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If music, a video, or a call plays while you dictate, the background audio can leak into your microphone. This audio decreases the quality of the transcription. The Media control setting in HyperWhisper mutes your system output when you start a recording. HyperWhisper restores your previous volume when you stop.

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How it works

When you set media control to Mute Audio, HyperWhisper mutes the output volume of your computer during a recording. At the end of the recording, HyperWhisper restores the volume to its previous level. Media control changes the system output volume only. It does not pause, skip, or control individual media apps. On macOS and Windows the setting has two options:
  • Off — HyperWhisper does not change your audio (default).
  • Mute Audio — HyperWhisper mutes the system output during a recording, then restores it.
Linux has a third option. See Lower other audio (Linux) below.

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Turn it on

1

Open Settings

Click the menu bar icon → Settings. Then select the Sound tab.
2

Find “Media control while recording”

Find the Media control while recording option.
3

Choose Mute Audio

Set the mode to Mute Audio. HyperWhisper now mutes the system output each time you record, then restores it.
Media control mutes the output volume of your computer, not your microphone. HyperWhisper records your dictation as usual. It mutes only the audio from your speakers or headphones.

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Lower other audio (Linux)

Linux gives three policies instead of two: Linux reads and writes the state of the default output with pactl, so PipeWire or PulseAudio must be running. If pactl is not on your PATH, HyperWhisper reports audio_environment.unsupported and leaves your audio unchanged.
duck lowers each channel to 35% only when the channel is already above 35%. A quieter channel keeps its own level, so the policy never raises your volume.
HyperWhisper waits 500 ms after the recording stops, then restores your output. This short delay keeps the restore out of the tail of the recording. The delay is fixed and you cannot change it.