How to Change Background Music in Minecraft Java 26

Want to replace Minecraft background music or add extra custom songs to the game? In this Minecraft Java tutorial, I’ll show you how to build a simple resource pack that changes the background music and adds new music tracks.

This guide is based on my step-by-step video walkthrough for changing the Ancient City / Deep Dark background music using custom OGG audio files and a Minecraft resource pack. Minecraft Java pack.mcmeta Downloads and Information

What You’ll Learn

  • How to create the correct Minecraft resource pack folder structure
  • How to download and edit a pack.mcmeta file
  • How to find Minecraft’s sounds.json file
  • How to convert MP3 files to OGG format
  • How to replace existing Minecraft background music
  • How to add additional custom songs
  • How to install and activate the finished resource pack

What You Need

  • A working folder for your resource pack
  • A pack.mcmeta file
  • A 128x128 pack.png image
  • Your custom music files
  • Audacity or another audio editor
  • Notepad++ or another text/code editor

You can download my ready-to-use pack.mcmeta files from the HTG George website.

Download pack.mcmeta files here

Step 1: Create Your Resource Pack Folder

Start by creating a new folder on your computer. This will be the working folder where you build your Minecraft music resource pack.

Inside that folder, you’ll need:

  • pack.mcmeta
  • pack.png
  • An assets folder

Step 2: Set Up the Folder Structure

Create the following folder path inside your resource pack:

assets/minecraft/sounds/music/game

Your custom music files will eventually go inside the game folder.

Step 3: Find Minecraft’s sounds.json File

To replace or add background music, you need to find Minecraft’s sound list file.

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Click the address bar.
  3. Type %appdata% and press Enter.
  4. Open the .minecraft folder.
  5. Go to assets.
  6. Open the indexes folder.
  7. Open the highest numbered .json file (newest).

Search inside that file for:

minecraft/sounds.json

Copy the hash code listed next to it. The first two characters of that hash tell you which folder to open inside:

.minecraft/assets/objects

Find the matching folder, search for the full hash code, then copy that file into your resource pack working folder. Rename it:

sounds.json

Step 4: Find the Music You Want to Replace

Open sounds.json in Notepad++ and search for:

music

For this example, the tutorial changes the Ancient City / Deep Dark music, which uses these two tracks:

  • ancestry
  • deeper

These are the filenames your replacement songs need to use.

Step 5: Convert Your Music to OGG Format

Minecraft Java uses OGG audio files for this type of music replacement.

Open each music file in Audacity, then export it as:

OGG Vorbis

After exporting, rename your new OGG files to match the Minecraft music names you are replacing.

Example:

ancestry.ogg
deeper.ogg

Step 6: Add an Extra New Song

You can also add more music instead of only replacing the original tracks.

In the tutorial, a third song is added and named:

deep2.ogg

To add a new song, copy one of the existing music entries inside sounds.json, paste it into the same list, and change the name to your new song name.

Make sure the commas are correct:

  • Every song entry needs a comma after it except the last one.
  • The final song in the list should not have a comma after it.

Step 7: Move Your Music Files into the Pack

Place your OGG files here:

assets/minecraft/sounds/music/game

Then place your edited sounds.json file here:

assets/minecraft/sounds.json

Step 8: Zip the Resource Pack

Select these items:

  • assets
  • pack.mcmeta
  • pack.png

Right-click and compress them into a ZIP file.

Important: The resource pack must be a .zip file. Do not use 7z, RAR, or TAR.

Step 9: Install the Resource Pack in Minecraft Java

  1. Open the Minecraft Launcher.
  2. Go to Installations.
  3. Open the folder for your current Minecraft version.
  4. Open the resourcepacks folder.
  5. Drag your new ZIP file into that folder.

Step 10: Activate the Resource Pack

  1. Launch Minecraft Java.
  2. Go to Options.
  3. Choose Resource Packs.
  4. Move your new music pack to the active side.
  5. Click Done.

Then go to Music & Sounds and make sure music is turned on.

Troubleshooting Tip

If the music does not play right away, close Minecraft and open it again. Sometimes Minecraft loads resource packs better after restarting the game.

Final Notes

Once your resource pack is active, Minecraft will randomly play the songs listed in the music section you edited. You can replace the original tracks or add several extra songs using the same method.

This is a great way to customize your Minecraft Java world with your own background music, themed soundtrack, or custom adventure map audio.

Watch the Full Tutorial

Watch the full step-by-step video tutorial here:  https://youtu.be/6X8F-52qRzc

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