The game has some great tracks that make me reminisce of my days as a teenager, back when I played the living hell out of this game, which is clearly shown by the fact that most of the music feels like it’s ingrained into my brain. Yet after all these years and after so many playthroughs, I think it’s time for us to get our hands on some new music. Well I managed to come across a handful of mods that will help reinvigorate the auditive experience of Skyrim by introducing new sounds and OST tracks. Oh, and one thing: I went with mods that made the game stay true to its identity. I don’t want to break the feeling of Skyrim too much, so I stayed true to the game’s vibe for this list.
15. Celtic Music in Skyrim
Check Out This Mod Yes, this mod adds Celtic music to the game. Is it fitting? Eh, let’s say that it semi-fits the game. Does it sound good? Oh, yeah, it does. Check it out for sure.
14. Smooth Blade Draw and Sheathe
Check Out This Mod Not much to say about this mod, other than you’ll love it when you get it. Realistic sheathing sounds are one of those modifications that you don’t know you needed until you see them in action. Definitely subtle, but absolutely noticeable.
13. Better Animal Footsteps
Check Out This Mod Have you ever wondered why all the animals in the game seem to sound the same when they move? Hey, me neither! But this mod truly makes you feel much more aware of how poor the animal footsteps sound from the minute you install it. Check it out and see the difference that it makes – it’s almost heavenly.
12. Improved Horse Step Sounds
Check Out This Mod Alright, maybe you don’t want to improve the footsteps of all animals. I get it. Maybe you only want horse steps to sound better. In that case, I got your back. Well, this mod has your back, but yeah it’s a great companion for the animal sounds mod above.
11. Thundering Shouts
Check Out This Mod Have you ever had that weird feeling that Skyrim shouts just aren’t that intimidating? They could have a bit more… vibe, you know what I mean? With this mod, every single shout in the game will sound more imposing. It adds thunder sounds and a deep echo to every shout that the Dragonborn makes. Time to strike fear into the hearts of your foes before they even feel the effects of your shouts.
10. Immersive Music
Check Out This Mod Vanilla music in Skyrim is great. But what if we want even more of it? Well, we can’t wait around for DLC on this one. So let’s snag the Immersive Music mod. This adds 16 hours of new music all based on the original Skyrim OST. So the new tracks blend right in with the old. It basically expand’s Skyrim’s already incredible OST library.
9. Player Voice Sets
Check Out This Mod Ah, one of those mods that you didn’t know you wanted until you installed it. These are some of my favorites to try out. Basically, what this does is it allows you to choose a voice for your character. I mean, it won’t come with a bunch of dialogue. But all of the actions that you perform in the game will have a sound effect playing whenever you execute them. Rediscover the magic of Skyrim and feel more immersed with your character by selecting the voice that you feel it should have – there are plenty of options to choose from!
8. Ultra Realistic Bow and Shoot Sounds
Check Out This Mod Let’s face it, fellas: the sounds of bows and arrows in Skyrim are just terrible. They’ve never sounded good. And after all these years of playing the game over and over, I can’t help but feel self-aware of this. In fact, I’d dare say that they are some of the worst sound effects in the game. Now that my hate for these sound effects has been made clear, it’s time for me to say why I love this mod so much: it completely changes them for actual believable sounds, and they make the game sound thousands of times better. If you’re planning on playing an archer, you’ll want to get your hands on this mod for sure. Night and day difference.
7. Immersive Sounds – Compendium
Check Out This Mod There’s a good reason why this is one of the best sound mods out there, and one that was featured in the G.E.M.S. list. This mod truly makes the game sound different in the most positive way possible. It allows sounds to actually represent and mean something, unlike what they do in the base game (which basically just exists). Thousands of new sound effects are added to the game which makes creatures feel unique, your armor sounds like it should sound when it moves, and even enhances the way sound is perceived by the player. It’s a world-class mod, and one of the best that I have ever installed in my game.
6. Improved Combat Sounds
Check Out This Mod One of the most important aspects of combat in an game often comes from the audio with each attack. It can help with timing and evasion too. However, Skyrim was clearly made without prioritizing audio design, which makes the game feel lacking in key areas (like combat) where it actually isn’t lacking, just from the absence of proper sound effects. With this mod, everything related to combat audio will feel much better. Better sound effects when blocking, attacking, slashing, or cutting through your foes. Everything that should’ve come in the base game will come with this mod. The differences will be noticeable from the minute you draw your sword.
5. Heart of the Beast – Werewolf Sound and Texture Overhaul
Check Out This Mod Have you ever wondered why werewolves don’t really sound as intimidating or aggressive as the ones you see in the movies? Well, this is Skyrim after all… But wonder no more, fam – just get this mod installed and you’ll be hearing some pretty realistic werewolves.
4. Audio Overhaul for Skyrim v2
Check Out This Mod As one of the best audio mods of the game, this complete overhaul aims to change the entire audio landscape of Skyrim. Quite a task, eh? I’d say it does so with flying colors. This Audio Overhaul mod makes the environment feel way more responsive than it is in the base game – all while keeping the vanilla feel that we’ve grown to love.
3. Sounds of Skyrim – Civilization
Check Out This Mod Now this is one of a three-pack, and these are all in my top spots. They just rock. As the first mod of the Sounds of Skyrim sound-pack, Civilization adds a staggering 220 new sound effects that will play as you walk through the villages and towns of Northern Tamriel. You’ll feel like every town or city is custom-made – this mod will leave you immersed into the capital of Skyrim as much as it’ll make you feel like a citizen of a forsaken town.
2. Sounds of Skyrim – The Dungeons
Check Out This Mod Explore the dungeons that we’ve all grown to love, and rediscover the magic of Skyrim with this amazing audio mod. Again, part of the incredible Sounds of Skyrim set. This one adds more than 100 new sounds to the dungeons and caves of the game. I know the game has been out for so long that you probably feel like you’ve already heard all of Skyrim’s dungeon music. But add this baby to your mod list and you’ll realize how much of an effect music can have at reinvigorating a gaming experience.
1. Sounds of Skyrim – The Wilds
Check Out This Mod To finish off my list, we’ve got the third and final “Sounds of Skyrim” mod at the first spot. If I may say so, it’s also my favorite mod of them all. Sure, dungeons and cities are some of the places where you spend the most time in the game. But let’s face it: the wilderness is where we truly live the most epic of adventures in Skyrim. As such, The Wilds adds 115 new sound effects that you’ll get to hear as you explore the beautiful environments of the Northern Tamrielic region. Like the rest of the mods from the “Sounds of Skyrim” pack, this one was added to the G.E.M.S. list. Which makes it one of those “must-have” mods from the Nexus as a whole.
