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For game masters on Apple devices, Summoning Stone is the strongest Pocket Bard alternative. It’s a pro-level app with fully customizable scenes grouped by campaign, access to millions of songs, room acoustics, a TV display and hands-free control, and its subscription costs less than Pocket Bard’s. Other options suit other needs.

We make Summoning Stone, so weigh our view accordingly. Facts about the other apps come from their own pages as of October 2026.

Why look beyond Pocket Bard?

• You want to build your own scenes and campaigns for each group you run.
• You want a TV display for artwork and maps.
• You want to control audio hands-free with Siri or a Stream Deck.
• You want your own music or a very large music library.
• You want a lower-cost subscription. See cheaper alternatives to Pocket Bard.

The alternatives

	Best for	Platforms
Summoning Stone	Customizable scenes, millions of songs, TV display, Siri and Stream Deck, live streaming	iPhone, iPad, Mac
Syrinscape	A deep catalogue of purpose-built sound sets, in the browser	Browser-based player, plus apps
Audio Forge	Playing your own audio files, offline	iPhone, iPad, Mac
Tabletop Audio	Ambience with nothing to install	Any modern browser

Summoning Stone

Build fully customizable scenes with music, layered ambience and effects, group them by campaign, and start any scene with one tap. Each plays exactly as you saved it, with reverb for caves, halls and churches. Create custom campaigns for each group you run, or start from community-made ones. Built-in audio is cleared for commercial use, so it suits live streaming. It’s free to download, with a free tier. See the full Summoning Stone vs Pocket Bard comparison.

Syrinscape

A very large library of sound sets, mixed in the browser, with support for uploading your own audio. Its site cites 7,087 music tracks and 1,800 SoundSets. See Summoning Stone vs Syrinscape.

Audio Forge

A soundboard for your own MP3, WAV and OGG files that works offline. See Summoning Stone vs Audio Forge.

Tabletop Audio

A website of ambiences and SoundPads that runs in any modern browser. See Summoning Stone vs Tabletop Audio.

Which Pocket Bard alternative should you choose?

• Summoning Stone if you’re on Apple devices and want customization, features and a tool that gets out of your way.
• Syrinscape if you want the biggest catalogue of sound sets in a browser.
• Audio Forge if you mainly want to play your own audio files.
• Tabletop Audio if you just want ambience with nothing to install.

For a wider view, see our guide to the best tabletop audio apps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Pocket Bard?
For game masters on Apple devices, we think it’s Summoning Stone: fully customizable scenes, millions of songs, a TV display and hands-free control.

Is there a free alternative to Pocket Bard?
Summoning Stone is free to download, with free sounds, music, effects and up to five scenes. See what’s free.

Is there a Pocket Bard alternative for streaming?
Summoning Stone’s built-in audio is cleared for commercial use with attribution, so it suits live streaming. See stream-safe music.

Is there a Pocket Bard alternative for Android?
Summoning Stone is on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and Android is in development.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone includes free sci-fi sound effects and ambience for Starfinder, Traveller, Cyberpunk, Alien and other sci-fi tabletop RPGs, on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Free sci-fi effects

• Lasers: Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Laser Canon, Laser Hit.
• Tech: Scan, Sci-Fi Door, Desk Phone, Ding.
• Alarms and tension: Harsh Alarm, Tension.

Free sci-fi ambience

• Ship Hum: an engine-room drone for a starship.
• Ship Computer: a bridge with systems running.
• Metal Groans: a hull under strain.
• Fluorescent Light Buzz and HVAC: station corridors and lab spaces.

Build a starship scene

1. Start with Ship Hum as the base loop.
2. Layer Ship Computer for the bridge.
3. Add a Harsh Alarm effect for emergencies.
4. Save it and switch with one tap.

See free tabletop RPG music for fantasy and modern too.

Frequently asked questions

Are there free laser sound effects for tabletop RPGs?
Yes. Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Laser Canon and Laser Hit are free.

Is there free spaceship ambience?
Yes. Ship Hum and Ship Computer are free.

Does it work for Starfinder or Traveller?
Yes. The sounds suit any sci-fi tabletop game.

Can I use these on a stream?
Built-in audio is cleared for commercial use with attribution.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone is available on iPhone, iPad and Mac today, and Android is in development. There’s no release date yet.

