How can I mix background music under speech without masking the words?

There is no single music-to-speech level that works for every recording, song, voice, or listening situation. Start with the narration at a comfortable level, bring the music in quietly, and raise it only until it adds atmosphere without drawing attention away from the words. Listen to complete sentences, not just pauses: music that seems subtle between phrases can still compete when both play together.

Treat this as a listening starting point, not a numeric rule. If a beat or musical note draws attention from a phrase, lower the music or choose a less distracting passage. The goal is for the narration to remain easy to follow.

Keep narration and music on separate tracks while you work. That lets you adjust the music independently and compare the combined mix with each part on its own. In Audacity, separate tracks can play together; track volume and Mute/Solo controls let you adjust or listen to individual tracks and combinations. [S1]

A practical sequence is:

1. Play the narration alone and note any words that are already hard to hear.
2. Play the music alone and notice sections that may compete with the voice.
3. Play both together and lower the music where speech becomes harder to follow.
4. Recheck transitions and the full piece.

In Audacity, exporting mixes the tracks automatically. To create a combined result inside the project while preserving the originals, the manual describes “Mix and Render to New Track.” [S1] Keep the editable project as well as any finished export.

Check the first spoken line, a busy or emphatic passage, a quieter phrase, and the final words. Listen at an ordinary playback level, and try headphones and a speaker you expect someone to use. These checks are a practical review, not a guarantee that the mix will sound identical everywhere.

For example, suppose the narration says, “The workshop begins at nine,” while a prominent beat plays under “begins at nine.” If that phrase is less clear on your speaker than on headphones, lower the music for that section and listen again. The cited guidance provides controls and a meter, not a prescribed balance or required playback devices. [S1] [S2]

In Audacity, watch the Playback Meter while the tracks play together. The manual warns that combining tracks can raise the overall level and cause clipping. [S1] Use the meter to check overall output alongside listening; it does not tell you by itself whether the words are easy to understand.

Use this pass from beginning to end:

1. Keep voice and music on separate tracks, and save an editable project.
2. Listen to the voice alone. Note phrases that are difficult to follow before adding music.
3. Bring in the music quietly and adjust it while both tracks play. Lower it where it competes with speech.
4. Check the opening, a busy passage, a quieter passage, transitions, and the ending.
5. Listen on headphones and a typical speaker. If a phrase becomes harder to follow on either, adjust and recheck that section.
6. In Audacity, check the Playback Meter during combined playback because tracks together can raise the overall level and cause clipping. [S1]
7. Export a review copy, play it from beginning to end, and retain the separate-track project.

This is a repeatable listening process, not a technical certification. The cited guidance does not establish a universal ideal music level or guarantee the same result on every playback system.