Animal Crossing: New Horizons – When does the Music Change; How to Change it

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some really great music. And I hope you enjoy it, because you’ll hear it a lot for the next few dozen hours. Yes, that opening tune will be with your for a while. You can change it, but man does it take a long time to unlock. So let’s answer some of the most pertinent questions, like when does the music change and how to change the music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

When does the Music Change

For the first few days in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you simply won’t have the option to change the music. Unlike previous games that had hourly shifts in the tunes, the main theme is pretty much everywhere this time around. And you can’t switch it up right at the beginning of the game. Instead, the option unlocks once you have upgraded Resident Services, which we explain how to do here.

The process will take a few days, even if you dedicate yourself to checking the objective boxes that are involved. Once you have checked those boxes and Resident Services is upgraded, Isabelle will show up and you’ll actually start getting different music in the background (this may actually be a bug, so watch for updates). Just be sure to save and quit to refresh the game. She is also the key to the next question of how to change the music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, if you want to mess with the Is;and Tune.

How to Change the Music

Once you do the above the music will change automatically every few hours, but if you want to mess with your Island Tune, a jingle that plays intermittently during play, you can do that now as well. Just head over to your newly upgraded Resident Services and speak with Isabelle.

She manages a lot of the functions on the island, including the “Island Tune.” Choose the option to speak to her about the island and then change the tune here. You have a few choices at this point, since this is pretty free form. All you need to do is alter the notes of the Island Tune to whatever you want, using question marks to note a randomized entry. Alter this however you want then save it and your Is;and Tune will be changed.

Two separate things, but tied together in interesting ways. That’s the answers for when does the music change and how to change the music in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.