Murmur softly by artisan (6)
I believe the answer is:
cooper
'artisan' is the definition.
(cooper is a kind of artisan)
'murmur softly by' is the wordplay.
'murmur softly' becomes 'coo' (I've seen this before**).
'by' becomes 'per'.
'coo'+'per'='COOPER'
(Other definitions for cooper that I've seen before include "Barrel-maker" , "Craftsman" , "supplier of stiffeners?" , "Porter with stout" , "Maker of barrels" .)