Do you make use of music at all when you gm?

Yeah, all the time.

I used to make playlists for specific enemies and places, and while it's cool I don't feel like the time spent creating those playlists are worth the pay off. I'd rather plan more shit for the players to interact with.

However, I have like 5 playlists for scifi and the same for fantasy arranged in: General, Combat, Tension, Mystic and Horror. I'll usually play general and switch up to the other ones when appropriate.

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Yes. Ambient music, drone music. Just some mood stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX2rOEqHzzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0nM9rDA7V4

Our GM used boss fight music from video games we all enjoy. Gwyn's Theme from Dark Souls made our encounter with a lich lord more poignant. Our paladin died in that fight to save us.

>>51052216
Ambient sounds, ambient music, video game music, anything that loops seamlessly and/or isn't overly intrusive works well and can enhance a game.

Nothing kills a game quite like the GM fumbling through a playlist for that one shit rock/rap/whatever song he thought would be awesome for that boss fight, that's also only 3 minutes long so he just loops it over and over because he failed take into account that this is a fucking tabletop game and not an anime so combat would take far longer than that.

>>51052870
My ambient nigga.

>>51052870
>that's also only 3 minutes long so he just loops it over and over
At that point I'd use an extended version or just play that song first then switch to an ambient track.

The paladin fought a loosely defined monk in a cage match. Every time the monk (wrestler) got a good hit, I'm play x gonna give it to ya as I described the attack.

>>51052216
Pretty much always. RPG music is usually good for this.

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>>51052216
Recently I've been trying to use The Witcher 3 soundtrack to liven things up, but the one person that bitches the most so he can get what he wants and basically makes all the decisions for the group because he's ran the most games (despite none of them running for more than 4 sessions and all having next to no work put into them) complains until I give in and stop playing. Other than that its fine. Do it as often as I can.

>>51052870
Truer words never spoken
I make a ton of loops but generally prefer to have the music be very dynamic (multi-stage kinds of conflicts) or simply fade off or simplify to ambient once that first shock is over.

It's a lot of fun with mixing software but you need to keep your shit organized

https://youtu.be/kOeE-i3b-Vs

Used this (and the scenario) for my game and my players tell me it was one of their favorite sessions.

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>>51055306
>witcher 3 soundtrack
my dude

Yes. The party hasn't realized that all of their upbeat triumphant music is about the end of the world

I just listen to Tabletop Audio.

Carefully choose what your players will listen to.
You want to use as little game music as you can since some players might already have emotions/memories tied to it (which might be useful but I find it's often not).
Have an ambient drone from myNoise.net and if needed a loop of another noise like fire popping or tavern banter for temporary use to distinguish where they are.

Oh! Make sure you know what's next on the playlist if you have one. Strahd was character butchered after a semi-romantic violin came on during his bargain for immortality.
Another time I played a fun tune for them to relax when setting up camp only for them to pack up and start searching. After a few confusing minutes I asked why and it turns out the music was the same as the one I use for the gypsy camps so they thought there was one nearby.

If you want to go crazy with the ambience use colour changing lights, we’re testing how they work for our Shadowrun campaign.

Anyone use Nox Arcana here?

I generally have Critical Role playing in the background while running games (that or other RPG podcasts)

>>51055306
>Only one person hates it and bitches until you turn it off literally regardless of how quiet it is or what is playing

I have tried having soundtracks for 9 years of tabletop. I've tried music both lyrical and instrumental, I've tried ambient music, I've even tried white noise and nature sounds. He bitches about all of them. I once had a track that was just an echo of a drop of water in a cave every 10-40 seconds and he still bitches about it. It's like he's against it purely on principle.

>>51061429
>Strahd was character butchered after a semi-romantic violin came on during his bargain for immortality.
That sounds wonderfully appropriate in tone for Strahd though.

>>51064163
That example sounds like it'd just lead to a lot of bathroom breaks.