What Summoning Stone does

• Access to millions of songs, plus built-in stream-safe tracks.
• Layered ambient soundscapes and a sound-effects soundboard.
• One-tap scenes that play exactly as you saved them, with reverb for caverns, halls and churches.
• Fully customizable scenes, grouped by campaign, with community-made campaigns if you’d rather skip the setup.
• Scene artwork and maps on a TV, with weather effects.
• Siri, Shortcuts and Stream Deck control.

See what each feature does.

Stay in the loop

• Join the Summoning Stone Discord, linked in the site footer.
• Email hello@summoningstone.app with feature requests or to ask about Android.

If you run a game with a mix of devices, the Apple device doing the audio is the only one that needs the app. Players don’t need to install anything.

Frequently asked questions

Is Summoning Stone on Android?
Not yet. Android is in development.

When will the Android version be released?
There’s no release date yet.

What devices does Summoning Stone run on today?
iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Do my players need the app?
No. Only the device running the audio needs it.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Tabletop Audio is a huge library of ambient sound that runs in any browser; Summoning Stone is an app for building and running scenes on Apple devices. Tabletop Audio is ideal for quick, no-install ambience. Summoning Stone adds music, a soundboard, scene artwork on a TV and hands-free control.

We make Summoning Stone. Tabletop Audio facts below come from its About page as of October 2026.

At a glance

	Summoning Stone	Tabletop Audio
What it is	App for iPhone, iPad and Mac	Website that works in modern browsers
Ambience	Layered ambient soundscapes you build into scenes	More than 500 ten-minute ambiences, over 80 hours
Sound effects	Soundboard with filters like reverb	30 SoundPads with over 1,200 sounds; a custom tool mixes up to 40
Music	Access to millions of songs, plus built-in tracks	Ambient focus; exclusive Zones for Patreon supporters
Scenes	Fully customizable scenes grouped by campaign, plus community-made campaigns	Playlists saved per device, with shareable links
Involvement	One tap starts a scene, and it plays exactly as you saved it: music, ambience levels, effects and reverb	You choose and start each ambience or SoundPad; playlists are saved per device
Room acoustics	Reverb on a scene’s ambience and effects, saved with the scene, so a cave can sound like a cave and a church like a church	–Not stated on their About page
TV display	Artwork and maps with weather effects	–Not stated
Hands-free control	Siri, Shortcuts, Stream Deck	–Not stated
Commercial use	Built-in audio cleared with attribution	Ambiences CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: non-profit with attribution, monetized case by case

Where Tabletop Audio is stronger

• Nothing to install. Open a browser on any device and press play.
• Depth of ambience. Hours of ten-minute, non-repeating environments.
• Any platform. It works wherever a modern browser does.

Where Summoning Stone is stronger

• Built for professionals. A pro-level app with tons of features. It’s built for live streaming (built-in audio cleared for commercial use, hands-free control with Siri and Stream Deck, scenes that play the same way every time) and for professional game masters running lots of different games, with custom campaigns that fit each group rather than starting from someone else’s ready-made scenes.
• One tap, played as saved. Each scene remembers its music, ambience levels, effects and reverb, so switching scenes is one tap and nothing needs adjusting mid-game. Do a little prep up front, then just play.
• Room acoustics. Add reverb to a scene’s ambience and effects, and save it with the scene. A tight cavern, a vast hall or a church can sound like one, every time you start the scene.
• Music. Access to millions of songs, the largest library of music for tabletop games.
• Scenes, not just playlists. Combine music, ambience and effects into fully customizable scenes, group them by campaign, and switch between them in one tap. Or skip the setup with community-made campaigns, including scenes for adventures like Death House in Curse of Strahd.
• Table extras. Show artwork and maps on a TV with rain, snow, fog, smoke or magic effects. See how.
• Hands-free control with Siri or a Stream Deck.
• Clear commercial clearance for built-in audio. See stream-safe music.

