Modding Music - Want your own Music?

[Oldgamer]

Even though this gets extremely irritating for some people, others want their own music in the game. I've discovered an almost foolproof way of modding my favorite music in, and thought I would "share" (shudder, doesn't like the word). I don't claim to be the first to discover this, but here it is.

First and foremost, make sure that you have a legal right to use the music. If you like the music from Ben Hur or Gladiator, and you don't own a legal copy of Miklos Rozsa's music, you can't use it.

Also, your music has to be in .mp3 format. Nothing else will work ... at least, on my computer.

MOST IMPORTANT: Make a copy of descr_sounds_music.txt, before you start the following procedure.

Step One: Open Data/Sounds

Step Two: Create a new folder called "Music"

Step Three: Place all of the .mp3 files you wish to use in this new folder

Step Four: Open Data, then open descr_sounds_music.txt

Step Five: Under campaign or battle map events, type the name of the Mp3 that you want to play, when said event occurs. Make sure that you include the ".mp3" extension.

For example, under the "Roma Music" section, and in the state MUSIC_FRONTEND section, I added "AveCaesar.mp3" (music from the movie Quo Vadis, whose soundtrack I own). You must use the exact name of the Mp3 in the Music folder you created. Also, if the name has a space in it, I would suggest renaming the file (for example, "AveCaesar.mp3 was originally "Ave Caesar.mp3" ... it wouldn't play until I renamed it).

Continue with each battle- or campaign- event that you wish to put a new Mp3 into. If you don't want the vanilla music, just delete it from the battle event. That has no effect whatever.

Important: Do not forget to delete or rename the file "events.DAT" in your data/sounds/music folder. If you don't the game will ignore the changes you made and just play vanilla music.

I've used this technique with the 1.2, 1.5, and 1.6 patches (BI), all with the same amount of success.

That's it. Boot up the game and enjoy the music that you like!

[The White Knight]

Nice guide, I believe King_Azzole (sp?) made one before you.

First and foremost, make sure that you have a legal right to use the music. If you like the music from Ben Hur or Gladiator, and you don't own a legal copy of Miklos Rozsa's music, you can't use it.

Can't or shouldn't? I don't think it would be a problem as long as you don't distribute a mod containing it?

[Oldgamer]

Nice guide, I believe King_Azzole (sp?) made one before you.

Thanks!

I wasn't sure whether someone had done it before, or not. However, I've been working with this on my own for about a year, and thought I would use my own technique.

Can't or shouldn't? I don't think it would be a problem as long as you don't distribute a mod containing it?

In the United States, private use of copyrighted material might be a problem, if you don't legally own a copy of the music. Not that the government would go after you, if used music for your own purposes, and didn't distribute it. However, note that I'm not including copies of my descr_sounds_music.txt file and Data/Sounds/Music folder!

[Hader]

Very nice stuff Oldgamer, but dont you think this could go into the Tutorials section? Eh, it doesnt matter, great stuff!

[Slaxx Hatmen]

Also, dont forget to delete or rename the file "events.DAT" in your data/sounds/music folder. Otherwise, the game will ignore the changes you made and just play vanilla music.

[Oldgamer]

Also, dont forget to delete or rename the file "events.DAT" in your data/sounds/music folder. Otherwise, the game will ignore the changes you made and just play vanilla music.

Thanks for the reminder about that. I've had my technique fail to work because of it.

@Hader
I didn't think of putting it in the tutorials section. This is my first attempt at modding (and it's extremely modest, to say the least). But it would fit better in tutorials.

[Crimson Scythe]

Ok, I've tried to get this to work, but it's just one disaster after another.

I've created the 'music' directory, pasted in the music that I want, and then made the proper changes to the descr_sounds_music.txt file. Fine.

Now, when I rename the events.dat file, RTW can't load up. The game crashes before getting to the menu and gives me the "Can't load music database" error. I also tried the music.dat file, but that just froze my system, so I doubt that's it.

Am I forgetting something? Was I supposed to extract the sounds first with Vercingetorix's XidX?

NOTE: I'm trying to add this music to both TE and Res Gestae, if that makes any difference. Same mp3s, same descr_sounds_music.txt configuration.

[Oldgamer]

Ok, I've tried to get this to work, but it's just one disaster after another.

I've created the 'music' directory, pasted in the music that I want, and then made the proper changes to the descr_sounds_music.txt file. Fine.

Now, when I rename the events.dat file, RTW can't load up. The game crashes before getting to the menu and gives me the "Can't load music database" error. I also tried the music.dat file, but that just froze my system, so I doubt that's it.

Am I forgetting something? Was I supposed to extract the sounds first with Vercingetorix's XidX?

NOTE: I'm trying to add this music to both TE and Res Gestae, if that makes any difference. Same mp3s, same descr_sounds_music.txt configuration.

