For those of you who use music from the Star Wars movies, how do you go about doing it? Just leave the entire soundtrack on shuffle? Loop one or two songs until the encounter is over? Create a playlist specific to that session, play one song, and wait until they've triggered a scene to play another one?

I've got the soundtracks for all six movies. I try to come up with a couple good songs that loop well and fit with the encounter. "Panaka and the Queen's Protectors" is a personal favorite, especially for minion encounters and chase scenes. The main thing that bugs me is the way, especially in the original trilogy, I can't usually get a good track for a firefight. There'll be an exciting opening, then a suspenseful lull for a few minutes, a tension sting, another good piece of music that lends itself to a fight, then more suspenseful music, etc. Do you guys cut up tracks like those and just keep the parts that work well for fights, suspenseful moments, Force training, and that kind of thing?

So, yeah. How do you guys do it in your sessions?

I would look at music that sets the mood that is non SW but could be used to set the mood, you could used songs from Indiana Jones, Jaws ext. I have even used songs from Boondock Saints, like The Bolox's Tura Tura Lura and other heavy metal or punk songs. It doesn't need to always be SW music.

Oh and a sound board with blaster and droid sounds.

I wanted to get very complicated about how I chose music, but realized I'd be spending too much time switching tracks. I used Windows Media Player to make up three playlists: background, combat/chase, cantina.

For the Cantina music I have all the cantina tracks from episodes IV-VI and a couple from the Corellian Edition (which has some tracks from I-III. About 30m total.

Combat/Chase is high-action music from the above. About 90m total.

Background is all the non-combat/chase music, minus the beginning and end title music, plus most of the tracks from The Old Republic. About 4 hours here without repeats.

I turn on cross-fading (1 second) and shuffle and just let it go, switching playlists as necessary with a quick double-click. Best solution so far.

Lastly, related to music, I run background ambient sounds from TableTop Audio alongside the music. Everything is kept pretty quiet so no one has to talk louder to be heard.

I had at one time broken all the sountracks into playlists, but an unfortunate iTunes accident wiped said playlists and I have yet to recreate them in full. I broke them out into "Battles," "Intrigue," "Cantinas," and "Good Times" I seem to recall, so I could ease into a playlist to fit the mood. However, just randomly streaming through all the albums I often find the music just so happens to appropriately fit the situation. It happens so often in fact that I believe the Force is with us.

I've also had luck using Ambient Mixer to add flavor, for example: http://science-fiction.ambient-mixer.com/inside-the-starport (let it run a while)

Been lurking here for too long, and now I have to comment.

I'm doing something new here, and I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but in my newest campaign I'm using the Star Trek Online soundtrack.

However, in my past 2 SW:EOTE campaigns I used Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack. It really captures this nitty, gritty feel of living on the fringe where you have no idea who to trust. For action scenes it has the perfect music for quick running, blasting, and all of your needs.

So far the STO soundtrack hasn't been 100% successful, but it does give new life and emotion to a new campaign. Honestly, I can't recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack enough. It is really spot on for all your Edge of the Empire needs.

Been lurking here for too long, and now I have to comment.

I'm doing something new here, and I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but in my newest campaign I'm using the Star Trek Online soundtrack.

However, in my past 2 SW:EOTE campaigns I used Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack. It really captures this nitty, gritty feel of living on the fringe where you have no idea who to trust. For action scenes it has the perfect music for quick running, blasting, and all of your needs.

So far the STO soundtrack hasn't been 100% successful, but it does give new life and emotion to a new campaign. Honestly, I can't recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack enough. It is really spot on for all your Edge of the Empire needs.

That's a good idea, what ever makes the mood better, and it is a good suggestion.

Been lurking here for too long, and now I have to comment.

I'm doing something new here, and I know I'll get a lot of flak for this, but in my newest campaign I'm using the Star Trek Online soundtrack.

However, in my past 2 SW:EOTE campaigns I used Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack. It really captures this nitty, gritty feel of living on the fringe where you have no idea who to trust. For action scenes it has the perfect music for quick running, blasting, and all of your needs.

So far the STO soundtrack hasn't been 100% successful, but it does give new life and emotion to a new campaign. Honestly, I can't recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution soundtrack enough. It is really spot on for all your Edge of the Empire needs.

I hadn't really considered non-Star Wars music because I didn't think it would work. Yet it seems to be doing the trick for you. Intriguing...

The soundtrack for Deus Ex: Human Revolution is pretty amazing, actually, and spot on for an edgy, seat-of-your-pants style Star Wars game. Good catch.

Also, if you have Amazon Prime, go to Prime Music and do a search for "industrial instrumental". You'll get a list of a few dozen songs, several of which make great background or ambient music for running adventures.

I have music from so many sources it is unreal.
I tend to try and keep to a specific type of music to get the consistent feel across the whole of the campaign however that doesn't work in all situations.

When I ran Beyond the rim I ended up using jungles music from front mission, tribal drums from republic commando and tracks from crisis 2.
because of differing soundtrack issues like this I ended up making playlists based on the feel of the music. Creepy, In a hurry, Combat, Epic Combat, Religious villain (choirs and organs), Villain themes, heroic themes, victory music, suspense and more. This way If the party deviates from the predicted plan (often) I can say whats the mood? find the play list and pick a song.

I usually alternate between 2 or 3 tracks during a long event to keep it from getting annoying. I then use windows media for background sound effects pulled from bent burt's sounds of star wars book for accuracy.

