This disclosure describes audio techniques that exploit a prioritization scheme of audio streams of a software application, such as a video game that execute on a mobile device. The priority of the audio streams are defined by a content creator of the application. In addition, priority of an additional audio stream not associated with the application (such as an audio alert) is also defined. A mobile device includes a processor that executes the application and an audio decoding unit that receives a plurality of prioritized audio streams of an application executing on a mobile device, receives an additional prioritized audio stream not associated with the application, and combines a subset of the prioritized audio streams associated with the application and the additional prioritized audio streams according to priority to form a common audio stream.