sounds.json

sounds.json (sound_definitions.json in Bedrock Edition) is a file used by the sound system in resource packs which tells the sound system what sound files to play when a sound event is triggered by one or more in-game events. This file is located in assets/minecraft in resource packs, and the default file is located in .minecraft/assets/objects (assets/resource_packs/vanilla/sounds on Bedrock Edition), and its hashed name can be found by looking it up in the file .minecraft/assets/indexes/<version>.json.

File structure

This file is stored in JSON format, but is represented here using NBT.

• The root Object.
  •  Sound Event: A sound event. The name is usually separated in categories (such as entity.enderman.stare). All default sound events are listed in the table below. (To get a different namespace than minecraft the file'll need to be under a different namespace; not defining it here.)
    •  replace: true/false. Used only in resource packs. True if the sounds listed in sounds should replace the sounds listed in the default sounds.json for this sound event. False if the sounds listed should be added to the list of default sounds. Optional. If undefined, defaults to "false".
    •  subtitle: Will be translated as the subtitle of the sound if Show Subtitles is enabled ingame. Optional.
    •  sounds: The sound files this sound event uses. One of the listed sounds is randomly selected to play when this sound event is triggered. Optional.
      • The path to a sound file from the "namespace/sounds" folder. Uses forward slashes.
      • A sound file. This Object is used only when the sound requires additional Strings.
        •  name: The path to this sound file from the "namespace/sounds" folder. Uses forward slashes instead of backslashes. May also be the name of another sound event.
        •  volume: The volume this sound will be played at. Value is a decimal between 0.0 and 1.0. If undefined, defaults to 1.0.
        •  pitch: Plays the pitch at the specified value. If undefined, defaults to 1.0, but higher and lower values can be chosen.
        •  weight: The chance that this sound will be selected to play when this sound event is triggered. Defaults to 1. An example: putting 2 in for the value would be like placing in the name twice. Only accepts integers.
        •  stream: true/false. True if this sound should be streamed from its file. It is recommended that this is set to "true" for sounds that have a duration longer than a few seconds to avoid lag. Used for all sounds in the "music" and "record" categories (except Note Block sounds), as (almost) all the sounds that belong to those categories are over a minute long. Optional. If undefined, defaults to "false". Setting this to false allows many more instances of the sound to be ran at the same time while setting it to true only allows 4 instances (of that type) to be ran at the same time.
        •  attenuation_distance: Modify sound reduction rate based on distance. Used by portals, beacons, and conduits.
        •  preload: true/false. True if this sound should be loaded when loading the pack instead of when the sound is played. Used by the underwater ambience. Defaults to "false".
        •  type: Two values are available: "sound" and "event"; "sound" plays from the name of the file, while "event" plays from an already defined event. If undefined, defaults to "sound".

An example of a pre-1.10 sounds.json can be found here.
Dinnerbone's pre-1.10 specifications can be found here.

Sound events

A sound event is linked to one or more in-game events. Two sound events may share the same sound file, but correspond to different in-game events and/or belong to different sound categories. A few valid sound events aren't included in sounds.json, while others don't have an in-game event associated with them. Any sound event that lacks an in-game event can be played only with /playsound. All default sound events, the sounds they use, the category they belong to, the subtitle that plays at that event, and the in-game events they are triggered by are listed in the following table.

Java Edition values

Main article: Sounds.json/Java Edition values

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Java Edition values before 1.9

Main article: Sounds.json/Java Edition values before 1.9

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Bedrock Edition values

Main article: Sounds.json/Bedrock Edition values

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Block sound categories

The sound system divides all blocks into categories to determine which sounds play when a block is placed, destroyed, or walked on.

Slime Blocks are not included in the following table because they have unique digging and step sounds.

