The Open Soundboard Advantage: Import Your Own Audio for TTRPGs

If you’re serious about immersion, choose a TTRPG soundboard that lets you build a soundscape that is uniquely yours. Import your own audio. Organize it the way you think. Make quick changes mid‑session without wrestling a closed ecosystem.

This article explains why an “open” approach to audio gives Game Masters the most control. In an open tool you can import, record, and manage your own sounds. Audio Forge follows that philosophy.

What “Open” Really Means for GMs

Open, import‑friendly soundboards prioritize your workflow and your ownership:

• Use your own files: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC and much more.
• Record in‑app: capture quick NPC lines or ambient loops on the spot.
• Find new sounds fast: integrated search for Freesound.org, with download straight into your library.
• Organize your way: custom categories with names, icons, colors, and behavior (loop, shuffle, one‑shot, fades).
• Edit your files, directly in-app: convert, tweak the gain, and trim the file with an easy visualization interface.
• Save scenes: store entire soundscapes as State Links for one‑tap recall.
• Keep control: export/back up libraries; run offline without internet dependency.

Together, these features keep you out of a single vendor’s catalog or layout.

How Popular Apps Approach Openness

Each app has strengths, but importing support varies:

• Audio Forge: Import any file format above, record in‑app, search/download from Freesound, deep category customization, State Links, multiple libraries. Built for personalized soundscapes and rapid live control.
• Pocket Bard: Polished, self‑produced library with a strong curated feel. Importing your own audio isn’t supported; you work within their content.
• TableTone: Emphasizes “adaptive mixing.” Customization centers on its paradigm rather than granular file/category control. Importing user audio isn’t its goal.
• Syrinscape: Large catalog of premade soundsets. Focused on integrated packs rather than importing personal files or building fully custom structures.
• Tabletop Audio / Spotify / YouTube: Great sources of tracks and ambiences, but they provide little to no organizational tools for live GMing.

All of these can be useful depending on your needs. An open tool lets you combine your favorite sources. That includes commercial packs you own, community SFX, recordings, and your own edits. The result is a system that fits your table.

Why Openness Improves Your Sessions

• Personalization: Build categories that match your setting and style (for example, “Ravenloft: Village Night,” “Magitech Street Vendors,” “Derelict Hull Creaks”).
• Speed in play: Color and icon coding help you find the right button instantly. State Links load entire scenes in one tap.
• Resilience: Your library works offline. No Wi‑Fi? No problem.
• Ownership: Use sounds you own and understand their licenses. Avoid being locked into a single catalog.
• Scalability: Start small and grow. Import more as your campaign evolves.

A Quick Start with Audio Forge

1. Gather your sounds: music beds, ambiences, one‑shots.
2. Create a dedicated library for your campaign in the Toolbox.
3. Add categories (for example, “Tavern,” “Forest,” “Combat: Blades,” “Villain Theme”).
4. Assign icons/colors; set behavior (loop, shuffle, single play, fades).
5. Import your files or record new ones; optionally search Freesound in‑app.
6. In Anvil, activate continuous categories; in Echoes, trigger one‑shots.
7. Save State Links for scenes like “Market Day,” “Dungeon Crawl,” and “Boss Reveal.”

The Hybrid Approach: Convenience Without Limits

Strictly curated apps like Pocket Bard or Syrinscape are convenient, provided you stay exactly within their boundaries. However, Audio Forge proves that “customizable” doesn’t have to mean “hard work.”

With a robust default library and high-quality curated packs available, Audio Forge offers the same “plug-and-play” polish as closed ecosystems. The critical difference is the exit strategy: you aren’t locked in. You can start a session using professional, pre-made packs for speed, and seamlessly weave in your own imported tracks when the story demands something unique. You get the immediate ease of a curated library with the infinite ceiling of an open tool.

The Bottom Line

Openness is about giving GMs creative control. If you want a soundboard that offers instant quality and grows with your campaign, choose Audio Forge.

Build the audio you imagine. Do not settle for only what you are offered.

Download Audio Forge and take control of your TTRPG sound.

Get Audio Forge free