I agree, we need a toggle. Bring the old music back ;_;

I've been playing since release and was looking forward to the music update. I thought, great, it will definitely be like in the winter mountains. More epic music and/or the new songs by Serendia and Glish. But for me the topic is missed.
When I'm Mirumok for questing, Sycraia's music doesn't fit at all, it even stopped me abruptly. Or in Atoraxxion, I loved the music there, both Vahmacia and Sycracia. But listening to Khan music there is beyond inappropriate! I love your music for everyone as it was, they gave the grind spots or the places themselves a coherent atmosphere and unfortunately I am currently inclined to switch off the music for the first time after 6 years. And games without music is not a real game for me.

The BDO soundtrack is amazing, and it's amazing because it's contextual to the region and situation. This update plays music in different area's without considering the context the music works for. It may not affect core mechanics or anything like that, but this is still game breaking for anyone who hasn't turned the game music off, and people like me who enjoy the ingame music, especially when it's played in the right context.

From the patch notes:

//

● Reworked the background music playback system to play music according to the individual styles of the five major regions in the continent. (My note: This isn't happening anywhere except the major cities and towns)
- The playback system will now play several tracks in succession, instead of repeating the same track over and over again for the same region. (My note: In combat instances especially at sea, the tracks change anytime you get out of range of the monster, and seem to always start off with the Karanda Boss theme, which doesn't fit)
- Combat music will now fade while fighting normal monsters; in areas with constant combat, music that best suits the specific region will play. (My note: Once again, not happening, in Kratuga the music was mostly silent for me when I was grinding for Frughars log)
* We plan to add horse riding music in a future update. (Sometimes when riding horseback through Calpheon, I swear I can hear an older varriant of the Calpheon horse riding theme for about 20 seconds or so before it switches)

//

My last trip through Mediah sounded more like Pila Fe or Northern Calpheon than it did the Asula highlands, and as other threads and posts have said, this isn't a one off. It would be nice to get some feedback from the developers as to weather or not this is actually working as intended or not... based on the patch notes, it's not, however this has yet to be aknowledged. 

Following up here: does anyone else feel like the music experience has improved?  The new arrangements are still there for some pieces, and there is still more variety than before, but it seems the selections may have improved - ?  Velia Beach didn't seem as obnoxious today.  And O'Dyllita I questing has been good enough that I have turned the volume up to where it was before.

Maybe it's me, maybe it's the regions I've been in.  It almost seems like the music parameters are controlled at the servers too, since the behavior seemed to be changing in between patches somewhat.

On the other hand, this could just be a bunch of tinfoil talking.  Anyone else notice anything different, or does it seem the same?

eta: And btw, when the music is right, it is really good.

edit again: No, I take that back re Velia Beach, it's still weird at times.  Just hit it a good spot, I guess.

edit more (i'm allergic to double posting): Desert seems weird off & on still. And here's a functional issue there: used to get a very specific piece that would play when you got a desert illness.  Now it no longer occurs.  I rely on that audio cue a lot.  Or used to.

I agree with all the people here. As others have said the BDO soundtrack, prior to the rework, was "contextual to the region and situation," and gave areas their identity. I spent time listening to the music as it is now and I feel, like others, there are problems. I am happy for anyone who likes the changes, but here are my thoughts, examples, and suggestions. 

I write this because I am disappointed with the update, and I don't think I am alone. I want to see the game get better and don't intend to just complain or anything. I will give suggestions towards the end. Thank-you to anyone taking the time to read and to any developer considering these words, and those of others on this thread.

When I returned to this game a year ago I remember reading some patch notes about PA changing the desert music to be more appropriate by bringing in a more Middle Eastern sound. Something must have changed since then, because with the rework tracks from other regions can appear in any region regardless of the different "culture" or "identity" of the region. It's disappointing and immersion breaking. 

--> I will start with some stuff I like:

1) Changes in Kamasylvia, Direghan, and O'dyllita are mostly good! I did not hear anything I found too unsynchronised with the region's identity. The Sherekhan Necropolis music is great.

2) The music in the Red Desert is good! It fits the region well. A new track in the Black Desert sorta fits, in my opinion.

3) I think there is a new track in the Forest of Seclusion, I like that one.

4) In grinding zones I found the changing music was a benefit. Perhaps in these zones more focus is placed on combat rather than listening to the music or that the upbeat, combat oriented tracks are mostly universal to any region.

5) Most tracks with horns in them fit wherever they played. Maybe horns and horn sounding instruments are cross-cultural? 

--> Next some technical issues:

1) Between many track changes there is dead silence. BDO does not have many ambient sounds (birds, wind, water, voices, etc.) outside of cities (although Kamasylvia has tons of birds), so the silence is so much more present. For example in Valencia City  and Grana there is silence between track changes. When traveling between Atanis Pond to Kamasylvia Vicinity there was silence until I arrived at Kama Vicinity, where upbeat music suddenly played.

2) Some tracks don't finish or play for <30 seconds. Other times the game will cycle between track snippets trying to determine which one to play. I heard this around Kusha and Cady Ruins. Pre-Rework once you leave the Kusha safe zone there was an upbeat track playing, now the game can't decide or is silent.

