When the Music Stopped - Anthony B. - Aug. 21st 2025

Hi again! Anthony here with another Devlog! I have made some decent progress in the last week working on Hypertracks Menu's and UI functionality. My UX Design though is not one to be desired, but will look a lot better with time! Overall, what I set out to do was basically add a little more life into the game with a bit of Music. I think with the right music and additional sound effects it can really bring a game to life but there were a bit of complications I head to situate.

The Problem!

This week, while implementing background music for our Main Menu, I ran into a frustrating issue. The music asset was assigned correctly, but when the menu loaded in Unreal Engine, no music played! Debug logs showed that the audio component was being spawned, but playback was completely silent. For end users, this meant the menu felt lifeless and incomplete - without audio feedback or atmosphere, the UI didn't set the right tone for the game experience.
Additionally, when transitioning into the Options Menu, the goal was to duck the Main Menu music and fade in a separate Options theme. Instead, the main music would either cut out entirely or fail to restore after closing the Options Menu. This inconsistency would have broken immersion and frustrated players if left unresolved.

The Solution!

After debugging, I discovered the first issue was caused by the audio component at 0.0 volume! 🤦🏻‍♂️ Certain audio backends treat 0 volume at muted, meaning the fade-in never actually kicked in. The fix was to spawn the component at a small audible value (0.6 or 0.01) and then use AdjustVolume() to handle fade-in smoothly. Once Adjusted, the music reliably played every time the menu loaded.
For the Options Menu integration, I implemented ducking and restoring functions in the Main Menu: DuckMenuMusic() lowers the main theme volume when the Options Menu opens, and RestoreMenuMusic() fades it back in when the Options Menu is closed. Meanwhile, the Options Menu spawns its own looping track when constructed and fades it out on destruction. The layering approach meant the main theme never restarted from the beginning - it simply softened in the background - while the Options Menu music gave that menu its own identity.

These changes ensure the user always hears responsive, polished transitions between menu states. Testers now get the right audio atmosphere in both screens, and the menu feels professional and immersive.