Why Are Soundtracks in Slot Games Important? -- Obscure Sound

Slots are some of the most popular and most widespread games for online and offline casinos alike; the majority of software providers make slots, and the majority of gamblers prefer slots. Slots are plenty, offer various themes, designs, and features, they are easy to play, but most importantly – they can be entertaining and satisfying both visually and in terms of music.

Any casino site, be it the best $1 deposit casino or a VIP high-roller platform, or a social gambling platform, are looking for more slot games for their lobbies, because slots are enjoyed by the customers the most.

The key ingredients are of course the RTP rate, the volatility levels, the bonus features, and the themes. But few gamblers are actually aware how important is the sound in those games they play, and how sound and music actually influence their perception of games and gambling.

Are soundtracks in slots important? Do they do anything in addition to being fun and making the game less boring?

In fact, soundtracks can even make the gambler play longer, or play better. If you are intrigued, find out more about the magic of slot soundtracks in this post.

Why Soundtracks Are Important

At the beginning of 1990s, when offline slot games had only around 15 sound effects, and those effects were later borrowed by online slot games, probably the game developers could not imagine all the abundance of sound effects and musical themes used for slots today.

Besides being an inherent part of the game (because releasing a slot without a soundtrack is a shame, really; this is basically impossible), soundtracks and background sounds play an important role in shaping the perception of the game in players, and soundtracks actually have a list of functions.

creating an illusion of positive experience with “winning sounds” – due to the positive “winning sounds” triggered when bonus feature strike, the players may start perceiving the game as a positive and entertaining experience regardless of whether they are actually winning or losing. They enjoy the process despite losing money, and like the game even more if the bets are winning, but a good soundtrack makes them feel like it was a good pastime anyways.
creates mood – obviously, if all games had the same soundtracks, it would have been extremely boring. Different soundtracks creating different mood perform the same function as different themes and designs do, creating an impression that the gambler plays different games, enjoys variety, and has a choice when they open the casino’s lobby.
entertains – a quality soundtrack may be the best thing in the whole game, and some players open the game to make some small bets just for the pleasure of listening to the soundtrack. In particular cases, when the background sounds and the function sounds are also cute enough, the game becomes extremely satisfying and makes the player stay longer.
increase the brand recognition – this one is obvious because if the game is connected to a certain brand, movie, person, etc., or the software provider pays special attention when creating soundtracks to make their own brand recognizable, it works in the long term as the gambler becomes familiar with that music. On the other hand, if the player already knows the brand (like in a branded slot) but the soundtrack does not fit, they will not play the game.
make the game more memorable – even in non-branded games, a good soundtrack stays in the player’s memory and makes them remember the game.
helps monitoring the playing time – some players use the repeating patterns of the soundtrack to approximately monitor their playing time; when they recognize that the music starts all over again, or they get tired of it, they perceive it as a sign that they are done for today.

Background and Function Sounds

Background sounds in the online casino slots that take place when the key scenario is not happening and the reels are not spinning, is also important, as well as the function sounds of clicking the buttons, making choices, tuning the settings, etc. All these sounds have to be cute and satisfying in the best possible scenario, but if this is not possible, these sounds should be at least neutral and not irritating.

One of the most important functions of sound in the slot games is the ability to regulate it, or turn it off completely. The more customizable is the game, including its sounds, the more chances the player will like it because they can use it the way they prefer.

Branded Slots

Branded slots are a bit different than non-branded, because they are based on a certain movie, series, book, game, character, etc. They are hard to make for the software providers because they have to manage the legal aspects of borrowing the imagery and the sounds associated with the brand. But in terms of music, such slots are even harder to make because while the soundtrack and the background sounds must resemble of the original, the original soundtrack has its separate copyright and cannot be used in the game.

Fans usually love branded slots and play them with pleasure, but only if the slot follows the brand properly.