Music
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Music in RuneScape is mostly in-game background music (music tracks) designed to enhance a player's gaming experience and fit with the environment the avatar is in. Music in RuneScape draws inspiration from progressive rock, with elements of classical and world music. Players unlock most tracks during gameplay by going to a particular place, completing a quest, or performing some action (such as reading a particular book). As RuneScape grows and expands, more music tracks are added. As of 20 March 2023, there are 1,348 music tracks available via the music player.
The 500th track was Tournament! (now unlocked automatically) which was released on 20 November 2007. Unlocking 500 tracks will also unlock the Air Guitar emote. It is notable for being one of the few emotes with audio. The 1,000th track is Book of A Thousand Songs, which was released on 4 August 2014. Unlocking 1,000 tracks will also unlock the Demonic Rock Off emote.
Unlocking all music tracks is a requirement for the completionist cape. Currently, the player does not receive a message when they unlock every music track.
The volume of the music can be controlled through the Audio tab on the Settings screen.
Genres[edit | edit source]
Music in RuneScape is divided into many genres, with the genre depending on the location that they unlock and play. Once you go to a location, any music that you unlocked of that genre will play, not just the music that unlocks there. Most genres include:
Musicians[edit | edit source]
Musicians are NPCs found throughout the game who play certain tracks with different instruments. Players can listen to them by right-clicking them. While listening to the musician, players increase the rate of their Life Points regeneration and energy restoration. As shown in the picture to the right, multiple players can listen to music at once and restore their energy.
Musicians play various instruments, including a violin, flute, drums, snake charming flute (pungi), a lyre and bagpipes. The music the musicians play is based on actual tracks, as the guitarists play a variation of Harmony, the flutists play a variation of Al Kharid, and the fiddlers play a variation of Spirit.
Music Player[edit | edit source]
On 9 February 2010, a Music Playlist was added in an update. This feature allows players to choose a list of tracks that will be played when the Playlist feature is turned on.
The music player is the screen on the interface that lists all music tracks. The titles of unlocked tracks are shown in green, and those of locked tracks are displayed in red. It also features a button at the top which, when activated (in green), continuously plays the same track as a loop. If not clicked, different tracks are played after the end of each. The music playlist can fit a total of 100 tracks. A search option was released 19 August 2010.
Music track list[edit | edit source]
Notes[edit | edit source]
- Many tracks can be unlocked just standing very near the area where it is unlocked, so it is not necessary to have all requirements.
- Some music tracks can, for some reason, be unlocked without visiting the area or even getting close to it, such as Dragontooth Island, Legion, and Narnode's Theme. Free-to-play players can unlock these tracks, despite the tracks officially unlocking in members-only areas.
- Born to Do This was used for the opening music track, when a Holiday event is going on. Scape Scared for Halloween, and Scape Santa is used for Christmas. Other Scapes may be used for new skills, such as Scape Summon for the release of Summoning, or Scape Hunter for the release of Hunter. Scape Theme (the previous log in screen theme) is now available in the track list. Now, with the release of RuneScape 3, the opening track is now Scape Bold, played by a symphony orchestra.
- With the release of RuneScape 3, the log in and lobby screen now plays total five tracks in the same order: Scape Bold - The Town - Scape Dark - Village Life - Scape Melancholy.
- The track Zanik's Theme is heard during a cut-scene in Death to the Dorgeshuun, but is not unlocked until Land of the Goblins.
- Until 26 October 2004, the default music track in the Barbarian Village was Dark, but it has been changed to Barbarianism. Dark was moved to the Bone Yard (located east of the Graveyard of Shadows in level 17 Wilderness).
- Armadyl Alliance is unlocked before the gap to Armadyl's area in God Wars Dungeon, so 70 Ranged is not needed.
- While waiting for a clan war to begin, a slower version of "Clan Wars" plays.
- If you are standing near a crop circle outside the Impetuous Impulses minigame, the track "Impetuous" will play but no name will appear on the top of the Music Player (although, the version of "Impetuous" played at the crop circles is slightly different - it is quieter with less of a bass tune).
- The music is composed as JAGA tracks using in-house software by Jagex.
- Some time before, all tracks used to play according to a very specific area the player was in. Nowadays, tracks play according to the general theme of the area, which means places that previously only had one track accompanying it may now play more tracks. Some tracks however, are still the only track that plays in their area, such as Undying, The Duke, Mausoleum (music track), etc.
- Lament of Meiyerditch and Night of the Vampyre can both be unlocked on the east side of Meiyerditch and North of the meeting point without even starting Priest in Peril now, since an update that allowed players to enter Morytania without starting the quest.
Renamed tracks[edit | edit source]
- On 4 June 2007, Jagex renamed Gnome to Goblin Village and Gnome Theme to Dwarf Theme.