--> Now about what PA says: "The world of Black Desert is filled with diverse regions which also play unique background tracks that were composed to best fit the culture and atmosphere of each region."

**You had it very distinct before! My favourite part was the atmosphere of the desert, the first few times crossing it was incredible. If adding riding music in the future I hope its not a single track for the entirety of the world.

1) One track I first heard in Direghan also plays in Mediah and Valencia. So to which region/culture is it unique to? If it plays in all three regions it's not so unique is it? Some Balenos tracks also play in Mediah, and others here identified such tracks elsewhere. This breaks with the theme of the region.

2) The axis of music from Sand Grain Bazaar to Valencia City (VC) was so good pre-rework. Coming to Sand Grain was your intro to the "dangerous and vast" desert. Crossing it the track emphasised the uncertainty. Finally when arriving at the gates of Valencia City the music that played was welcoming. Now Sand Grain and VC tracks play in many other valencian locales including at Rock Post, Shakatu, and Sanctums. These distinctive tracks thus lose their uniqueness and, in my opinion, erodes the axis of music I enjoyed previously. A uniqe theme once played upon the lead-up to Shakatu from Cady Ruins, but that is gone too (when I was traveling there it was silent).

3) When autopathing from Direghan to Mediah a track previously for Rift Bosses (I think) plays. When I travelled from Salun's Border to Thornwood Forest an old Main Menu track played. Both are incredibly jarring to hear, especially the main menu track which was designed not to be in-game, and thus breaks immersion. When returning to Salun's Border the previous Thornwood Forest music plays. What is the identity or unique track here, the upbeat and exciting menu music or the unsettling forest music? 

--> So what now?

Well, many others have given good suggestions already. I would support a toggle to return to the previous music set-up, a toggle to shuffle or not shuffle tracks, or a music player. This would give everyone more choice to play as they wish. Here's what I feel could be done to improve the current music:

1) Add more ambient sounds! When there is silence... there is silence except for in cities, in Kamasylvia (so many birds!), and the stomp of your horse, grunt of a monster, or strike of your weapon.

2) Shuffling tracks might be best in grinding zones and not when travelling, questing, in cities, or gathering. In these situations every sound becomes more noticeable.

3) In cities especially, I think the identity of the city through its music is most important. Maybe only lightly remixing the previous tracks so it sounds different but not out of theme would work.

4) Like PA did a year ago... add new distinctive, unique, and culturally/identity appropriate music. Listening to Sand Grain's music everywhere is disappointing.

I hope this is not the end of music adjustments in BDO. Sadly these changes have been disappointing technically and thematically and does hurt my enjoyment (and perhaps others too). Taking a track from somewhere and adding it anywhere will always decrease the uniqueness of game areas. A lot BDO is atmosphere and it's what impressed me about the game since returning. In future I hope PA will put some more effort into the music side. 

I played since beta and i loved the music from the start of, it was great and really did i immersed my self in the game, and the feeling it gave, was such a great fantasy feel. Later they changede some of it, i did not like that, but i still overall loved the music of the game and had it going since the music in the area's i spent most time still was great and helped me get the fantasy feel. (very rarely i might turn it off if i spent some time in a area and i really did not like the music and i felt it gave the wrong feel, but turn it on as soon i left that area)

For the first time now i got the music turned off all the time, since the music now completly ruin the feel of the game for me, as they do not fit the area or situation.

I hope these issues get addressed. 

Moving through Drieghan there was a beautiful piano piece that began, literally two bars of it, then it faded and changed to something more generic; 5 s of that then it changed, and so on. So clearly there are bugs persisting with the new system.

As you can see PA from this thread we generally all thoroughly enjoy the in-game music, it's just the way it's being delivered right now that has missed the mark.

Opening post was spot on. I completely loved  each regions identifying theme but now all regions have lost that identity due to this new mixed and chopped up soundtrack. I appreciate that a good deal of work goes on to give us adventurers  more variety than ever before in nearly all aspects of the game but perhaps in this instance it was better as it was and the music did not need this change.

However, some may enjoy it so the OP suggestion of a toggle between the old and new could perhaps be a very good option indeed for what is a most important aspect of Black Desert.

It's great to see that more and more people are voicing their critical opinions about this. I really hope the developers get to see this.

Ironically of all things, I turn the music mostly off during now because I resort to use the official music channel from Pearl Abyss.

It's janky this way but atleast I can use music kinda like it was for some places. I'm glad they uploaded the theme of Valencia City two days ago.

The theme fits the city perfectly and is a masterpiece on it's own. So why would I want to hear something else while being there?

Oh, one more word on the music while grinding. It's still a mess everywhere with unfitting pieces and weird cuts and moments of silence.
At Jade Starlight Forest I used this as it's theme when I was there:

I think the wild sounding drums fit the Okjinsinis very well.

I can only hope that PA comes to their senses. It shouldn't be that I have to resort to YouTube, not to mention PA's official music channel, to give BDO a soundtrack that fits.

I have to agree with some grinding areas and their music. Today I was at Nagas and multiple tracks played for only a few seconds or there was silence. You have to stay in the center of the area for any single track to play for more than a minute. Really disappointing!

Mediah and Valencia seem to have the least variety. I hear Sand Grain Bazzar's theme and Valencia Outskirts theme everywhere now.