Category	Blocks	Notes
cloth	Wool Cactus Cake Carpet Fire	Fire's destruction sound is random.fizz instead of dig.cloth.
grass	Grass Block Sponge Wet Sponge Leaves Tall Grass Fern Dead Bush Flowers Brown Mushroom Red Mushroom TNT Wheat Sugar Canes Vines Mycelium Lily Pad Carrots Potatoes Hay Bale	Lily Pads have unique placing sounds; Wheat, Carrots, and Potatoes do not make a sound when placed.
gravel	Dirt Coarse Dirt Podzol Gravel Farmland Clay
sand	Sand Red Sand Soul Sand Concrete Powder
snow	Snow (cover) Snow Block
stone	Stone Granite Polished Granite Diorite Polished Diorite Andesite Polished Andesite Cobblestone Bedrock Gold Ore Iron Ore Coal Ore Lapis Lazuli Ore Lapis Lazuli Block Dispenser Sandstone Powered Rail Detector Rail Sticky Piston Cobweb Piston Block of Gold Block of Iron Stone Slab Bricks Mossy Cobblestone Obsidian Monster Spawner Redstone Wire Diamond Ore Block of Diamond Furnace Rail Cobblestone Stairs Stone Pressure Plate Iron Door Redstone Ore Stone Button Jukebox Netherrack Monster Egg Stone Bricks Iron Bars Brick Stairs Stone Brick Stairs Nether Bricks Nether Brick Fence Nether Brick Stairs Nether Wart Enchantment Table Brewing Stand Cauldron End Portal End Stone Dragon Egg Sandstone Stairs Emerald Ore Ender Chest Tripwire Hook Tripwire Block of Emerald Command Block Beacon Cobblestone Wall Flower Pot Head Anvil Block of Redstone Nether Quartz Ore Hopper Block of Quartz Quartz Stairs Activator Rail Dropper Stained Clay Barrier Iron Trapdoor Prismarine Prismarine Bricks Dark Prismarine Terracotta Glazed Terracotta Block of Coal Red Sandstone Red Sandstone Stairs Red Sandstone Slab Magma Block Concrete Shulker Box Observer	Jukeboxes are the only blocks in this category that are mined with an Axe instead of a Pickaxe. Redstone Wire and Nether Wart do not make a sound when placed.
wood	Oak Wood Planks Spruce Wood Planks Birch Wood Planks Jungle Wood Planks Acacia Wood Planks Dark Oak Wood Planks Oak Wood Spruce Wood Birch Wood Jungle Wood Bed Note Block Bookshelf Torch Oak Wood Stairs Chest Crafting Table Ladder Sign Lever Wooden Pressure Plate Redstone Torch Oak Fence Pumpkin Jack-o'-Lantern Redstone Repeater Redstone Comparator Wooden Trapdoor Huge Mushroom Block Melon Pumpkin Stem Melon Stem Oak Fence Gate Oak Wood Slab Spruce Wood Slab Birch Wood Slab Jungle Wood Slab Acacia Wood Slab Dark Oak Wood Slab Cocoa Pod Spruce Wood Stairs Birch Wood Stairs Jungle Wood Stairs Wooden Button Trapped Chest Light Weighted Pressure Plate Heavy Weighted Pressure Plate Daylight Sensor Acacia Wood Dark Oak Wood Acacia Wood Stairs Dark Oak Wood Stairs Banner Spruce Fence Gate Birch Fence Gate Jungle Fence Gate Dark Oak Fence Gate Acacia Fence Gate Spruce Fence Birch Fence Jungle Fence Dark Oak Fence Acacia Fence Spruce Door Birch Door Jungle Door Acacia Door Dark Oak Door Nether Wart Block End Rod	Weighted Pressure Plates are the only blocks in this category that are mined with a Pickaxe instead of an Axe. Pumpkin Stems, Melon Stems, Cocoa Pods, and Banners do not make a sound when placed.
glass	Glass Ice Glowstone Nether Portal Stained Glass Glass Pane End Portal Frame Redstone Lamp Stained Glass Pane Sea Lantern Packed Ice	These blocks use the walking, placing and cracking sounds of "stone" blocks, but their destruction sound is dig.glass.

History

Java Edition
1.7.2			13w42a		Added sounds.json
1.9			15w43b		Added "subtitle" field
			16w02a		Added "voice" sound event category
1.10					Removed "category" field
1.13			18w10a		Added "preload" field.
Pocket Edition
1.0			?		Added sound_definitons.json