- On 10 December 2007, Wolf Mountain was renamed to Wild Isle.
- The song "Final Destination" was previously called "Angels & Demons".
- With the release of RuneScape 3, Lightness was renamed Darkness.
Deleted tracks[edit | edit source]
- Spiritual was deleted, because it sounds too much like Taverley Dreams.
- Still Night was deleted and replaced with Busy Night.
Required skill levels[edit | edit source]
These are the minimal levels (or quest points) needed to unlock all music tracks.
Achievement[edit | edit source]
- Music Maestro (
0) – Unlock all music tracks.
Update history[edit | edit source]
This information has been compiled as part of the update history project. Some updates may not be included—see here for how to help out!
- patch 20 April 2020 (Update):
- The 'Everlight' music track can be unlocked by entering the base of the lighthouse.
- patch 28 October 2019 (Update):
- Proper music now plays during the boss fight in the quest Smoking Kills.
- patch 14 October 2019 (Update):
- Certain music tracks will no longer show unlock message twice.
- Dangerous way music track now automatically play once you enter Barrows.
- update 24 June 2019 (Update):
- Music tracks that are locked behind boss encounters will now unlock upon starting the fight.
- patch 5 February 2018 (Update):
- A bug causing various TzHaar area soundtracks to automatically unlock has been fixed.
- ninja 16 January 2017 (Update):
- Players may now filter the Music interface between unlocked, locked and all music tracks.
- patch 9 January 2017 (Update):
- Unlock hints for some music tracks have been changed to reference the Deathmatch arena, rather than the Crucible.
- patch 5 October 2015 (Update):
- The music tracks Taverley Frolics, Taverley Folk, Tiny Adventure, Sea Folk and Sea You Late Oar have been replaced with higher quality versions.
- The music track listing for Beneath the House no longer plays the track Drains and Canals.
- ninja 28 September 2015 (Update):
- The tracks Arise Hero and Zaros Returns from the quest Fate of the Gods have been added to the music player.
- patch 7 September 2015 (Update):
- Adjusted the volume on the following songs:
- Webbed Feat
- Lexicus Runewright
- Lords and Ladies
- The Firemakers' Theme
- Adjusted the volume on the following songs:
- ninja 1 September 2015 (Update):
- The unneeded spacing at the bottom of the music list has been removed.
- patch 5 May 2015 (Update):
- The volume of the music has been increased slightly and a few additional player-suggested adjustments have been made.
- patch 20 April 2015 (Update):
- Music volumes have been adjusted, so when the volume sliders are aligned the balance of music in relation to other sounds is improved.
- patch 13 April 2015 (Update):
- The Sarcophagus & Kharidian Nights music tracks have been reworked.
- The various 'Quest Complete' jingles have been updated.
- patch 30 March 2015 (Update):
- The music track Pirates of Peril has been reworked.
- patch 16 March 2015 (Update):
- The Land of the Dwarves or Tale of Keldagrim music tracks will now correctly begin playing in the music player when entering Keldagrim.
- patch 2 March 2015 (Update):
- The quest name in the hint for the The Heist music track has been corrected.
- patch 12 January 2015 (Update):
- Various pieces of Christmas music have been removed from certain areas of Gielinor.
- The music tracks Ready For Battle and Return of Lucien have been reworked.
- patch 5 January 2015 (Update):
- The Zaros Zeitgeist, The Chosen Commander, Temple Desecrated, and The Duke songs have been reworked.
- The volume on tracks Violinsanity and Flash Factory has been reduced.
- Some music tracks from the Al Kharid area were noticeably louder than others so have been toned down slightly.
- A wider range of elven city music tracks will now play when standing in the Tower of Voices.
- patch 8 December 2014 (Update):
- Fixed a few issues with songs playing in the wrong locations around RuneScape.
- Made various miscellaneous audio improvements, such as tweaking water sounds from some fountains and rivers, and updating the God Wars Dungeon music tracks.
- patch 28 July 2014 (Update):
- Three new songs from the One Piercing Note quest have been added to the game: The Abbey, Requiem Rehearsal and There has Been a Murder.
- patch 22 April 2014 (Update):
- The fidelity of the "Ga'al" music track has been increased.
- Music around the Cooks guild is no longer Jungle/Karamja music.
- patch 31 March 2014 (Update):
- Ogre-themed music tracks no longer play at the brilliant wisp colony, between the Mage Training Arena and the River Salve.
- patch 17 March 2014 (Update):
- The unlocked music total has been corrected, and certain silent music tracks have been hidden.
- patch 3 March 2014 (Update):
- The music played in the Dominion Tower has been updated and corrected.
- patch 24 October 2012 (Update):
- The "Attack 5" track now unlocks correctly upon entering the King Black Dragon's lair.
- Entering the Blood Altar no longer changes your active music track.
