I turned it off because I don't like music in games. I tend to throw away games that don't let me turn it off. Only exception is X3 and Civ4 type games, for some reason I listen to the tracks while not playing the game, just as awesome then. I loooooove the music in this game, but while playing I just want to listen to the ambient sounds around me. I often go somewhere with nice soothing atmospheric sounds, put my headphones on, and fall asleep in my chair

I'm annoyed with the wind sound though. It's always "windy" wrt sound, without anything backing it up. I'd love to see proper weather variations where wind and sound of wind actually were in sync and felt natural.

The music in this game is great. I played it for a while. However, it is easier for me to get in the game when there is no music.

Sometimes when I explore, I turn the music on as I am walking across the map.

I didn't turn the music off. I turned it up.

No, I never turn off the music in TES, because it's real mastepieces.

i still love the music of morrowind and maybe i play it just to hear the greatness? lol.

Ok, I tried it. Wow. You never know what you're missing until you try it. There are so many sounds that you wouldn't otherwise hear with the music on. The best part is surprise battles. The only thing to let me know that there is something stalking me is the bite/attack or, if I'm perceptive enough, the red dot on my compass, but most times I don't pay attention to it. I did start to miss the music a little bit though, so I guess it's something I will go back and forth with.

This time around he did decent work. His resume isn't exactly stellar though.

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No, I play with music. Its part of the overall experience.

Nope. In fact I turned the music up a lot higher than default.
Not a good resume? Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim all have sensational soundtracks.

Completely agree. I turned the Music on for the first time yesterday, and though the music is pretty sweet, and my girlfriend didn't mind the game so much when it felt like a movie with a soundtrack, i have to say it was distracting.

Um, sellout? No more than any of the great composers were "sellouts" for composing religious themes. Those with the money drive the arts. If there were video games in the 1700s, Bach would have written for them too.

That aside, Music>Off is one of the first things I do in most video games. I want to hear the world noises. I want to hear that distant dragon roar, the scramble of feet as something starts chasing me through the woods, the subtle rattle of skeletons wandering in a dungeon...

There is a volume slider for the music you know.. I do turn it down a little, but I always leave it on.

One of the best things of TES games is the music. It blends so well with the game, adds to the immersion.

For me, immersion means feeling like I'm actually in the world of the game that I am playing. While wandering Skyrim, I have yet to see an orchestra hiding behind me and yes, I checked in 3rd person mode just to be sure. Also, I know for a fact that there are no baritone or bass singers riding on the back of a dragon, or hiding behind word walls, hollering "HA HU HOA" at me.

I have the music volume just low enough to hear the change when an enemy is nearby. its almost all the way off. i feel like it really takes away from the immersion if its at a really noticeable volume.

I usually play RPGs with music off but not Skyrim. Its pretty unobtrusive for the most part, certainly not drowning out conversations in my game. If it gets tiresome I'll turn it off but it hasn't yet at just over 100 hours of playing.

No but will definitely try it later today. Thanks for the idea!

The music is great but you're right that it's sometimes annoying during conversations. I just finished the civil war quest and couldn't even hear half of what a certain ruler was saying in his speech... Meh.

Must say I'm completely in love with the music in Skyrim, especially that one piece, this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_6utMqfR8g

Musta heard that one a million times and it STILL gives me goosebumps.

Haven't touched the volume settings either, I think the default setting is for the most part spot on. The music is there but not too dominating, can still clearly hear the wind rustling and the birds and talking.

Ok there's a few instances where the speaking wasn't quite loud enough but its rare.

Music is awesome. I turned it off. Do not think I will ever turn it on again. One story that probably would not have happened with music on (actually I told this in the "top 5 mods you use" thread in the mod section):

I use the mods "Realistic lighting" and "immersive thunder". The first makes nights really dark - just the way nights are. The second one makes thunder a force. You really believe there is a storm going on. And that the gods are angry.
So I am on my way from Whiterun to Windhelm. It is dark night, only a torch lights my way. Somewhere along the way a storm starts. The thunder is rolling and it is raining. I am on the road but a long way from any civilised part of Skyrim. I get into a wood, the sight gets even worse. I am conscious I would not see any danger approaching. Due to the rain and thunder chances are that I wouldn't even hear it. I am getting uncomfortable. In that moment something moves and jumps in my way. I get scared to death. Then the rabbit crosses the road and vanishes between two rocks on the other side of the road.

The music would have taken some of the immersion I felt when playing this. Even though it is really great, for me it is a reminder that I play a game (I know I do, but it is nice in situations like this to forget that for a moment and just "live" the character). I can not totally lose myself with it turned on.

Totally agree. I was walking along my decided upon path up a mountain in seek of some BS item that some BS NPC sent me on a mission for, and was lost in my own bitter, inner monologue, rant about how much BS this mission is, only to be snapped back down to Nirn when the face of a dragon flew in from the right side of my vision, about 2 inches from my face, and spewed its halitosis "all up in my face". And yes, his breath was hot. F-ing epic.

I normally turn it off after a few months.

Prefer to listen to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Doors, etc.

So much music, so little time.

This sounds absolutely amazing.

Inspired by this thread, I've been playing without music for the last couple of days. I had no idea how big a difference it would make! Everything feels so much more real now. This morning I was wandering up in the mountains, watchful for any creatures that I might encounter around the corner - frost wolves, the such. I certainly wasn't expecting a dragon... It was cloudy so I didn't even see its shadow, the first thing I noticed was a fire breath right in my face. I've never been so frightened in Skyrim before.

Another day, the exit of a cave I'd just cleared led me to a ledge high above the road. It was middle of the night, the moons were up and I was standing there in complete silence, almost feeling the crisp, cold air on my face.

I don't think I'll ever turn the music on.

I had no luck with a surprise dragon so far. They normally give a warning shout before spitting at me (also I don't play the mainquest with that character - just started it so that some dragons appear, but at lvl34 there were only 4). But the "cold wind blowing in the face" thing is great. I experience this when crossing the plain from Rorikstead to Whiteran and in the icy reagions around Dawnstar.

That brings me to the question (totally off-topic): Is the number of random dragons dependent on how far one is with the mainquest? I am happy with my state of game right now, just curious.

Yes, there are certain milestones, or quest completions, that trigger the amount of dragon encounters. If you haven't become Thane of Whiterun yet, then you're sure to have minimal dragon contact.

No, because this is my favorite soundtrack of all of the TES games. Sometimes I literally stop and listen.

I'm addicted to the soundtrack this time around. Every TES game I've gotten annoyed with the constant replaying of tracks but for some reason Skyrim's score never bores me. Even have the OST and play it whilst RPing tabletop or wargaming, the quieter songs anyway. Some are epic but a bit too much for background purposes.

I will do a playthrough without it though as I'm curious about the ambient sounds now. Played MW without music mostly and I still wake up sweating recalling those sudden thunderstorms and freaky Dwemer ruin sounds...or the sqreee of a cliff racer coming from behind.

I am thane of whiterun. I didn't do anymore though. Maybe I will have to continue at least until I got the horn at some point.