Who should choose which

• Choose Tabletop Audio if you want quick, no-install ambience on any device.
• Choose Summoning Stone if you play on Apple devices and want fully customizable scenes, millions of songs, effects and extras in one app.
• Use both. Many game masters keep a browser tab of ambience handy. See our guide to the best tabletop audio apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Summoning Stone better than Tabletop Audio?
In our view, for running full scenes, yes. Tabletop Audio is a good library of ambience in any browser, but Summoning Stone is a pro-level app with music, effects, room acoustics, a TV display and hands-free control.

Does Tabletop Audio have an app?
Its About page describes a website that works in modern browsers, and doesn’t mention native apps.

Can I use Tabletop Audio on a monetized stream?
Its ambiences are licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Non-profit channels can use them with attribution, and monetized use is decided case by case. Check their terms.

Can I use Summoning Stone on a monetized stream?
Built-in audio is cleared for commercial use with attribution and a link to the app.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Audio Forge is a soundboard for your own audio files, with smart-home hooks; Summoning Stone is a scene-based app with built-in music, a TV display and Siri or Stream Deck control. Both run on iPhone, iPad and Mac. If your priority is playing your own recordings or syncing lights through Home Assistant, Audio Forge is the better fit. If you want ready-to-use stream-safe audio, scenes and a TV display, Summoning Stone is.

We make Summoning Stone. Audio Forge facts below come from its App Store listing as of October 2026.

At a glance

	Summoning Stone	Audio Forge
Platforms	iPhone, iPad, Mac	iPhone, iPad, Mac
Your own audio files	✕No. Apple Music playlists instead	✓Yes: MP3, WAV and OGG
Built-in audio	Millions of songs, plus stream-safe music, ambience and effects	Optional sound packs; Freesound browsing inside the app
Scenes and campaigns	Fully customizable scenes grouped by campaign, plus community-made campaigns	Scenes organized by campaign
Involvement	One tap starts a scene, and it plays exactly as you saved it: music, ambience levels, effects and reverb	Scenes organized by campaign; how much live adjustment they need is not stated
Room acoustics	Reverb on a scene’s ambience and effects, saved with the scene, so a cave can sound like a cave and a church like a church	–Not stated on its App Store page
Layering	Layered ambience, music and effects in scenes	One music track, several ambience beds and one-shot effects
Smart lighting	Via Siri Shortcuts and Stream Deck	MQTT and Home Assistant integration listed
TV display	Artwork and maps with weather effects	–Not stated
Offline	–Not stated	✓Works offline
Hands-free control	Siri, Shortcuts, Stream Deck	–Not stated

Where Audio Forge is stronger

• Your own audio. Import MP3, WAV and OGG files and build a library that’s yours. Summoning Stone can’t import audio files.
• Offline use. Audio Forge states that it works offline.
• Smart-home integration. It lists MQTT and Home Assistant support for syncing with room lighting and a fog machine. See lights and D&D apps.

Where Summoning Stone is stronger

• Built for professionals. A pro-level app with tons of features. It’s built for live streaming (built-in audio cleared for commercial use, hands-free control with Siri and Stream Deck, scenes that play the same way every time) and for professional game masters running lots of different games, with custom campaigns that fit each group rather than starting from someone else’s ready-made scenes.
• One tap, played as saved. Each scene remembers its music, ambience levels, effects and reverb, so switching scenes is one tap and nothing needs adjusting mid-game. Do a little prep up front, then just play.
• Room acoustics. Add reverb to a scene’s ambience and effects, and save it with the scene. A tight cavern, a vast hall or a church can sound like one, every time you start the scene.
• Millions of songs. Access to the largest library of music for tabletop games, with nothing to import.
• Ready-to-use, stream-safe audio. Built-in music, ambience and effects cleared for commercial use with attribution. See stream-safe music.
• A TV display. Show scene artwork and maps with rain, snow, fog, smoke or magic effects. See how.
• Siri and Stream Deck control. Start scenes and fire effects hands-free. See how.
• Community campaigns. Skip the setup with community-made campaigns and scenes, including scenes for adventures like Death House in Curse of Strahd, and share your own.

Who should choose which

• Choose Audio Forge if you mainly want to play your own audio files.
• Choose Summoning Stone if you want fully customizable scenes, millions of songs, a TV display and hands-free control, with stream-safe audio built in.
• Not sure? Summoning Stone is free to download, so try it first. Or read our guide to the best tabletop audio apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Summoning Stone better than Audio Forge?
In our view, for most game masters on Apple devices, yes. Audio Forge is great if you mainly want to play your own audio files, but Summoning Stone offers fully customizable scenes, millions of songs, a TV display, hands-free control and stream-safe audio built in.

