Methods, systems, and devices for systems and techniques for processing keywords in audio data are described. In some devices configured with a virtual assistant, an audio processing component may support a command-first, keyword-second voice activation procedure. The audio processing component may receive audio data from a microphone and may compress a portion of the audio data and store the compressed audio data in a first buffer and may store a portion of the audio data that is uncompressed in a second buffer. The audio processing component may use the uncompressed audio data to detect the presence of a keyword and use the compressed audio data to identify a command associated with the keyword. Upon detection of the keyword, the audio processing component may decompress the compressed audio data and transmit the decompressed audio data and the uncompressed audio data to a main processor of the device.