It's been a while since I've started a thread and I'm sure this has been asked before, but what do you like to listen to while playing Skyrim? Do you settle for the game music or do you play your own favorite tunes? Do you hum or whistle along or something similar? I prefer folk metal since it captures the wild and ancient spirit of Skyrim. I like to wary between situations as well.

My typical tavern music (better than the bards trust me); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7kJRGPgvRQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZApa3DFLVQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JzHsx7MBUk&feature=related

Wandering the Reach (when I play this, Forsworn don't attack ); http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNQMRwOJw1w and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpPMmhmmMdk&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbyTcNn0-lM

Hymns of Sovngarde; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaqqsTVuCnI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5KheI9u510 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRXAih1vOY8

The beautiful landscapes of Skyrim; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwtKbRvskYY&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXZreA1j_Oc and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKRefPsPhJE

So what do you guys prefer to listen to while fighting glorious battles?

While fighting glorious battles? Nothing. I use a mod turn off battle music in Skyrim, actually. In my opinion battle music is very close to being a cheat. I do not want to be psychically aware the instant an enemy has spotted me.

I've used instrumental music by:
The Wyrd Sisters,
Medi?val B?bes,
Loreena McKennitt,
Wendy Rule,
Spiral Dance,
Gaia Consort
David Arkenstone.

The original conan the barbarian soundtrack...it fits this game nicely when playing my barbarian nord and the anvil of crom (main theme) is perfect for battles

When i played red dead redemption i listened to ennio morricone who did the good, bad and ugly soundtrack and other westerns...also a nice fit

None - I actually have all the music replaced with blank files.
I love it, don't get me wrong, but I prefer not having any.

Were I to put any back in I would use something like Main, or Fennesz, or - (Shameless Plug) - mine.

I listen to the radio if anything

I never really thought about it but now I'm gonna make a Pantera/DamagePlan playlist. I'll have a hard time not cranking every tune tho. I've been going music free but maybe I'll use it for dragon fights.
Peace
OMG! Charles Barkley in a dress! Again! I'm scarred for life! Again!

Nothing when playing, but to get into the mood of Skyrim; HEIDEVOLK!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGOo_B2IqSw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4BlAUEWKu8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reOLeLX0Q9U&feature=related

And also, when im beging a quest from Markarth to Winterhold or something, i like to have this on repeat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHhoIn52r1o&feature=plcp&context=C475c060VDvjVQa1PpcFNdSUecsWMfHZC9reJycTnCTr4x_MHsxPE%3D

I see I'm not the only folk metalhead. Heidevolk is awesome too!

I just turned off music completely so that I can soak up the ambient sounds in the game. I think they did a fabulous job with that and the music can interfere a bit. Nothing makes me feel as if "I'm there" like playing the game in 3-D and listening only to the ambient sounds. Like someone else said, it also makes dungeon crawling a lot more interesting because you don't get the music "cheat" when an enemy detects you.

[removed double-post]

The in-game music.

With video games, the only time I listen to outside music is when I'm doing some MMO-style long-term repetitive type stuff. (Farming items/gold/whatever in an MMO, leveling a character on random battles in a JRPG, playing a long tower defense game.... )


Don't think I've ever turned off the in-game music in a Beth game. It's always so incredibly atmospheric and is such an integral part of the landscape/experience that I can't imagine doing it silent.

The in-game music is nice but tends to get repetitive for me sometimes.

I think the game's soundtrack is amazing, so that's what I listen to.

This. I don't want the game alerting me via a musical soundtrack. That would totally blow immersion.

my game music is off most of the time, in both Oblivion and Skyrim. The only time I turn it on is if my character is in a rich person's house, or in the Blue Palace...somewhere opulent. And even then, I'll only put music on its very lowest setting. I figure they could have some musicians hidden off in a room somewhere, or even a magical device that plays tunes or something like that.

Instead of music, I usually open up the glass door that leads into my room. There's forest back there, with birds singing, wind blowing, rain falling at times. In the summer there's also crickets and katydids making lots of noise at night. The way it works, sometimes it's hard to know where the in-game birds and wind and insects stop, and real-life noises behind my home begin.
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The day of release, I turned the music off, and have not changed it. I moved to the PC and installed mods that add sounds to the wilds and the dungeons.

No compass, no crosshair, no music, no s......um, kidding.

Hey Cinco, long time no see! :highfive:

i turned all music off. i hate getting the 'warning music' when a battle is about to start. and it makes all the atmospheric sounds and such stand out all the more.

last week i finally got a good headphone amp so i could ditch my 'gamer' headphones and listen with some decent cans - it made a huge improvement. if you are listening through tb/triton/sharkoon i highly recommend upgrading because there is simply no comparison to a decent set of headphones.

Right back at ya, RG.

The... original sound-track really. It's moody and hasn't become repetitive (yet). I might add a few new music files, from morrowind and oblivion, to spice it up a little... But the original one is good enough.

Either the music from the game or none at all
Most of the music I like either wouldn't fit the game or would be too distracting (or both)
I'll play my own music when playing a strategy game but not a RPG

I'll wear headphones every once in a while. Problem is, after an hour or 2 of gameplay, I'll start getting really dizzy sometimes! Yikes!

Wow, that must be great (living near a forest I mean). Just be on your guard; when the combat music and strange growls aren't coming from Skyrim anymore, I suggest calling 9/11

Are you sure that it's the headphones?

ha ha! There is a racoon that tends to stalk around back there. I've been feeding him or her for a couple years, now. The other day, he actually came in my room while I was gaming...looking at me going "hey, where's my food?"

Even though it's not rabid, it still gave me shivers. A wild animal in my room! But we just looked at each other. I relaxed as I stared at the raccoon, and eventually it just turned around and walked out, figuring I'll get its food at some point (and I did).
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Yea, cuz it doesn't happen if I don't wear 'em. Most of the time when I'm gaming, i'm actually lying or sitting in bed.
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In game music, nothing else really fits Skyrim, but I definitely see the allure of turning it off. Frankly though, I've never had an issue with the battle music giving away an enemy. It seems like it's scripted to play only if you have an enemy that is aggressive to you in your field of view. I guess the one exception may be Dragons, but they aren't exactly subtle, I can usually hear their distinct "Long range" echo a few minutes before they come within full LOD range. (The point when they change from low-texture dragon "Slug", to whatever they're supposed to be)