Discord plays the same default notification sound for every server you join. This makes it hard to tell which server is pinging you without checking the app. You can change the notification sound for each server individually. This article explains how to set custom sounds per server and adjust other notification settings.
Discord lets you override the global notification sound on a per-server basis. You can mute certain servers, change the sound, or disable sounds entirely. The steps are the same on the desktop app and the web version.
Key Takeaways: Customizing Server Notification Sounds in Discord
- Server Settings > Overview > Server Notification Settings: Change the notification sound for a specific server without affecting others.
- User Settings > Notifications > Sounds: Disable all notification sounds globally or change the default sound.
- Right-click server icon > Notification Settings: Quick access to mute or set notification overrides for a server.
How Discord Notification Sounds Work
Discord uses a single system sound file for all notifications. By default, the sound plays when someone sends a direct message, mentions you, or uses the @everyone or @here mentions. The sound is the same regardless of which server triggers it.
You can override this behavior per server. Each server has its own notification settings that let you choose a different sound or silence the server entirely. These settings are stored on Discord’s servers, so they sync across all your devices.
The per-server sound override is available only in the desktop and web versions of Discord. The mobile app does not support custom per-server sounds. Mobile users can mute servers or change the global notification sound in their device settings.
Steps to Customize Notification Sounds for a Specific Server
Follow these steps to set a custom notification sound for one server. The sound will only play when that server sends a notification.
- Open Server Settings
Right-click the server icon in the left sidebar. Select Server Settings from the context menu. If you are a server owner or have the Manage Server permission, this option appears. If you do not see it, ask a server admin for access or use the quick access method described in the next step. - Go to Notification Settings
In the left panel of Server Settings, click Overview. Scroll down to the Server Notification Settings section. This section contains all sound and notification options for that server. - Choose a Notification Sound
Under Notification Sound, click the dropdown menu. Select one of the available sounds: Default, Chime, Ding, Echo, Flute, or None. If you select None, the server will not play any sound when you receive a notification. - Set Notification Preferences
Below the sound dropdown, choose how you want to receive notifications. Options include All Messages, Only @mentions, and Nothing. Selecting Nothing mutes all notifications from this server, including sounds. You can also check Suppress @everyone and @here to stop those mentions from triggering sounds. - Save Changes
Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Server Notification Settings section. The new sound will apply immediately for all notifications from that server.
Quick Access Method for Notification Settings
You can skip the Server Settings menu and change notification sounds directly from the server list.
- Right-click the server icon
In the left sidebar, right-click the server you want to customize. A context menu appears. - Select Notification Settings
Click Notification Settings from the menu. A small window opens with the same options found in Server Settings. - Adjust sound and preferences
Change the Notification Sound dropdown and the notification preference as described in the previous section. The changes save automatically. You do not need to click a Save button here.
Common Mistakes and Things to Avoid
Custom sound not applying to mobile devices
Discord does not support per-server notification sounds on iOS or Android. If you set a custom sound on desktop, the mobile app still uses the default system notification sound. To change sounds on mobile, use your phone’s notification settings or mute the server entirely.
Sound setting resets after app update
Some users report that custom per-server sounds reset to Default after a Discord update. This is a known bug. After updating, check your Notification Settings for each server you customized. Reapply the sound if needed.
Selecting None still plays a sound
If you set the Notification Sound to None but still hear a sound, the global notification sound may be playing instead. Go to User Settings > Notifications > Sounds and disable the Play sound for incoming calls and Play sound for messages options. This stops all sounds from playing when per-server sounds are set to None.
Discord Notification Sound Options: Per-Server vs Global
| Item | Per-Server Sound | Global Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Where to set | Server Settings > Overview > Server Notification Settings | User Settings > Notifications > Sounds |
| Affects | Only the selected server | All servers and direct messages |
| Available sounds | Default, Chime, Ding, Echo, Flute, None | Default, Chime, Ding, Echo, Flute, None, and system sounds |
| Syncs across devices | Yes, desktop and web only | Yes, all platforms |
| Mobile support | No | Yes, uses device notification sound |
You can now customize notification sounds for each Discord server individually. Start by right-clicking a server icon and opening Notification Settings. If you use Discord on mobile, remember that per-server sounds do not apply there. For advanced control, combine per-server sounds with the global notification settings in User Settings to fine-tune which servers make noise and which stay silent.