# How to lower music while speaking during a live show



Use LiveFX Speaking mode deliberately, set a comfortable reduced volume, and choose a fade that keeps your voice clear without abrupt jumps.



Background music can give a live show energy, but it should make room for speech. LiveFX includes a Speaking control that fades both music and active sound effects toward a separate speaking volume. When you finish speaking, turn the control off and LiveFX fades the audio back to the normal levels you set for music and effects.

Set the normal music volume first, then choose the When Speaking volume in Settings. The reduced level should be low enough that consonants remain easy to hear but high enough that the room does not feel silent. Test with the same microphone distance and speaking style you will use during the real stream, because a setting that works for close speech may not work when you lean away.

Adjust the fade duration after the two volume levels feel right. A very short fade can sound like a hard cut, while an overly long fade may leave the music competing with the first sentence. Read one sentence, pause, and switch the Speaking control in both directions until the transition feels intentional rather than distracting.

LiveFX Speaking mode is an explicit performance control. Tap it when you are about to talk and tap it again when the spoken section ends. This differs from automatic sidechain ducking in desktop production tools, where microphone activity can trigger gain reduction. OBS documents that automatic approach as sidechain compression or ducking, with attack and release settings controlling how quickly the level changes.

If LiveFX is feeding a larger streaming setup, avoid applying several aggressive ducking stages without testing them together. A manual reduction in LiveFX plus a strong automatic compressor in the streaming software can make music disappear or pump unpredictably. Pick one primary method, keep the other gentle, and monitor the final stream mix rather than only the device speaker.

Save a repeatable test: play the same music segment, speak the same sentence, and listen to the result through the route your audience will hear. Recheck after changing microphones, capture hardware, device output, or streaming software. The goal is not maximum loudness; it is a stable balance where speech stays intelligible and the music returns smoothly.



## Sources



- LiveFX official website: https://livefxapp.com/

- OBS Compressor Filter and sidechain ducking guide: https://obsproject.com/kb/compressor-filter