For those players looking to change the background music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, there are a few aspects of this particular feature that are on a need-to-know basis. From different stereos to varying tracks, there’s a lot some may not know about how the music works on the island. Luckily, this Animal Crossing: New Horizons background music guide should help. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Background Music Guide

Before diving in, a quick disclaimer that the vanilla music in New Horizons is pretty phenomenal and is relaxing in a way that always keeps players wanting more. That being said, the entire game is centered around creating the ideal island and if there is one thing that brings people together, it’s music. 

Players can change the music heard in various areas of their island, especially for those that want to let that K.K Slider freak fandom flag fly. The first trick to making sure that the ambiance is perfect is to have the right gear. No one would expect a dinky little 5 dollar stereo system to deliver concert-level sounds, so why expect that in-game? Video game logic aside, a player’s gear matters and that include what sort of systems they acquire.

To play music, one must have a music player. There are over 15 unique stereo sets that players can build and buy and they do vary in terms of quality. Some lean more into easy access than sound quality, like the Portable Radio that players can earn early on in the game, while others offer a more boastful sound experience. 

Players can take their stereos and place them strategically throughout the island to either amplify songs or to play different tunes in different areas. This wasn’t the case on day one, but since then Nintendo has added the ability to spice up that isles life a little more. 

As is in real life, the closer one is to the music, the louder the music will play. That being said, the sound will only travel up to 5 miles away from the system, so don’t expect it to be the amphitheater. The cool thing too is that those talented villagers lurking about the island? They’ll sing no matter what, so don’t worry about if they are within that 5-tile radius or not. 

Low Fidelity 

Low fidelity means the lowest quality. It’s not bad, it’s just not the best. They are low in volume and have a muted sound, making them not the optimal solution for those wanting to party it up on that island life. Some stereos at this level of quality can be seen below: 

• Portable Radio
• Tape Deck
• Throwback Skull Radio (my personal favorite)
• Cute Music Player
• Shell Speaker
• Cassette Player
• Bamboo Speaker
• Shell Speaker
• Cherry Speakers

Medium Fidelity

The medium-fidelity option has fewer options than the more common sets and they can be bigger than the 1×1 tile, which is the size of the low-fidelity options. For those looking to up that quality without breaking the Bells bank, here are the options available: 

• High-end Stereo (a little misleading)
• Retro Stereo
• Jukebox

High Fidelity

The high-fidelity speakers are the best of the best and that’s why there are only two options and both options take up a little more space than the music systems listed above. For players wanting to entertain, these speakers are the picks to grab, and they make a very nice decorative addition as well! 

• Wooden-Block Stereo
• Hi-Fi Stereo

Related: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Lost Its Magic For Me, Why Do I Feel Guilty?

Just remember: sound works very similarly in-game as it does IRL. Be close for better sound, don’t block your systems with walls and other obstructions, and have a rad ‘ol time! 

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As for the game itself, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch! We’ve got hundreds (and we do mean hundreds) of guides out there for this particular game, including all you need to know about Summer solstice and the recent wedding event! To learn more, check out our game hub here!