Compare idle Kodi with a closed player
Note the output device and whether another application is silent only while Kodi remains open. Stop playback deliberately and check whether Kodi is truly idle. A paused movie, navigation sound and continuous keep-alive output are different states even if the screen looks quiet.
Kodi’s audio page describes Keep audio device alive as a setting for periods when neither playback nor interface sounds are needed. Its Always choice sends a continuous inaudible signal and can block other applications. That mechanism differs from a programme actively using the speakers.
Inspect the retention interval
The documented choices include Always, a timed period and Off. The timed choices eventually allow the device to sleep, while Off permits a suspended state. Record the current value before a comparison and keep the output device unchanged so that the observed effect concerns this setting.
The same documentation warns that slowly waking audio systems can miss sounds. The choice therefore has a practical tradeoff: leaving the receiver ready for the next sound versus allowing it to suspend. A quiet interface does not establish that the audio device has already been released.
Verify both application paths
Compare whether the other application becomes audible with a suitable setting, then check the beginning of a permitted Kodi sample after an idle interval. Record both results. A change that restores another app while delaying the first Kodi sound should not be described as an unconditional improvement.
For help, provide Kodi version, operating system, output device, keep-alive value and the idle interval used. Include whether sound returns when Kodi closes. These facts distinguish the documented keep-alive behaviour from active programme output or an unrelated system sound selection, and support a configuration suited to the actual receiver and viewing arrangement.