Can I import my own MP3s into Summoning Stone?
No. It can play Apple Music playlists, but doesn’t import audio files.

Which one can control my lights?
Audio Forge lists MQTT and Home Assistant integration. Summoning Stone can be combined with your lights through Siri Shortcuts or Stream Deck.

Do both work on Mac?
Yes, both run on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Yes, it’s free to download on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and the free tier is enough to run real games. A subscription unlocks the premium library and extras.

What’s free

• Free sounds, music and effects. More than 20 ambient soundscapes and more than 50 sound effects at the time of writing, plus free built-in music for all styles.
• Up to five scenes. Enough for a one-shot or the first part of a campaign.
• Layered scenes. Mix music, ambience and effects in a scene and switch with one tap.
• A demo with no account. You can try the app without creating an account.

See exactly which sounds are free and which ambience is free.

What needs a subscription

• The premium part of the library: most of the ambient sounds, sound effects and music tracks.
• More than five scenes.
• Screen mirroring, which puts artwork and maps on a TV.
• Downloading community campaigns, including scenes for adventures like Death House in Curse of Strahd.

Free trials are shown on each subscription option, so you can see what’s on offer before you pay.

A note on Apple Music

You can bring your own music in through Apple Music playlists. That needs your own Apple Music subscription, separate from Summoning Stone’s.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free version of Summoning Stone?
Yes. It’s free to download, with a free tier of sounds, music, effects and up to five scenes.

Do I need an account to try it?
No. You can demo the app without creating an account.

Is Summoning Stone’s music free?
The free tier includes built-in music tracks. The rest of the music library needs a subscription.

Can I run a whole campaign for free?
You can run a one-shot or a short campaign within five scenes. Longer campaigns need a subscription.

Is it cheaper than other D&D audio apps?
As of October 2026, its subscription costs less than Pocket Bard’s and Syrinscape’s. See Summoning Stone vs Pocket Bard.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone gives you free D&D music you can use today, for all styles of game. The app includes free built-in music tracks, free ambient soundscapes and free sound effects for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Mix them into a scene and your Dungeons & Dragons session has a soundtrack in minutes.

What you get

• Free built-in music tracks for all styles, made by independent artists.
• Free ambience to sit under the music. See free D&D ambience.
• Free sound effects for spells, combat and doors. See free D&D sound effects.
• Stream-safe audio. Built-in music is cleared for commercial use with attribution. See music for Twitch and YouTube.

Build a scene with free music

1. Create a scene, such as “Tavern” or “Dungeon crawl”.
2. Add a free music track.
3. Layer a free ambience under it, such as Busy Restaurant for a tavern or Dungeon for a crawl.
4. Add a few free sound effects, such as a door or a sword draw.
5. Save it. From then on the scene starts with one tap, exactly as you saved it.

Good to know

• The free tier includes up to five scenes. A subscription unlocks the rest of the library and unlimited scenes. See what’s free.
• If you’d like your own favourites, Summoning Stone also plays your Apple Music playlists, but those aren’t cleared for streaming.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find free music for D&D?
Summoning Stone includes free built-in tracks you can use in your games on Apple devices.

Is there free background music for a D&D campaign?
Yes. Add a free track to a scene and layer ambience and effects over it.

What styles of free music are there?
The free tier includes built-in music for all styles of game, so you can find something for fantasy, sci-fi, modern and horror sessions.

Can I use free D&D music on a stream?
The built-in audio is cleared for commercial use with attribution and a link to the app. Apple Music tracks are not.

Do I need to pay to try it?
No. The app is free to download, with a free tier.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone has free music, ambience and sound effects for fantasy, modern and sci-fi tabletop RPGs. Whether you run D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Starfinder or Cyberpunk, you can build scenes on iPhone, iPad or Mac using the free tier.

Fantasy

Free ambience such as Dungeon, Forest Campfire, Meadow, Hearth, Old Town and Ocean Waves, plus spell and combat effects. See free D&D sound effects.

