It’s distracting and frustrating, especially for people with hearing impairments. Low or No Background Audio ensures that important speech isn’t drowned out by background noise, giving everyone a clear and focused listening experience.

Who this impacts

  • People with hearing impairments: Competing background sounds can make it harder to distinguish speech.
  • People with cognitive impairments: Background noise can reduce focus and make it difficult to follow spoken content.
  • People using mobile devices: In noisy environments, users rely on clear audio to make sure they don’t miss important information.
  • Everyone: Clear, focused audio improves the listening experience for all users.

How to meet low or no background audio

  1. Remove or lower background audio: Ensure that background sounds are either eliminated or kept at a very low volume so they don’t interfere with speech.
  2. Provide a “no background audio” option: If background music isn’t essential to the content, give users the option to turn it off.
  3. Prioritize speech clarity: Test the clarity of spoken content with and without background audio to ensure the speech is always easy to understand.

Practical example

A meditation app offers guided sessions with soft background music. Users can toggle off the music, leaving only the instructor’s voice, ensuring a distraction-free experience.

Exceptions

Content where background sound is essential (e.g., a musical performance or a scene in a movie) is exempt from this requirement.

Top tips

  • Keep background sound subtle: If background audio is used, keep it soft and non-intrusive to prevent interference with speech.
  • Allow personalization: Let users decide if they want background sounds by providing an on/off toggle for music or ambiance.
  • Reduce background noise automatically: Use audio editing tools to keep background audio at a minimal level so that speech is always easy to understand.
  • Test for distractions: Listen to your audio content in different environments and ensure that speech is always clear, even in noisy conditions.

Further reading