Its site doesn’t say whether it overrides macOS’s own call ducking.
SoundSource. SoundSource is the most complete per-app audio tool here: volume, output, a 10-band EQ and Audio Units for each app, plus AirPlay. Rogue Amoeba doesn’t advertise it as a fix for call ducking. Version 5 is offered for macOS older than 15. SoundSource vs CallLane.
When not to buy CallLane
- You only need the ducking fixed, on macOS 14.2 or later. Duckproof and Unduck Pro do that for free. Pick Duckproof for a signed and notarized installer, or Unduck Pro if you’d rather not install an audio driver and want a per-app mixer.
- You don’t use Bluetooth headphones on calls. CallLane’s extra is keeping AirPods out of headset mode. With wired headphones or speakers, a free app covers you.
- You want per-app volume or EQ. SoundSource or SoundDial are built for that, and CallLane isn’t.
- You already own Loopback and don’t mind setting it up. A virtual device with monitoring does the same routing trick.
How we checked
I make CallLane, so weigh this page with that in mind. I read each product’s own pages on and took every fact from them. Where a page doesn’t mention a feature, the table says “Not advertised” or “Not stated”. Prices are the ones those pages showed that day.
- Duckproof README
- Duckproof website
- Unduck Pro README
- Unduck Pro releases
- BlackHole README
- Loopback product page
- Loopback store page
- Audio Hijack product page
- Audio Hijack store page
- AudioDucker website
- SoundDial website
- SoundSource product page
- SoundSource store page
- SoundSource manual, Permissions
Questions
Is there a free app that stops audio ducking on a Mac?
Yes. Duckproof and Unduck Pro are both free and open source, and both stop calls from ducking your music. Duckproof is signed and notarized and installs a small audio driver; Unduck Pro needs no driver but is self-signed, so the first launch needs Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. Both need macOS 14.2 or later.
Which app stops ducking and also fixes AirPods sounding bad on calls?
CallLane does both: it gives calls their own output device, and its Lock input keeps the Mac's input on its own mic so AirPods stay in high-quality mode. Duckproof's FAQ says to pick another mic in each call app by hand, and Unduck Pro doesn't advertise a mic fix.
Does SoundSource stop audio ducking during calls?
Rogue Amoeba doesn't advertise it as a ducking fix. SoundSource sets volume, output and effects for each app. Duckproof, Unduck Pro and CallLane are built to stop call ducking.
Can I stop call ducking without installing an app?
Only partly. macOS has no setting for it. You can pick the Mac's built-in speakers as the call app's speaker and keep music on headphones, but then the call plays out loud. Routing the call through a virtual device by hand needs BlackHole or Loopback.