Phonon
by metrovoc1
Phonon adds Speaker blocks that play custom audio in the world, with playback kept in step across all players near a speaker.
What it does
Players place a Speaker block in the world and right-click it to open a control screen. From there a track is selected and played, and sound comes from the speaker's position, so it fades with distance and changes direction as a player moves around it. The mod is built as a custom audio system for building soundscapes in a world or on a map.
Playback is synchronized, so every player near a speaker hears the same audio at the same time. Audio can be fetched on the server side, and optional yt-dlp support lets a speaker take a URL as its source. Every player and the server need a copy of the mod. Phonon is published for NeoForge only, across 15 release versions 1.21.1 – 26.2, and the source code is public under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, making it open source.
Key features
Speaker blocks
Speaker blocks can be placed in the world and are the source of every track the mod plays.
Real-time sync
Players near a speaker hear the same playback at the same moment, which keeps shared listening aligned.
Spatial audio
Sound comes from each speaker's location, so a sound's volume and direction depend on where a player stands.
Optional URL playback
With yt-dlp support enabled, a speaker can play audio from a URL, and the server handles fetching the files.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
26.x4 of 4 versions with builds
1.21.x11 of 11 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Soundscapes on a map
Map makers can place speakers around a build or area to create ambient audio that players hear while exploring.
Shared listening on a server
Server owners can set up speakers where a group gathers, so everyone nearby hears the same track in sync.
Who it’s for: Map makers, adventure builders and server owners who want audio tied to places in the world rather than to a music player.
How it compares
True Music is a NeoForge mod for 1.21.1 under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, open source and client and server. Phonon covers 1.21.1 – 26.2 on NeoForge with the same environment and license. pv-LazoDiscs is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only and runs on Fabric, Forge and NeoForge for 1.16.5 – 26.3, but it is server-side only, so players join without installing it. VinURL is not open source, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0, and supports Fabric and NeoForge for 1.19.2 – 26.2.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phonon | NeoForge | 1.21.1 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-07-15 |
| True Music | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-08-14 |
| pv-LazoDiscs | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.16.5 – 26.3 | Server-side only | 2026-10-14 |
| VinURL | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.19.2 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-08-19 |
Questions
Does Phonon need to be installed on the server?
Which loader does Phonon support?
Are yt-dlp URLs supported?
In the catalog
Phonon is one of 5,392 Social mods on ModsFinder, and one of 1,784 Social mods for NeoForge. 13,894 mods support Minecraft 26.2.
Similar mods
What the author says
A custom audio system designed to orchestrate an immersive soundscape in your game. Server-side (for audio downloading): - FFmpeg - yt-dlp (optional, for URL support)
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/phonon
- Owner
- metrovoc1
- Published
- 2025-12-12
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-07-15
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15