This is a very basic tutorial on how to add sound to your project, be it sound effects or music. For your convenience, we’ve also created a small library of sound effects that are free to use!
One of the important parts of making your game complete is to have sounds in it. Games use sounds to elicit emotion, convey information and create immersion.
Unlike graphics, Construct 3 does not have an audio editor or generator that can create sound effects. You can create your own sounds and record them, and then edit them with software. One free option for audio editing is the sound software Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/).
To find out more about audio in Construct 3, visit the official Construct 3 manual: https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/construct-3/plugin-reference/audio
Playable Concepts Audio Asset Pack
In this tutorial, you can use our example files: one music track and five sound effects. You can download them here:
These example sound files were created by using Sonic Pi (https://sonic-pi.net/), Bfxr (https://www.bfxr.net/), and edited in Audacity. They can be used freely in your projects without crediting, or then you can credit Playable Concepts.
Where can I get more sounds?
You can find free audio on sites like Freesound.org (https://freesound.org/), and OpenGameArt.org also has audio and music (https://opengameart.org/).
Note: Be careful to always credit sounds according to the instructions of the creators!
Importing audio in Construct 3
To play a sound or music in Construct 3, you have to first import it into your project. In the project hierarchy, right-click on the folder Sounds or Music depending on what your sound falls into and choose Import sounds / Import music. Choose a Bitrate in the corner of the import screen. For these example files, just using the default setting is enough.
Once your files are imported, you can preview them through double-clicking.
Note: The sounds can be very loud.
Playing audio in Construct 3
To play your imported audio, you first need to create an Audio object in your project. Right-click in the layout and choose Insert New Object > Media > Audio.
Then, you need to create events that play the sound.
- For the music, you might want an event that plays the sound throughout the game. Create an event System > On start of layout.
- Then Add Action > Audio > Play. Choose the track in the dropdown under Audio file. Make sure to enable looping. For volume, we recommend starting with a value of -10, and then adjust if it seems too loud or silent.
- You can also make it so that certain game events trigger the sound effects during gameplay. For example, when an enemy is destroyed. Just create an event that matches your game design, and add the action Audio > Play. Make sure to select the right audio file associated with that game event!
Find out more about audio in the Construct 3 manual:
https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/construct-3/plugin-reference/audio
https://www.construct.net/en/make-games/manuals/construct-3/interface/dialogs/import-audio
Do you want to learn more about graphics in Construct 3 next? Follow our tutorial series:
Return to Tutorial 3 starting page: https://playableconcepts.aalto.fi/tutorials/tutorial-3/