Stop Skype From Lowering Volume: 7 Fixes
Skype automatically lowers your computer’s other sounds when you’re in a call, which is a feature called “automatically adjust microphone settings” and a separate Windows setting called “ducking.” To stop Skype from lowering the volume of music, games, or other apps, you need to disable the automatic audio ducking in Windows and adjust Skype’s own audio settings. This guide covers the exact steps for Windows and Mac, plus common troubleshooting if the volume still dips.
Why Does Skype Lower Other Sounds?
Skype uses a Windows feature called “communications activity” or “audio ducking.” When Windows detects an active call, it automatically reduces the volume of all other audio by 80% by default. This is designed to make the person on the call easier to hear, but it also affects music, videos, and game audio. On Mac, Skype has its own setting that can reduce the volume of other apps during calls, but it’s less aggressive than Windows’ built-in ducking.
Skype’s own settings also include an option to “automatically adjust microphone settings” which can affect your microphone gain, but that’s separate from lowering playback volume. The main culprit for lower volume is almost always the Windows ducking feature, not Skype itself.
How to Disable Windows Audio Ducking (The Main Fix)
Windows 10 and 11 have a hidden setting that controls how much other sounds are lowered during communications. Here’s how to turn it off:
- Right-click the speaker icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner) and select Sounds.
- Go to the Communications tab.
- Select “Do nothing” under “When Windows detects communication activity.”
- Click Apply and then OK.
This stops Windows from automatically ducking all audio during any call, including Skype, Zoom, Teams, and Discord. If you want to keep some ducking but not as much, you can choose “Reduce the volume of other sounds by 50%” instead of 80%.
Skype’s Own Audio Settings
Skype also has settings that can affect volume. Open Skype and go to Settings (the three-dot menu next to your profile picture) > Audio & Video. Look for these options:
- Automatically adjust microphone settings – this controls mic gain, not playback, but if it’s on, it can cause your own voice to sound quiet or distorted.
- Automatically allow hardware echo cancellation – this can sometimes cause audio processing that lowers overall volume.
There isn’t a direct “lower other apps’ volume” toggle in Skype for Windows because that’s handled by the OS. On Mac, Skype has a setting under Preferences > Audio/Video called “Automatically reduce the volume of other applications during calls.” Uncheck that if you’re on a Mac.
Why the Volume Still Drops After Disabling Ducking
If you’ve set Windows to “Do nothing” and the volume still drops, check these possibilities:
- Skype is running as an administrator – If Skype runs with admin rights, it might bypass some settings. Close Skype, right-click its shortcut, select “Run as administrator” once to test, then close it and run normally.
- Your sound card’s own software – Some audio drivers (Realtek, etc.) have their own “environment” or “loudness equalization” settings that can interfere. Check your sound card’s control panel for any “communication” or “ducking” options.
- Another app is doing the ducking – Some voice chat apps like Discord have their own ducking features. If you have Discord open, check its settings too.
- Windows is still applying the setting to the wrong device – If you have multiple audio devices (headset, speakers), make sure the Communications tab setting applies to the default playback device. You can set the default device in the Playback tab of the Sounds window.
How to Check If Ducking Is Still Active
To verify whether ducking is still happening, play music or a video at a comfortable volume, then start a Skype test call (Skype has a free “Echo / Sound Test Service” contact). While the call is active, watch the volume level. If it drops, ducking is still on. If it stays the same, the issue is something else, like a different app’s notification sounds or an audio driver setting.
Common Mistakes and Misconceptions
One common misconception is that Skype lowers volume because of its “automatically adjust microphone settings” option. That option only changes your microphone input level, not your speaker output. Another mistake is thinking that muting the microphone or turning off your camera will stop the ducking – it won’t, because the ducking is triggered by the call being active, not by whether you’re speaking.
Also, some users think that disabling Windows’ “communications activity” detection will break their microphone. It doesn’t – it only affects how Windows handles other sounds during calls. Your mic will work exactly as before.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Skype lower the volume of my music but not my games?
This can happen if your music player is using a different audio output than your game, or if the game has its own volume settings. Ducking applies to all audio, but some apps might have “exclusive mode” enabled, which bypasses Windows’ volume control entirely. Check your music player’s audio settings for “exclusive mode” and disable it.
Does this fix work for other apps like Zoom or Discord?
Yes, disabling Windows’ Communications tab “Do nothing” will stop ducking for all communication apps, not just Skype. Discord also has its own ducking feature under User Settings > Voice & Video > Attenuation, which you can turn off separately.
Will turning off ducking make my voice echo or sound worse?
No, ducking only affects other apps’ volume, not your microphone quality. Echo is usually caused by your speakers being too loud or your mic picking up speaker output. That’s a separate issue.
I’m on Mac, how do I stop Skype from lowering volume?
On Mac, open Skype > Preferences > Audio/Video > uncheck “Automatically reduce the volume of other applications during calls.” If that doesn’t work, check your Mac’s System Settings > Sound > Output > “Play sound effects through” – sometimes system sounds can interfere.
Why does my volume go back up after the call ends?
That’s exactly how ducking is supposed to work – it lowers during the call and restores after. If you’ve disabled it and it still happens, you might have a third-party audio manager installed, or your sound driver’s software is overriding the Windows setting.
Can I set a different volume for calls vs. other apps?
Yes, you can use Windows’ per-app volume mixer. Right-click the speaker icon > Open Volume Mixer, and adjust the volume sliders for each app individually. This way, you can keep Skype at one volume and your music at another, without any automatic changes.
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