Audio Sidebar

Audio Sidebar

An Obsidian plugin that provides a persistent audio player in the right sidebar, unaffected by note navigation or scrolling.

Features

• Load all audio files from any vault folder into the sidebar
• Set a default vault folder in plugin settings and load it automatically
• Open a searchable one-shot SFX picker from the sidebar or command palette
• Audio keeps playing no matter which note you open or how far you scroll
• Single-track playback by default, with optional overlap for manual transitions
• Optional music overlap toggle for manual transitions between tracks
• Separate master, music, and SFX volume controls
• Music fade in, fade out, and automatic crossfade between tracks
• Loop toggle
• Real-time search to filter tracks by name
• Tracks sorted alphabetically
• Embed a clickable button in any note to load a folder and optionally auto-play a track
• Embed a clickable button in any note to play a one-shot sound effect

Supported formats

mp3 · wav · ogg · flac · m4a · webm · aac

Usage

Sidebar

Optional: set a default folder under Settings → Community Plugins → Audio Sidebar. Use a vault-relative path such as Music/Ambient. Optional: set a separate Sound effects folder there as well, for example SFX. Optional: enable Allow music overlap there if you want multiple music tracks to keep playing during transitions. Optional: set Master volume, Music volume, and Sound effects volume there, or adjust them live from the sidebar toolbar. Optional: set Music fade duration to control fade-ins, fade-outs, and crossfades between music tracks.

1. Click a folder in the file explorer (this selects it silently)
2. Click Load from selected folder in the Audio Sidebar
3. Press play on any track

The sidebar will not change or clear when you switch notes or tabs. Click the button again to load a different folder. Use the Overlap toggle in the track list header to switch between single-track playback and layered music playback. When overlap is off, starting a new track crossfades from the current track into the new one using the configured fade duration.

Use Play sound effect in the sidebar toolbar to open a searchable picker. Choosing a result plays it once without changing the current music list. Each entry has a small copy button on the right — clicking it copies a ready-to-paste audiosfx codeblock to your clipboard.

Codeblock

Embed a button in any note that loads a folder when clicked:

```audiosidebar
Music/Ambient
```

To also auto-play a specific track when clicked, add #trackname:

```audiosidebar
Music/Ambient#Rainy Tavern
```

The track name is matched by partial, case-insensitive search — #Tavern will match Rainy Tavern.mp3. The button displays the folder name and track name as a label.

To play a one-shot sound effect directly from a note, use audiosfx:

```audiosfx
SFX/Doors#Creaking Door
```

The content is folder/path#filename — the part before # is the vault-relative folder path, and the part after is the file's basename (without extension). This plays the effect once and does not loop.

If you have set a Sound effects folder in plugin settings, you can also use just the basename and the plugin will search that folder automatically:

```audiosfx
Creaking Door
```

The easiest way to get the correct syntax is to open the SFX picker and click the copy button next to any sound — it copies a ready-to-paste codeblock for that file.

Command

The command Audio Sidebar: Load audio from current note's folder is available in the command palette and can be bound to a hotkey. It opens the sidebar and loads the folder of whichever note is currently active.

The command Audio Sidebar: Open sound effects picker opens the same one-shot SFX search modal without needing the sidebar button.

Installation

Copy the plugin folder into your vault's .obsidian/plugins/ directory and enable it under Settings → Community Plugins.

Author

Patriek Jeuriens GitHub: https://github.com/pjeurien/obsidian-audio-sidebar