Avoid background sounds when sharing audio files
no. 135
Make sure audio files that contain speech information don’t have background sounds
While some best practices for accessible audio content suggest that background sounds should be at least 20 decibels lower than any foreground speech, there is always a fair probability that background sounds, whether it comes from music, people talking, etc. will create challenges for some users with hearing impairments. Any information that conflicts with the main audio track is another potential source of distraction or another potential barrier to intelligibility. In order to reliably ensure that audio files will be as accessible to users as they can be, authors should keep in mind never to have their main audio tracks compete with other sounds, or at least, provide a special version that does not.
To do so, simply make sure to avoid background sounds whenever audio files are being shared. Keep the audio file as intelligible as possible by sticking to a single, clearly defined audio track and be mindful of any noise occurring during that audio track that could negatively impact the users’ ability to clearly understand the content. If background sounds are unavoidable, then make sure they are at least [...]