Modern

Free ambience such as Busy Office, City Traffic, Busy Restaurant, HVAC, Fluorescent Light Buzz and Crowd, plus doors, phones and vehicles. A good starting point for modern horror, investigation and urban games.

Sci-fi

Free ambience such as Ship Hum, Ship Computer and Harsh Alarm, plus laser effects and sci-fi doors. See free sci-fi sounds.

Horror

Free stings and tension for scary sessions. See free horror sounds.

Free music for all styles

The free tier includes built-in music for all styles of game, alongside the free ambience and effects below and above.

How it works

Group scenes by campaign, mix music, ambience and effects in each, and switch scenes with one tap. The free tier includes up to five scenes. See what’s free.

Frequently asked questions

Is there free music for tabletop RPGs?
Yes. Summoning Stone includes free built-in music, ambience and sound effects.

Does it work for games other than D&D?
Yes. Fantasy, modern and sci-fi sounds suit Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, Starfinder, Cyberpunk and many other systems.

Do I need a Stream Deck or special hardware?
No. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Is it free?
It’s free to download, with a free tier and an optional subscription.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone includes more than 20 free ambient soundscapes for D&D and other tabletop RPGs. Layer them under music to set a scene on iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Free ambience by setting

• Tavern and inn: Busy Restaurant, Bar Crowd, Crowd, Hearth.
• Dungeon: Dungeon.
• Forest and wilderness: Forest Campfire, Meadow.
• Weather: Rain on Window, Bright Rain.
• Sea and ships: Ocean Waves, Boat Creak, Sail Flapping.
• Towns and cities: Old Town, City Traffic.
• Sci-fi and modern: Ship Hum, Ship Computer, Harsh Alarm, Busy Office, HVAC and more.

How to layer ambience

1. Start with one base loop, such as Dungeon.
2. Add a second for detail, such as Metal Groans or a crowd.
3. Set the volumes once. They’re saved with the scene.
4. Add reverb to make a space sound like a cavern or a hall.

Because each scene remembers its levels, you can switch between scenes with one tap and nothing needs adjusting. See how it compares to apps you steer live.

Want more?

The free tier covers the sounds above. A subscription unlocks the rest of the ambience library. See what’s free.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get free D&D tavern ambience?
Summoning Stone’s free ambience includes Busy Restaurant, Bar Crowd and Crowd, which work for taverns and inns.

Is there free dungeon ambience?
Yes. Dungeon is free, and you can layer it with other free sounds.

Can I mix several ambient sounds?
Yes. Layer as many as you like in a scene and save the mix.

Can I use ambience on a stream?
Built-in audio is cleared for commercial use with attribution. See stream-safe music.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store

Summoning Stone’s soundboard includes more than 50 free sound effects for D&D and other tabletop RPGs, covering spells, combat, doors, creatures and cinematic stings, on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Free effects by category

• Spells: Lightning, Fireball, Necro Bolt, Acid Splash, Shimmer, Misty Step, Magic Door, Heal. See free spell sound effects.
• Combat and action: Draw Sword, Draw Bow, Arrow Hit, Wood Hit, Metal Hit, Knife Stab, Door Knock, Beer Pour. See free combat sound effects.
• Doors and objects: Wood Door, Stone Door, Sci-Fi Door, Chest Open, Metal Scrape, Drawer.
• Creatures: Loud Roar, Horse Herd, Slime Splat, Dog Bark.
• Cinematic: Horror Sting, Tension, Deep Drum, Drumroll, Jump Scare.

Make them hit on cue

• Add filters like reverb so a roar echoes through a cavern.
• Trigger effects hands-free with Siri or a Stream Deck. See how.
• Save your favourites in a scene so they’re ready when the dragon appears.

Want more?

A subscription unlocks the rest of the effects library. See what’s free.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I find free D&D sound effects?
Summoning Stone’s soundboard includes more than 50 free effects.

Is there a free D&D soundboard app?
Yes. Summoning Stone is free to download, with a free tier that includes a soundboard.

Can I use these sound effects in videos?
Built-in effects are cleared for commercial use with attribution and a link to the app.

Can I add reverb to sound effects?
Yes, you can add reverb to a scene’s effects.

Get Summoning Stone on the App Store