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How do I add background sound in Unity?

Published in Unity Audio 3 mins read

To add background sound in Unity, you'll primarily use the AudioSource component attached to a GameObject. Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. Import Your Audio File:

  • Method 1: Drag and Drop: Drag your audio file (e.g., .mp3, .wav, .ogg) directly from your computer's file system into the Unity Editor's Project panel.
  • Method 2: Import New Asset: Right-click within the Project panel, select Import New Asset, and then browse to and select your audio file.

2. Create a GameObject for the Sound:

It's good practice to create a dedicated GameObject to manage your background music.

  • In the Hierarchy panel (Window -> General -> Hierarchy), right-click and select Create Empty. Name it something descriptive, like "BackgroundMusic".

3. Add an AudioSource Component:

  • Select the "BackgroundMusic" GameObject you just created.
  • In the Inspector panel (Window -> General -> Inspector), click Add Component.
  • Search for "AudioSource" and select it to add the component to your GameObject.

4. Configure the AudioSource Component:

  • Audio Clip: In the AudioSource component's Inspector panel, find the "Audio Clip" field. Drag your imported audio file from the Project panel into this field.
  • Play On Awake: Check this box if you want the music to start playing automatically when the scene loads. If you want more control, leave it unchecked and use scripting.
  • Loop: Check this box if you want the music to loop continuously. This is generally desirable for background music.
  • Volume: Adjust the "Volume" slider to set the desired loudness of the music (0.0 to 1.0).
  • Spatial Blend: Set this to "2D" for background music that shouldn't have positional audio effects. 3D sound can be useful if the source of the music should appear to be coming from a particular location.

5. Scripting (Optional, for More Control):

If you want more control over when the music starts and stops, use a script. Here's a simple C# script to play the background music when a scene starts:

using UnityEngine;

public class BackgroundMusic : MonoBehaviour
{
    private AudioSource audioSource;

    void Start()
    {
        audioSource = GetComponent<AudioSource>();
        audioSource.Play(); // Start playing the music
    }
}
  • Create a new C# script (e.g., "BackgroundMusic.cs") in your Project panel.
  • Copy and paste the code above into the script.
  • Attach the script to your "BackgroundMusic" GameObject. (Drag the script from the Project panel onto the GameObject in the Hierarchy panel).
  • Make sure "Play On Awake" is unchecked in the AudioSource component, as the script will now handle starting the music.

You can also use scripting to:

  • Stop the music: audioSource.Stop();
  • Pause the music: audioSource.Pause();
  • Resume the music: audioSource.UnPause();
  • Fade the music in and out.
  • Control the music based on in-game events.

Example:

Let's say you have an audio file named "background_music.mp3". You import it, create a "BackgroundMusic" GameObject, add an AudioSource, drag "background_music.mp3" to the Audio Clip field, check "Loop", and adjust the volume. Now, when you run the scene, the music will play continuously in the background.

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