First, I've never used Vercingetorix' program, as good as that is. Also, the only thing I've used this on is Vanilla RTW & BI, and RTR 6.0 Gold & RTR Platinum Edition. I've never used it with any other full-replacement modification. There might be a conflict in the mods that you use.

Second, location of the music file: It should be on Data/Sounds, and no lower in the directory.

Myself, only the events.idx file gets re-named, although I did have to rename events.dat when I installed the RTR Music Add-on.

One last easy-to-overlook point. The music files you use should be in .mp3 format, and in the descr_sounds_music.txt file, the file you use must use the exact name as the music file, and must have the .mp3 extension.

I hope this helps, and gets you past these problems.

[Crimson Scythe]

First, I've never used Vercingetorix' program, as good as that is. Also, the only thing I've used this on is Vanilla RTW & BI, and RTR 6.0 Gold & RTR Platinum Edition. I've never used it with any other full-replacement modification. There might be a conflict in the mods that you use.

Second, location of the music file: It should be on Data/Sounds, and no lower in the directory.

Myself, only the events.idx file gets re-named, although I did have to rename events.dat when I installed the RTR Music Add-on.

One last easy-to-overlook point. The music files you use should be in .mp3 format, and in the descr_sounds_music.txt file, the file you use must use the exact name as the music file, and must have the .mp3 extension.

I hope this helps, and gets you past these problems.

I only used Vercingetorix's program on Res Gestae, not TE, so since I'm getting the same problem with both, I doubt it's XidX.

All the files are mp3s (does the Kb make any difference? They're all 192K), and the filenames are exactly what they should be. I used the same process for SPQR and it worked there, though admittedly I installed SPQR over BI, not RTW 1.5. If I don't touch the events.dat and events.idx files, all I get is the vanilla music. If I touch (rename) either of them, however, I get the "cannot load music database" error.

Is there anything I should do before I start editing the .txt file? Do I have to do any extractions? If so, with which program? Vercingetorix's programm extracts all the sounds (music, voices, and sfx), but is there some program that only extracts the music? Basically, how do I get RTW to accept the new music without blowing itself up?

[Hans Kloss]

I have tried the suggested way but it does not work for me.For me the only way to get my own music is to extract all sound files with XidX, renamed tracks to original RTW names and then repack it again

only the events.idx file gets re-named

renamed to what? sorry what do you mean?

[Stuie]

Moved to Tutorials and Walkthroughs Forum

[Crimson Scythe]

I have a related question. Seeing as how I'd managed to get this to work with another mod (SPQR), I compared the descr_sounds_music.txt file that I used for SPQR with the new one for TE. I though maybe there was a typo somewhere. Nothing. I tried adding the same tracks and txt file to SPQR and got the same error. When I swapped back the original SPQR txt file (which I had modified earlier), it worked no problem.

Is there a limit on the number of tracks you can have assigned to a specific event? Or a maximum track length? Because these are the only real differences between the two cases.

[SPARTAN VI]

Rock on, I'm going to use some of the Troy movie soundtrack!

[edit] Got too excited before I saw it through. Doesn't work.

I even removed the vanilla music from the descr_sounds_music.txt and they still played.

[misfitsfiend138]

will mpeg4 work, all my files are like that thanx to itunes unfortunatley.

[SPARTAN VI]

Got it working the same day.. I just copied SPQR's music folder and descr_sounds_music.txt to my vanilla rome folders (creating back ups of course). I then replaced the mp3s in SPQR with my own renaming my own mp3s to fit the SPQR names. Worked like a charm.

[lurumagno]

hi all! where i can find the program to extract all sound?? thanks!!

[Cowellini]

THANKS OLDGAMER!

Hi all thanks for this guide. i was actually doubtful if i could do this but i did it! Im playing Roma surrectum and changed my campaign sounds to a more soothing sound of Crusaders soundtrack ehehe. And yeah i deleted the "events.dat" coz i dnt know what name to replace it eheh and i deleted it with my hands trembling ehehe. Coz i read about the other guys here whos trying to change music but ddnt work and it made me nervous but so far so good I was getting hopeless b4 also if i could find a guide like this and here it is so happy now i Really thank you for ur guide it really made my day THANKS OLDGAMER!!!!!!

And Lurumagno.. i dnt think u need an extractor here.. all u need is to copy and paste the mp3 you want. you can even get it from your personal cd music that u listen too. just copy the music from your cd and paste it in the folder that was said by oldgamer. everything is manual.

[Zivica]

For example I have Blind Guardian-Battlefield
How should I put it? I tryed but I don't know how to put it in descr_sounds_music

[C4X]

. . . or the simple way: use folder and script in a public release of any music mod, then simply replace applicable songs with your choice. Make sure the songs of your choosing are named exactly the same as the ones they are replacing. Drag, drop, say yes to overwrite, voila! I've used a few choice bits from EB in a number of other mods this way

[jinandjuice]

I want to edit the CCLight Music, but I would have to extract the music first. And although there's a Music folder under Sound, the files don't match the music in the game. Would I need an extractor for this situation?