Quiet enough that nobody has to raise their voice. Music should be felt more than noticed. If players are talking louder than usual, turn it down.
A simple test
- Play the scene at table volume.
- Talk to someone across the table in your normal voice.
- If you have to raise it, the music is too loud. Lower it until you don’t.
Rough balance
- Voices come first. Everything else sits below them.
- Music and ambience stay in the background, with ambience a touch lower than music if you use both.
- Sound effects can briefly rise above the mix, then stop. That’s what makes them land.
Why it matters
Loud music wears people out, hides quiet roleplay and makes shy players speak less. Quiet music lets players hear nuance and keeps the scene focused on people.
Set it once
Rather than adjusting every few minutes, set each scene’s levels before the session and save them. Then each scene starts at the right level every time.
Tips
- Check levels at your table’s real distance from the speaker.
- Test with the room’s real noise, such as snacks and chatter.
- Use a speaker in a corner, pointing across the room, not at the players.
- Lower the music during dramatic speeches.
How Summoning Stone helps
Each scene saves its music volume, ambience levels, effects level and reverb. Switching scenes is one tap, and nothing needs adjusting. See how to use music in D&D.
Frequently asked questions
How loud should D&D music be?
Low enough that people can talk at a normal volume over it.
Should ambience be louder than music?
Usually not. Keep ambience at or just below the music level.
Should sound effects be louder than music?
Briefly, yes. They punctuate a moment and then stop.
How do I stop having to adjust volume all the time?
Save levels per scene, as Summoning Stone does.