I would just like to ask if any of y'all like using background audio for your dnd games, such as ambience, music and sound effects. I would just like to talk about different ways we can make audio more immersive for the players.
I feel that ambience and music is actually crucial in my games. I can say that I'm an auditory learner, and I am trying to create the best experience for my players. Using ambience, music and sound effects is quite amazing if you know how and when to implement them into your sessions. I've made playlists for combat music, town/city ambiences, and other playlists. I've also downloaded a few sound effects, and my players are liking background audio. I am wondering if any DM's here use background audio for dnd immersion, and what advice would you give to DM's who don't use audio. What benefits/problems do you have with background audio? How did your players enjoy the use of ambience, music and sound effects? Would you continue to use this in the future? Do you think more DM's should use background audio?
Its kind of a weird topic to talk about, but I am certain 99% of DM's don't use background audio in their games.
99% of DMs do not use ambient music. I don't know the proportion, but it's not that high.
I've considered it and messed around with it. My thoughts:
Pros:
It can help set tone.
It can help create or enhance atmosphere.
It can fill silences.
You can incorporate sounds as cues or even just as a reference.
Cons:
It's another thing to go wrong.
Getting the right music is more juggling and work for the DM.
Nothing kills the mood you've set for your BBEG's entrance than a shift to a circus ditty because you were more focused in describing him than remembering what the next track is.
If it's too quiet, it's annoying and distracts people without contributing. If it's too loud, it makes conversation and playing difficult. Sometimes there is overlap between the two.
Some people just can't concentrate with it.
If you're online, I find that the audio is always the biggest issue. Music and background audio is not going to help.
It can fill those silences and make them a little too comfortable.
It can be a nice addition to a game...I just tend to find that when it goes wrong...it really causes issues, and it does that frequently enough that it can't justify the minor benefit it brings when it helps. Perhaps the experience of others differs.
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If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I have to agree that most DM's actually don't really use background audio. Yeah it can make conversations diffficult with the music. Though, you have a point that audio is basically has the most online problems.
It works OK in a real life game. Unless the DM is really prepped, it takes a few seconds out of game which takes you out of the moment, but after that it adds something.
It totally SUCKS on an online game.
Each person's speakers are set up differently and they have different background noise levels. Most of the time at least one person 's setup means they can NOT hear other people talking. At the same time there can be one person that cannot hear it at all.
Do not do it during an online game. OK to do it for an in person game.
For in person games, I have a 7-hour long Spotify playlist with a number of folk songs, fantasy songs, etc. on it. I usually keep this on a low volume in the background just to provide some ambiance, but then do not mess with it once the game has actually started. I have fiddled around a bit with having a few different playlists with different tones of music so the music better matched what was going on - but, that became more of a distraction and a hassle than the added value I and my players received.
For my online game, no music at all. It is just a mess, for all the reasons Mov_Dracov stated.
I'll try it in an online game and we'll see if the players like it. I don't use speakers, instead I would just share the audio through discord or whatever video calling app I'm using.
I've seen DM's on YouTube who use background audio, the players weren't paying much attention to it because it was on a low volume.
I don't know, it just feels empty without ambience, many DM's have recommended it in their little "what you should do for better immersion" videos.
Esper the Bard (great YouTube channel for DM's) uses background audio, so does Critical Role and RogueWatson (also on YouTube). I get how annoying it can get, though, and you'd obviously take a minute to switch between peaceful music to some dramatic battle music.
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Hello DM's.
I would just like to ask if any of y'all like using background audio for your dnd games, such as ambience, music and sound effects. I would just like to talk about different ways we can make audio more immersive for the players.
I feel that ambience and music is actually crucial in my games. I can say that I'm an auditory learner, and I am trying to create the best experience for my players. Using ambience, music and sound effects is quite amazing if you know how and when to implement them into your sessions. I've made playlists for combat music, town/city ambiences, and other playlists. I've also downloaded a few sound effects, and my players are liking background audio. I am wondering if any DM's here use background audio for dnd immersion, and what advice would you give to DM's who don't use audio. What benefits/problems do you have with background audio? How did your players enjoy the use of ambience, music and sound effects? Would you continue to use this in the future? Do you think more DM's should use background audio?
Its kind of a weird topic to talk about, but I am certain 99% of DM's don't use background audio in their games.
99% of DMs do not use ambient music. I don't know the proportion, but it's not that high.
I've considered it and messed around with it. My thoughts:
Pros:
Cons:
It can be a nice addition to a game...I just tend to find that when it goes wrong...it really causes issues, and it does that frequently enough that it can't justify the minor benefit it brings when it helps. Perhaps the experience of others differs.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I have to agree that most DM's actually don't really use background audio. Yeah it can make conversations diffficult with the music. Though, you have a point that audio is basically has the most online problems.
It works OK in a real life game. Unless the DM is really prepped, it takes a few seconds out of game which takes you out of the moment, but after that it adds something.
It totally SUCKS on an online game.
Each person's speakers are set up differently and they have different background noise levels. Most of the time at least one person 's setup means they can NOT hear other people talking. At the same time there can be one person that cannot hear it at all.
Do not do it during an online game. OK to do it for an in person game.
For in person games, I have a 7-hour long Spotify playlist with a number of folk songs, fantasy songs, etc. on it. I usually keep this on a low volume in the background just to provide some ambiance, but then do not mess with it once the game has actually started. I have fiddled around a bit with having a few different playlists with different tones of music so the music better matched what was going on - but, that became more of a distraction and a hassle than the added value I and my players received.
For my online game, no music at all. It is just a mess, for all the reasons Mov_Dracov stated.
I'll try it in an online game and we'll see if the players like it. I don't use speakers, instead I would just share the audio through discord or whatever video calling app I'm using.
I've seen DM's on YouTube who use background audio, the players weren't paying much attention to it because it was on a low volume.
I don't know, it just feels empty without ambience, many DM's have recommended it in their little "what you should do for better immersion" videos.
Esper the Bard (great YouTube channel for DM's) uses background audio, so does Critical Role and RogueWatson (also on YouTube). I get how annoying it can get, though, and you'd obviously take a minute to switch between peaceful music to some dramatic battle music.