# Music on a FiveM loading screen: autoplay, volume and mute

> Add music to a FiveM loading screen properly: autoplay, a sensible default volume, a volume slider and mute button that remember the player’s choice, playlists, fading out at the end, and the formats that work.

Source: https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-audio-volume-controls · FAM Tools · published 2026-09-11 · updated 2026-09-11 · about 10 min

**Short answer.** Use an `<audio autoplay>` element with an MP3 source and set `audio.volume` to around 0.3 in JavaScript (the HTML attribute cannot set volume). Add a mute button and a slider, save the choice in `localStorage`, and restore it on the next join. FiveM’s loading screen is allowed to autoplay with sound.

## Key points

- FiveM allows autoplay with sound on the loading screen.
- Set the starting volume in JavaScript (`audio.volume = 0.3`) — there is no HTML attribute for it.
- Remember mute and volume with `localStorage`.
- Use MP3 at 128–192 kbps; host long tracks on a CDN.
- Fade out when the loading screen is about to close.

Music sets the tone of a server before a single frame of gameplay, and nothing irritates returning players more than being blasted by the same track at full volume on every join. A good loading screen plays music at a gentle level, lets players change or mute it, and remembers what they chose.

## The basic player

*index.html*

```html
<audio id="music" autoplay loop preload="auto">
  <source src="music/theme.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>

<div class="audio-ui">
  <button id="mute" aria-label="Mute music">🔊</button>
  <input id="volume" type="range" min="0" max="1" step="0.05" aria-label="Music volume">
</div>
```

*script.js*

```javascript
const audio = document.getElementById('music');
const mute = document.getElementById('mute');
const slider = document.getElementById('volume');

const saved = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('ls-audio') || '{}');
audio.volume = saved.volume ?? 0.3;
audio.muted = saved.muted ?? false;
slider.value = audio.volume;
mute.textContent = audio.muted ? '🔇' : '🔊';

function save() {
  localStorage.setItem('ls-audio', JSON.stringify({ volume: audio.volume, muted: audio.muted }));
}

slider.addEventListener('input', () => { audio.volume = Number(slider.value); save(); });
mute.addEventListener('click', () => {
  audio.muted = !audio.muted;
  mute.textContent = audio.muted ? '🔇' : '🔊';
  save();
});
```

The controls need the mouse, so enable it with `loadscreen_cursor 'yes'` — see [interactive loading screens](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-cursor-interactive).

## Muting without the mouse

Some players never touch the mouse on a loading screen. A key shortcut costs nothing:

*script.js*

```javascript
window.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
  if (e.code === 'KeyM') mute.click();
});
```

## A small playlist

*script.js*

```javascript
const tracks = ['music/1.mp3', 'music/2.mp3', 'music/3.mp3'];
let i = Math.floor(Math.random() * tracks.length);
audio.loop = false;
audio.src = tracks[i];
audio.addEventListener('ended', () => {
  i = (i + 1) % tracks.length;
  audio.src = tracks[i];
  audio.play();
});
```

Starting on a random track means returning players do not hear the same opening every time.

## Formats and hosting

- MP3 at 128–192 kbps is the reliable choice and is small enough to start at once.
- A three-minute track at 160 kbps is about 3.5 MB.
- Files inside the resource must be listed in `files` in the manifest.
- Remote files must be direct HTTPS links — cloud-drive share links return a web page, not audio.

Silence in game is covered step by step in [loading screen music not playing](https://fam-tools.com/guides/loading-screen-music-not-playing).

## Fading out at the end

The music stops abruptly when the loading screen closes. A short fade feels far more polished. With manual shutdown, send the page a message just before closing and fade the volume over half a second — the code is in [manual shutdown](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loadscreen-manual-shutdown).

## Music rights

Playing a commercial song to every player is public performance of that song. Many servers do it; that does not make it licensed. Royalty-free or properly licensed music is the safe choice, especially for servers that take money — see [music and copyright](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-music-copyright). For the game’s own sounds rather than your own file, [the sound list](https://fam-tools.com/free-tools/sound-list) carries 2,202 names.

## Questions

### Does music autoplay on a FiveM loading screen?

Yes. Unlike a normal browser tab, the FiveM loading screen may autoplay audio with sound.

### How do I lower the loading screen music volume?

Set `audio.volume` in JavaScript, for example `audio.volume = 0.3`. HTML has no volume attribute.

### How do I remember if a player muted the music?

Save the choice in `localStorage` and read it when the page loads.

### What audio format should I use?

MP3 at 128–192 kbps is the most reliable in FiveM’s loading screen.

### Can players mute the music without a mouse?

Only if you add a keyboard shortcut, such as M to toggle mute.

## Related

- https://fam-tools.com/guides/loading-screen-music-not-playing
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-cursor-interactive
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loading-screen-music-copyright
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-loadscreen-manual-shutdown