Need web-based tool for table-top RPG background music
June 7, 2010 9:55 AM Subscribe
Are there any Web tools that provide background ambient music for table-top RPGs? If not, what open-source embeddable music players could I use to make my own?
My ideal Web tool would categorize the music by mood and/or setting (e.g. "mysterious forest", "combat", "serene") etc.
Previously, our group has used an iPod filled with video game music which worked alright, but I'd like something I can access anywhere.
If such a thing doesn't exist, what music players could I use on my own Web site to do something like this? It would need to support playlists, and have some way to sort songs by category.
My ideal Web tool would categorize the music by mood and/or setting (e.g. "mysterious forest", "combat", "serene") etc.
Previously, our group has used an iPod filled with video game music which worked alright, but I'd like something I can access anywhere.
If such a thing doesn't exist, what music players could I use on my own Web site to do something like this? It would need to support playlists, and have some way to sort songs by category.
mpd is the jackhammer for the nail you're looking at. I don't know if it comes in flavours other than linux, though.
A few of my personal favorite tabletop rpg musics, outside of the realm of video game music. These are all vocal free, or have voices that are basically instruments, so as not to muddy player dialogue.
Nine Inch Nails - quake soundtrack, ghosts.
Brethren of the Free Spirit
Dirty Three
Philip Glass - Any, but especially the Dracula soundtrack...
Lau Nau
the Twin Peaks soundtrack - sure to freak the fuck out of at least one of your players
posted by kaibutsu at 10:49 AM on June 7, 2010
A few of my personal favorite tabletop rpg musics, outside of the realm of video game music. These are all vocal free, or have voices that are basically instruments, so as not to muddy player dialogue.
Nine Inch Nails - quake soundtrack, ghosts.
Brethren of the Free Spirit
Dirty Three
Philip Glass - Any, but especially the Dracula soundtrack...
Lau Nau
the Twin Peaks soundtrack - sure to freak the fuck out of at least one of your players
posted by kaibutsu at 10:49 AM on June 7, 2010
Response by poster: Are you looking to provide your own, specific music or are you looking for something more like an online radio station that plays songs fitting different broader genres?
More like an online radio station, but for cinematic mood music that's more orchestral than something from a band.
I'm skeptical that Pandora will do what I need. I could probably train it to give me orchestral movie soundtracks, but like you said I have no control over what mood I'm going for. One moment I'll have the eerie excitement of Danny Elfman's "Batman Theme", and another will be the adventuresome pomp of John Williams's "Indiana Jones Theme".
Try grooveshark.com
I'll try that, but I'm skeptical that they'll have much in the way of video game music (which is usually perfect for my needs) and probably more along the lines of soundtracks which I may have to dig through.
mpd is the jackhammer for the nail you're looking at.
My server is linux, so that's fine. mpd looks pretty good although the site says that it doesn't support tagging. Are there other ways that I could categorize the music or specify my own "genre"? I need to be able to categorize music by its overall mood.
posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 11:18 AM on June 7, 2010
More like an online radio station, but for cinematic mood music that's more orchestral than something from a band.
I'm skeptical that Pandora will do what I need. I could probably train it to give me orchestral movie soundtracks, but like you said I have no control over what mood I'm going for. One moment I'll have the eerie excitement of Danny Elfman's "Batman Theme", and another will be the adventuresome pomp of John Williams's "Indiana Jones Theme".
Try grooveshark.com
I'll try that, but I'm skeptical that they'll have much in the way of video game music (which is usually perfect for my needs) and probably more along the lines of soundtracks which I may have to dig through.
mpd is the jackhammer for the nail you're looking at.
My server is linux, so that's fine. mpd looks pretty good although the site says that it doesn't support tagging. Are there other ways that I could categorize the music or specify my own "genre"? I need to be able to categorize music by its overall mood.
posted by TimeTravelSpeed at 11:18 AM on June 7, 2010
Best answer: You can use Jinzora to create streamable playlists on your linux server. Populate it with your video game tracks and suitable stuff from OC Remix.
Jinzora is free and open source, and OC Remix is all free.
posted by Lifeson at 11:37 AM on June 7, 2010
Jinzora is free and open source, and OC Remix is all free.
posted by Lifeson at 11:37 AM on June 7, 2010
mpd uses the directory structure under whatever root directory(s) you specify. So I keep a big 'audio' folder, with music arranged by (rough) genre->artist->album->song. BUT, mpd is just fine with symlinks. So you can make a folder labelled 'rpg' or something, and then within that have folders for different scene-types, and then plop a bunch of symlinks to the appropriate songs into these folders. Playlists are also supported, of course.
I haven't actually used mpd for streaming over a network, personally, and It looks like Icecast might be the component that would do the actual streaming to other devices.
Basically, you set up mpd (and maybe icecast) on the server, then set up clients on whatever devices will be doing the receiving. It looks like there's a few tutorials out there on how to set up streaming.
posted by kaibutsu at 12:11 PM on June 7, 2010
I haven't actually used mpd for streaming over a network, personally, and It looks like Icecast might be the component that would do the actual streaming to other devices.
Basically, you set up mpd (and maybe icecast) on the server, then set up clients on whatever devices will be doing the receiving. It looks like there's a few tutorials out there on how to set up streaming.
posted by kaibutsu at 12:11 PM on June 7, 2010
With grooveshark you're supposed to be able to upload your own music to the site and access it that way. I haven't tried that myself - although I do use grooveshark and enjoy it - so I don't know how that works or if you'd be comfortable with that. In theory though, that'd be a great way to have exactly what you wanted wherever you wanted to have it.
posted by SeeTheTurtle at 2:12 PM on June 7, 2010
posted by SeeTheTurtle at 2:12 PM on June 7, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Have you considered training a few Pandora stations you can switch between? You won't have control over what songs play when, but you could certainly be able to change from one mood to another without much trouble.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 10:32 AM on June 7, 2010