3 tips for adding the perfect music to your session

Whether you’ve just started playing, or you’re a veteran like us, there is one simple trick to make any game feel amazing. Music. Especially, the right music. And to make your life easier, we’re here to share 3 premium, homegrown tips to help you with finding your tone.

1.      Using soundtracks

Picture the introduction of your campaign. One by one, the characters introduce themselves. Now imaging, that every player has their own tune. Their own musical character. Every next session, the first time they talk/interact/introduce something, you play this tune.

Now, imagine 5 sessions later. The characters are fully developed in your world, and you’re beginning to play from their backstory. And without saying a word, you play one of their soundtracks. Immediately, the corresponding player sits on the edge of their seat. “This is about me?!”  And there you have it.

Use this not only for PC’s, but also for the BBEG, maybe even important questlines. Your players will instantly know what’s about to happen. And they will subconsciously remember what happened the last time they heard that tune.

2.      Setting the tone

We all know apps like Pocket Bard, Audio Forge or those good old YouTube mélanges, with soundscapes spanning from one up to ten hours. All of them are fine, but a lot of the time they all sound the same. Exploring a dungeon for 3 sessions can feel like an epic adventure, but hearing the same musical loop multiple times each session can make it feel like a drag.

Instead, try to change the music, even just a bit, whenever you enter a new room. If you use one of the previous apps, apply some new sounds, variations in tone or intensity. If you use Spotify, Youtube Music, or in other words, your own playlists, just skip to the next song.

Or even better, create multiple playlists to really capture that feeling of dread of going deeper underground.

3.      Don’t overcomplicate your playlist

Last week, I ran a game with a group of Final Fantasy fans. So naturally, my playlists were 80% playlists coming from those games. The only other songs I had prepared were the personalized soundtracks.

Know that this is more than enough!

Yes, for some players it’s annoying or distracting to hear music from their favorite game/movie/show whatever, so it is good to read the room a bit. But as a DM, there is only so much preparation you can do. Take 10-15 minutes to look for something fitting in the general tone. And with some practice, you become a musical magician, having the perfect tune for each scene.

Doesn’t that sound like music in your ears?