Can You Change the Background Music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? The Definitive Guide

The whimsical world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) is famous for its charming atmosphere, and a huge part of that atmosphere is the background music. Unfortunately, the direct answer is no, you cannot completely turn off or replace the ambient background music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, there are ways to influence it, customize your musical experience, and, in some cases, work around the restrictions. Let’s dive deep into the musical landscape of ACNH and explore the options available.

Understanding the ACNH Soundtrack

The music in ACNH is dynamic and changes based on the time of day, location on the island, and even the season. This intricate system is designed to create a constantly evolving soundscape that keeps the game fresh and engaging. The music isn’t simply a static loop; it’s a carefully curated selection of tunes that are perfectly suited to the current in-game situation.

Understanding this base layer is key to manipulating your aural experience in ACNH. While you cannot outright replace the game’s score with your own MP3s, you can cleverly influence what you hear and where you hear it.

Influencing the Music: Customization Options

Although a direct ‘mute’ or ‘replace’ option is absent, several avenues exist for affecting your musical experience:

• Town Tune: This is perhaps the most direct form of musical customization. By speaking to Isabelle at Resident Services after upgrading it, you can change the Town Tune. This short melody plays at various moments, such as when entering a villager’s house or when certain events trigger. Customizing the Town Tune allows you to inject a bit of your own musical flair into the game.

• K.K. Slider’s Music: K.K. Slider is the traveling musician who visits your island every Saturday. After he performs, he’ll give you a copy of the song he played. You can also purchase K.K. Slider songs from the Nook Stop terminal inside of Resident Services. Once you acquire these songs, you can play them on various music players placed around your island. This allows you to effectively drown out the ambient music in specific locations with your chosen K.K. Slider tracks.

• Music Players: The game features a range of music players, from simple radios to jukeboxes and stereos. These can be placed indoors and outdoors, emitting music within a certain radius. Clever placement of these devices, strategically playing the same or different songs, can alter the soundscape of your island significantly.

• Villager Singing: Villagers will sometimes sing along to music playing from nearby music players. You can encourage this behavior by placing music players near their homes or in communal areas. It’s possible to “trick” them into singing specific songs by playing a particular track, which can add a delightful and personalized musical element to your island.

• Adjusting Volume Levels: While you can’t completely mute the background music within the game’s settings, you can adjust the overall volume. If you wish to hear the natural sounds of your island (waves crashing, birds chirping), turn down the volume of your Switch.

Workarounds and Creative Solutions

Since a complete music replacement is impossible, resourceful players have found alternative approaches to tailor their ACNH soundscape:

• External Music: Some players opt to mute the game’s audio entirely and play their own music through a separate device (phone, computer, etc.). While this removes the dynamic and location-specific audio of ACNH, it offers complete control over the soundtrack.

• Ambient Sound Apps: There are apps that can play white noise or nature sounds, effectively masking the ACNH background music while maintaining the immersion of the game.

• Custom Soundscapes: For PC players, the Games Learning Society can provide guidance and examples of creating custom soundscapes that are tailored to a specific mood or activity. Using external programs, it’s possible to play ambient sounds and blend them into the game, creating a truly unique auditory experience. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more.

FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About ACNH Music

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about manipulating the music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

1. Can I upload my own songs into Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

No, you cannot upload your own custom music tracks directly into ACNH. The game does not support importing audio files.

2. How do I get more K.K. Slider songs?

You can get K.K. Slider songs in two ways:

• Receiving a song from K.K. Slider after his Saturday performance.
• Purchasing a random song from the Nook Shopping terminal inside Resident Services.

3. What are the “secret songs” from K.K. Slider?

The secret songs are Drivin’, Animal City, and Farewell. You must specifically request these songs from K.K. Slider during his Saturday performance, spelling the names correctly.

4. Why is Nook’s Cranny playing classical music?

Nook’s Cranny plays classical music in the 10 minutes leading up to its closing time. This is a subtle cue to encourage players to finish their shopping.

5. How do I change my island’s “Town Tune”?

After upgrading Resident Services, speak to Isabelle and select the option “Change the island tune.” This will open the musical note editor.

6. Can I turn off the music completely in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

No, there is no in-game option to completely disable the background music. However, you can reduce the Switch volume so it is very low.

7. How many K.K. Slider songs are there in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

As of the 2.0 update, there are a total of 107 K.K. Slider songs available, plus three secret songs.

8. Why are my villagers singing?

Villagers will often sing along to music playing from nearby music players. They may also sing randomly while wandering the island.

9. What is the rarest villager type in Animal Crossing?

Octopus villagers are the rarest, with only five of them appearing in the entire franchise.

10. Can villagers fall in love in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

No, there are no romantic relationships between villagers or with the player character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

11. What does K.K. Slider stand for?

K.K. Slider is based on Kazumi Totaka, a Nintendo composer. His Japanese nickname, “Totakeke,” is a contraction of “Totaka K.”

12. Is K.K. Slider the end of the game?

While K.K. Slider’s first performance triggers the game credits, it doesn’t mark the end of the game. There is still plenty to do after the credits roll.

13. What is the chirping sound I hear underground?

The chirping sound comes from the mole cricket, a bug that lives underground. Dig where the sound is loudest to unearth it.

14. How can I make villagers sing certain songs?

Place a music player (like a jukebox) near the villagers and play the desired song. They are more likely to sing along to the track that’s playing.

15. Do different villagers sing more than others?

Some villagers have a higher tendency to sing than others, such as Lily, Shari, Freya, and Marina.

Conclusion: Curating Your Island’s Soundscape

While a full music replacement isn’t possible in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the options available provide significant scope for shaping your island’s musical identity. From crafting a catchy Town Tune to strategically placing music players around your island, you can curate a unique and engaging aural experience. Embrace the creativity offered by the game, experiment with different sounds, and transform your island into a harmonious haven. Remember that while direct replacement is not an option, creativity and external resources can significantly alter the auditory atmosphere of your ACNH experience.