How to Find and Listen to Game Sound Files (OGG)

That boss theme you can’t get out of your head. The satisfying “ding” when you level up. The rain in the background of your favorite indie game. A lot of that audio sits on your computer as OGG files. You can often play them outside the game.

This guide explains why so many games use OGG and where to look for the files. Then it shows how to play them, and what to do when the audio hides inside archives. It also covers what you can and can’t do with game audio.

The quick answer

1. Open the game’s install folder.
2. Search it for .ogg files.
3. Drop any file you find into our free online OGG player, or open it in VLC.
4. No OGG files? The game likely keeps its audio inside an archive. That needs special tools.

Why so many games use OGG

Ogg Vorbis is one of the most common audio formats in games. There are four reasons:

• No licence fees. Vorbis is free and open, so studios don’t pay royalties.
• Small files. Music and sound effects take up less space than WAV.
• Good quality. At the same file size, Vorbis usually beats MP3.
• Engine support. Popular engines handle OGG out of the box.

Game engines and tools that work with OGG include:

• Godot: supports Ogg Vorbis for music and long sounds.
• Unity: imports OGG files and can compress audio to Vorbis in builds.
• GameMaker: uses OGG for compressed audio.
• RPG Maker MV and MZ: store music and sound effects as .ogg files.
• Ren’Py: the visual novel engine supports OGG Vorbis and Opus.

Minecraft also uses OGG for all its sounds. We have a separate guide on where Minecraft stores its OGG files.

Step 1: Find the game’s install folder

Steam

1. Open Steam and go to your Library.
2. Right-click the game.
3. Choose Manage > Browse local files.

The game’s folder opens in File Explorer or Finder.

Epic Games, GOG and other launchers

Most launchers have a similar option. Look for Manage, Open install location or a gear icon in the game’s page. You can also check the default folders:

• Epic: often C:\Program Files\Epic Games
• GOG Galaxy: often C:\Program Files (x86)\GOG Galaxy\Games

Games on Mac

On a Mac, games are often .app bundles. Right-click the app and choose Show Package Contents. The audio often sits under Contents > Resources.

Linux and Steam Deck

On Linux, Steam games usually live in ~/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/common. On a Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode, open the Dolphin file manager and go to the same folder. Press Ctrl + F and search for .ogg.

Linux music players like VLC, Elisa and Audacious play OGG files out of the box.

Step 2: Search for OGG files

On Windows

1. Open the game folder in File Explorer.
2. Click in the search box at the top right.
3. Type *.ogg and press Enter.

Windows lists every OGG file in the folder and its subfolders. Look for folders with names like audio, sound, sfx, music or bgm.

On Mac

1. Open the folder in Finder.
2. Press Cmd + F.
3. Set the search to This folder, not This Mac.
4. Search for .ogg.

RPG Maker games

RPG Maker MV and MZ games keep audio in a folder called audio. Inside are four folders: bgm (background music), bgs (background sounds), me (music effects) and se (sound effects). Some games encrypt these files, so they may end in .rpgmvo or .ogg_ instead. Those won’t play without the game.

Step 3: Play the OGG files

Once you find the files, playing them is easy.

Online player

1. Go to openoggfile.com.
2. Drag an OGG file onto the page.
3. Press play.

You’ll see the waveform, length, codec and bitrate. Click the waveform to jump around. Or trim out a short section and save it as MP3 or WAV.

VLC for whole soundtracks

To listen to a whole folder, use VLC:

1. Select all the OGG files, or the whole music folder.
2. Drag them onto VLC.
3. Press Ctrl + L (Windows) to see the playlist.

VLC plays them one after another, like an album. See how to play OGG files in VLC for more tips.

What if there are no OGG files?

Many big games don’t keep loose audio files. They pack them into archives or use special audio formats. Here’s what you might see instead:

Extracting these needs third-party tools made by the modding community. They vary by game and change often, so check the game’s modding forums or wiki. Always download tools from trusted sources, and scan them before running them.

A simpler option: the official soundtrack

Many games sell or give away their soundtrack. Look on:

• the game’s Steam page, where soundtracks are often a cheap add-on,
• Bandcamp, where many indie composers sell their work,
• the composer’s own website.

Official soundtracks are usually better quality, properly named and tagged. They also support the people who made the music.

How to organize game music you’ve found

Game files often have names like bgm_07.ogg. If you’re building a personal playlist, a little tidying helps:

• Rename the files with the track and game name, like Forest Theme – My Game.ogg.
• Add tags. Free tools like Mp3tag (Windows) and MusicBrainz Picard can edit OGG tags. Add the game name as the album and the composer as the artist.
• Keep a copy of the originals. Tag and rename a copy, not the files in the game folder. Changing game files can break the game.

Tagged OGG files show up nicely in players like VLC, foobar2000 and most Android music apps.

How to use game sounds as ringtones or alerts

A short game sound makes a fun ringtone or notification. For personal use, this is a common and harmless trick.

1. Open the OGG file in the online OGG player.
2. Trim it to the part you want. Keep notifications short, around 1 to 3 seconds.
3. Android: download the OGG as-is or as MP3, and put it in the Ringtones or Notifications folder.
4. iPhone: ringtones need a special format, so this takes extra steps with an app like GarageBand.

Is it legal to extract game audio?

This depends on where you live and what you do with it. In general:

• Listening to files that came with a game you own is personal use, and very common.
• Sharing, re-uploading or selling game audio is usually not allowed without permission.
• Using game music in videos can trigger copyright claims. Some publishers allow it, others don’t. Check their official policy.
• Breaking encryption may break the game’s terms of service.

When in doubt, buy the official soundtrack or ask the developer. Many indie developers are happy to say yes if you ask nicely.

Troubleshooting

The OGG file won’t play

Some games rename or scramble files so they only work inside the game. If the online player says it’s not a real Ogg file, that’s probably why. There’s not much you can do without game-specific tools.

The file plays but sounds wrong

Some games store music in pieces, like an intro and a loop. What you hear may be a short loop, not the full track. Look for files with similar names, like theme_intro.ogg and theme_loop.ogg.

Windows search finds nothing

Make sure you searched the game’s install folder, not your Documents folder. Also try searching for ogg without the star and dot.

VLC shows strange file names

Games often use short codes for file names, like mus_03.ogg or sfx_hit_2.ogg. That’s normal. The official soundtrack will have proper track names.

FAQ

Why do games use OGG instead of MP3?

OGG Vorbis is free to use, sounds better at small sizes and works well with game engines.

How do I play game OGG files?

Open them in the online OGG player or VLC. Both play OGG on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Where are game sound files stored?

In the game’s install folder, often in subfolders named audio, sound, sfx or music. On Steam, right-click the game and choose Manage > Browse local files.

Why can’t I find any OGG files in my game?

The game likely packs its audio into archives like .pak, .bank or .wem files. Those need special tools to extract.

Can I put game music on my phone?

Yes, for personal listening. Android plays OGG files natively, so you can copy them straight to your Music folder. On an iPhone, convert them to MP3 first if your iOS is older than 18.4. See how to play OGG files on iPhone for details.

Can I convert game OGG files to MP3?

Yes. Open the file in the online player and click Download MP3. Keep it for personal use.

Final word

Many games store their music and sound effects as OGG files. Search the install folder for .ogg, then play them in the free online OGG player or VLC. If the audio is packed inside archives, look for the official soundtrack instead. And keep game audio for personal use unless the publisher says otherwise.