Music sets the room's mood in Restaurant Tycoon 3: a menu of discs from the free defaults through purchasable genre sets, event discs that visit with their seasons, and a live band option for restaurants that want the atmosphere budget spent loudly.
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Main Music Discs
Permanent purchases, comparable by price per track.
Default Music
The starter restaurant playlist. It is free, always available, and counts toward playing music for atmosphere rating.
- Status
- Free on join
- Cost
- Free
- Tracks
- 4 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Unlocked in the music menu when you join the game.
Restaurant Tycoon OST
The free official soundtrack disc. The wiki notes it was released on Spotify under the name Cooking Fever.
- Status
- Free on join
- Cost
- Free
- Tracks
- 5 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Unlocked in the music menu when you join the game.
Classical
A Diamond main disc with 6 tracks. Buy it from the music menu whenever you want a classical restaurant playlist.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 6 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Disco
A Diamond main disc with 10 tracks. It is one of the larger always-available playlists in the music menu.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 10 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Synthwave
A Diamond main disc with 7 tracks. The official wiki lists it as Synthwave. Older menus and Fandom called the same slot Jazz.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 7 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Lo-Fi
A Diamond main disc with 10 tracks. Use it when you want a longer always-available lo-fi playlist.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 10 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Lounge
A Diamond main disc with 4 tracks. It is a smaller always-available playlist next to the free Default Music disc.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 4 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Electronic
A higher-cost Diamond main disc with 8 tracks. The shop table calls it Electronic. The wiki soundtrack table still labels the same playlist Electrical.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 25 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 8 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
Tobu
A higher-cost Diamond main disc with 6 tracks. It is one of the two 25 Diamond always-available playlists.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 25 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 6 tracks
- Type
- Main disc
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase.
| Name | Description | Status | Cost | Tracks | Type | Event window | Live band | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default Music | The starter restaurant playlist. It is free, always available, and counts toward playing music for atmosphere rating. | Free on join | Free | 4 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Unlocked in the music menu when you join the game. |
| Restaurant Tycoon OST | The free official soundtrack disc. The wiki notes it was released on Spotify under the name Cooking Fever. | Free on join | Free | 5 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Unlocked in the music menu when you join the game. |
| Classical | A Diamond main disc with 6 tracks. Buy it from the music menu whenever you want a classical restaurant playlist. | Always available | 20 Diamonds | 6 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Disco | A Diamond main disc with 10 tracks. It is one of the larger always-available playlists in the music menu. | Always available | 20 Diamonds | 10 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Synthwave | A Diamond main disc with 7 tracks. The official wiki lists it as Synthwave. Older menus and Fandom called the same slot Jazz. | Always available | 20 Diamonds | 7 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Lo-Fi | A Diamond main disc with 10 tracks. Use it when you want a longer always-available lo-fi playlist. | Always available | 20 Diamonds | 10 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Lounge | A Diamond main disc with 4 tracks. It is a smaller always-available playlist next to the free Default Music disc. | Always available | 20 Diamonds | 4 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Electronic | A higher-cost Diamond main disc with 8 tracks. The shop table calls it Electronic. The wiki soundtrack table still labels the same playlist Electrical. | Always available | 25 Diamonds | 8 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
| Tobu | A higher-cost Diamond main disc with 6 tracks. It is one of the two 25 Diamond always-available playlists. | Always available | 25 Diamonds | 6 tracks | Main disc | - | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds. This main disc stays available after purchase. |
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Event Music Discs
Seasonal visitors worth grabbing during their window.
Halloween
An event music disc with 8 tracks. It was offered during Halloween 2025 and is not a year-round Diamond shop item.
- Status
- Event-limited
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 8 tracks
- Type
- Event disc
- Event window
- Halloween 2025
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while the matching Halloween event shop is open.
Christmas Jazz
An event music disc with 8 tracks. Ultraw added the Christmas Jazz Music Pack in the December 2025 winter update.
- Status
- Event-limited
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 8 tracks
- Type
- Event disc
- Event window
- Christmas 2025
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while the matching Christmas event shop is open.
Tropical
An event music disc with 9 tracks. Ultraw announced the Tropical Music Pack on May 15, 2026. The official wiki still labeled it Now on July 18, 2026, without a later shop confirmation.
- Status
- Event-limited
- Cost
- 20 Diamonds
- Tracks
- 9 tracks
- Type
- Event disc
- Event window
- Announced May 15, 2026. Official wiki labeled Now as of July 18, 2026.
- Live band
- No
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while this event disc is offered.
| Name | Description | Status | Cost | Tracks | Type | Event window | Live band | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halloween | An event music disc with 8 tracks. It was offered during Halloween 2025 and is not a year-round Diamond shop item. | Event-limited | 20 Diamonds | 8 tracks | Event disc | Halloween 2025 | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while the matching Halloween event shop is open. |
| Christmas Jazz | An event music disc with 8 tracks. Ultraw added the Christmas Jazz Music Pack in the December 2025 winter update. | Event-limited | 20 Diamonds | 8 tracks | Event disc | Christmas 2025 | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while the matching Christmas event shop is open. |
| Tropical | An event music disc with 9 tracks. Ultraw announced the Tropical Music Pack on May 15, 2026. The official wiki still labeled it Now on July 18, 2026, without a later shop confirmation. | Event-limited | 20 Diamonds | 9 tracks | Event disc | Announced May 15, 2026. Official wiki labeled Now as of July 18, 2026. | No | Buy from the music menu with Diamonds while this event disc is offered. |
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Live Music
The band: atmosphere spending made audible.
Classical Ensemble
The Cash live-music option, with 5 tracks and on-plot live bands. Ultraw added Classical Ensemble in the July 17, 2026 Classical Music Update.
- Status
- Always available
- Cost
- 10,000 Cash
- Tracks
- 5 tracks
- Type
- Live music
- Event window
- -
- Live band
- Yes
- How to unlock
- Buy from the music menu with Cash. Unlike Diamond discs, this live-music option also shows live bands.
| Name | Description | Status | Cost | Tracks | Type | Event window | Live band | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Ensemble | The Cash live-music option, with 5 tracks and on-plot live bands. Ultraw added Classical Ensemble in the July 17, 2026 Classical Music Update. | Always available | 10,000 Cash | 5 tracks | Live music | - | Yes | Buy from the music menu with Cash. Unlike Diamond discs, this live-music option also shows live bands. |
Choosing the soundtrack
Main discs are permanent purchases with listed track counts, so price-per-track is the honest comparison. Event discs rotate with their seasons and reward grabbing them while the window is open. The live band is the flex option: performance over playlist, and priced like it.
- The free default carries you through the early game without shame.
- Buy the genre that matches your restaurant's theme; music is part of the same coherence raters reward elsewhere.
- Event discs that pass their window become collector pieces on the shelf, which is its own kind of value.
FAQ
How do you change music in Restaurant Tycoon 3?
Through the music menu, where owned discs and the live option are selectable. The default disc is unlocked from your first join.
Are event discs permanent?
Once obtained, yes; but they are only available during their event windows, so missing a season means waiting for a return.
Does music affect ratings?
Music is atmosphere flavor rather than a listed rating factor, but it rounds out themed builds that do earn rating elsewhere.