- The "Spiritual" music track has been removed, as it was identical to "Taverley Ambience II"
- patch 6 December 2011 (Update):
- The Halloween '11 music track is now unlocked on login.
- patch 4 October 2011 (Update):
- The Kethsi music track is now unlockable.
- The Darkness of Hallowvale music track will now unlock correctly.
- patch 9 August 2011 (Update):
- The Clan Citadel music tracks have been reordered into numerical order.
- patch 15 September 2010 (Update):
- Adjusted the music unlock hints for a few tracks.
- Ensured two music tracks are played near Daemonheim.
- patch 1 September 2010 (Update):
- Corrected some of the sounds and tracks playing in the wrong location.
- Added an unlock hint to one of the music tracks.
- patch 3 December 2009 (Update):
- Corrected the unlock hint for the Undercurrent song.
- patch 9 November 2009 (Update):
- Adjusted some of the core audio sounds that are used in various songs.
- patch 13 October 2009 (Update):
- Prevented music looping in some circumstances (such as the end of cutscenes).
- patch 7 October 2009 (Update):
- The music system now randomly selects a song when entering an area from a list of similarly themed groups.
- patch 28 July 2009 (Update):
- Changed a few unlock hints to more closely match their quest names.
- Standardised the holiday unlock information in the music unlock hints.
- patch 8 July 2009 (Update):
- Fixed the hint for the Wilderness Crater music track.
- Music on Bounty Worlds will now correctly unlock the Air Guitar emote if you're eligible.
- patch 22 June 2009 (Update):
- Added a few sound effects to One Small Favour.
- Added a menagerie of sound effects to Cabin Fever.
- Added locked door sound effects to various parts of King's Ransom.
- Added sound effects to the Killerwatt Plane.
- Fixed some grammatical errors in the music unlock hints
- Slightly tweaked the Venture 2 song at the very end.
- patch 9 June 2009 (Update):
- The Gnome Village song has been updated.
- The unlock information for the Spooky Jungle song has been corrected.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- RuneScape holds the Guinness World Record for most original pieces of music in a videogame including expansions.[1]
- In the music Norse Code (playing while in Jatizso), the high pitch flute plays the Morse code letters for RuneScape. With short notes being dits, and long notes being dahs: dit-dah-dit R, dit-dit-dah U, dah-dit N, dit E, dit-dit-dit S, dah-dit-dah-dit C, dit-dah A, dit-dah-dah-dit P, dit E.
- The following sounds may be heard on the FunOrb game Armies of Gielinor: Legion (Lobby), Principality (Misthalin Map), TzHaar! (Desert Map), Poles Apart (Snow Map), Dead Quiet (Swamp Map) and Attack 1-6 (In Battle). Campaign mode also includes Brain Battle, Faithless, Fight or Flight, Kingdom, Life's a Beach!, Soul Wars, Strength of Saradomin, The Other Side, The Shadow, The Sound of Guthix, The Terrible Tower, Zamorak Zoo.
- Life's a Beach! can be heard on the Mos Le'Harmless arena in the FunOrb game Arcanists.
- Occasionally The Horn of Chill, normally unlocked at Ghorrock during The Temple at Senntisten quest will play when encountering elder evil trees.
- When unlocking the 500th track, players get the message "You've unlocked 500 music tracks and can use a new emote!".
- More than 100 of the existing and new tracks have been recorded with a live symphony orchestra with the release of RuneScape 3.
- As of August 2020, there are 78 music tracks with the unlock hint "This track was unlocked automatically." There are 53 music tracks that does not say so but are also unlocked automatically (mostly past holiday event tracks), plus 5 more upon teleporting to Burthorpe's lodestone, adding up to 136 tracks upon completing the tutorial. There are 6 more tracks that automatically unlocks for members. Archaeology Theme's hint claims it unlocks automatically, but is actually unlocked during the Archaeology tutorial.
- The music tracks playing can be used to define geographical areas. Examples include the Burthorpe/Taverley divide between the many tracks named after either settlement, as well as the western border of Silvarea which can be heard by the border between Garden Echo and Undying (the latter defining the area of Silvarea).
- Lumbridge Crater used to be its own music zone with specific tracks playing there (Fragments of Guthix, Scape Slow), but as the location's purpose evolved, it has been absorbed into the main Misthalin music zone and will play any of the regular Misthalin tracks.
See also[edit | edit source]
- List of recent music, for dates of release
- Free-to-play music, for non-member music
- SoundCloud exclusive music, for music only released on the official SoundCloud account
- Music Player, the in-game interface for controlling background music tracks
- Sound effects, sounds heard through different actions or items ingame
- Quest music rewards - This is a list which shows the amount of music unlocked during the quest.
- RuneScape 3 - The Soundtrack, a compilation of 20 tracks remastered for the RuneScape 3 release.
