Discord Soundboard: How to Use and Set Up Sounds

Discord's Soundboard feature lets you play short audio clips in voice channels. Great for fun — manageable with the right permissions setup.

What Is the Discord Soundboard?

The Soundboard panel (visible when you're in a voice channel) shows buttons for sound effects. Click one and it plays through your microphone for everyone in the channel.

Using the Soundboard

Join a voice channel
Click the sound icon (🔊) in the bottom-left controls
The Soundboard panel opens with available sounds
Click any sound to play it

Discord provides default sounds to all users. Custom server sounds require Nitro or a boosted server.

Adding Custom Sounds to Your Server

Go to Server Settings → Soundboard
Click Upload Sound
Upload an MP3 or OGG file (max 512KB, max 5 seconds)
Give it a name and assign an emoji
Set which roles can use it

Sound limits:

Base server: 8 sounds
Level 1: 24 sounds
Level 2: 36 sounds
Level 3: 48 sounds

Managing Soundboard Permissions

Control who can use the soundboard:

Server Settings → Roles
Under "Voice Channel Permissions" → toggle Use Soundboard
Or set per-channel in channel permissions

Recommended: Give all members soundboard access in casual channels, but restrict it in study/work channels.

Soundboard Best Practices

Don't play sounds while someone is speaking
Create community-specific sounds as inside jokes
Set volume to a reasonable level (avoid ear-splitting sounds)
Mods should be able to disable the soundboard quickly if it gets abused

A server with fun voice channel features retains members. Make it discoverable on Discords.ai.