Suggestions for music I use:
Acecombat series, Armored core Series, Front mission Series, Crysis Series, Dues Ex series, Borderlands series, Starcraft Series, Starwars: Battlefront, Republic commando, KOTOR, SWTOR, Rouge Squadron, The force unleashed, Fate/zero, Sword art online, FF7 Advent children, Hawken, Interstellar, Oblivion (the movie), Mass effect series, Xenosaga III, Fairy Tail, Shadow of the colossus, Star Citizen Unofficial soundtrack, Trigun, Chrono symphonic, supreme commander, Uncharted series (jungles), and thats just to name a few.

When I am on the go and we do a impromptu session I use the djay2 app as it allows for 8 sound effects to be overlaid without interrupting the music. It also pulls song from iTunes and gives you the ability to crossfade at will and also a way to speed up tracks as the situation grows more intense.

I haven't found the Star Wars soundtrack to fit very well with the tone of a given session. Instead, when I'm putting together a session, I search for music on YouTube that will fit the feel and tone I wish for an encounter. Then I trigger the music at the appropriate times.

It should be noted that I run my sessions with a laptop hooked up to my 50" TV - maps, supporting imagery, and music go through my home theater.

I have built YouTube playlists of music from the films and (mostly) the various games (the PRGs in particualr have excellent mood setting background music) grouped by theme. Themes include "Urban", "Cantina", "Outdoors", "Regular Combat" and "Sith Combat". I also have the intro/crawl music on a playlist of it's own (so it's easy to find) and an "End" playlist of the various film finale tracks to play at the triumphant conclusion of a key session.

Obviously I use a browser with an ad-blocker so that I don't get inturupted by YouTube adverts, if you don't have an ad-blocker I would say YouTube would be a terrible idea that would regularly ruin the mood and distract you.

Anyone got track lists for those various themes?

I use a song on loop for every precise moment. I use Star Wars + Mass Effect + other ones (like Doctor Who, Chrono Cross)

I have a few songs for every moment: Cantina, battle, "stand by", tension, dark side, romantic, epic moment.

I cannot play without my music

OK...Nice and all to see types of play lists. Whats in them would be more helpful.

Some of the music from the Halo games works quite well too.

-edit-

As does some of the music from Eve Online, which is quite slow and hauntingly atmospheric.

I use music from http://incompetech.com/wordpress/

I make a playlist beforehand

The tracks seem to be just long to created a mood and fade out for discussion to happen.

Don't know if anyone suggested it, and it's a bit off-topic, but I also use the soundtrack from Star Wars: The Old Republic.

It's got some great star wars music, and it also has plenty of "cantina" music.

All approved by Lucas Arts so you know it'll be quality stuff.

If you can get your hands on the collectors edition music as well, it's extra cool.

Anyone got track lists for those various themes?

I had originally set them as private since they have a few vague hints about locations I had planned for my first few sessions but I've openned my playlists up for you Daeglan if you'll find that helpful (or anyone else too obviously).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjylhndULLmyDzo6r0FE8bQ/playlists

Night, try using the search bar at the top of the page for "music" you will get a ton of threads here about it.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/133967-music-and-gaming/?hl=music

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/112824-use-of-music-i-need-advice/

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/124198-music-while-playing/?hl=music

Search for the Liquid Stranger one, the picture is somewhat...adult.

I use a program that can get the MP3 soundtracsk from a youtube clip, then I add it to my iTunes playlist. My PC is in my gaming room, and I use my iPad remote to control my PC iTunes. So I can quickly control the volume and track listing if I want to. Usually I just have all 889 songs on random. I use all 6 movie soundtracks, Rebels, Clone Wars, KOTOR 1 and 2 and TOR soundtracks. Don't forget about the Shadows of the Empire Soundtrack, it is really good. Republic Commando. And check out this guy. If you use Chrome, you can install a Soundcloud downloader. I also use a lot of Metal, Dubsteb, and Techno made for star wars. I feel it really gives us a nice gritty Edge feel.

https://soundcloud.com/korriband

https://thump.vice.com/en_us/article/star-wars-remixes-playlist-soundcloud-thump

Hope this helps a little.

Anyone got track lists for those various themes?

I had originally set them as private since they have a few vague hints about locations I had planned for my first few sessions but I've openned my playlists up for you Daeglan if you'll find that helpful (or anyone else too obviously).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjylhndULLmyDzo6r0FE8bQ/playlists

Awesome... Nice selections...

Anyone got track lists for those various themes?

I had originally set them as private since they have a few vague hints about locations I had planned for my first few sessions but I've openned my playlists up for you Daeglan if you'll find that helpful (or anyone else too obviously).

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjylhndULLmyDzo6r0FE8bQ/playlists

Awesome... Nice selections...

Thanks

Just found out the music to the game Borderlands- The Pre-Sequel fits star wars pretty well

Just found out the music to the game Borderlands- The Pre-Sequel fits star wars pretty well

Really?

I listened to it on youtube and didn't like it at all (for a star wars setting, that is).

Tastes differ, I guess. (Fx. I absolutely loathe the dubstep stuff on the previous page)

Just found out the music to the game Borderlands- The Pre-Sequel fits star wars pretty well

Really?

I listened to it on youtube and didn't like it at all (for a star wars setting, that is).

Tastes differ, I guess. (Fx. I absolutely loathe the dubstep stuff on the previous page)

I should have stipulated "some of it" I kind of meant the more background pieces would be ok (for me) as space scene ambiance.