Fortnite continues to change how players use music

Zachary Roberts Published January 26, 2026

Epic Games has just made an update to music in Fortnite. No specific reason was given as to why they made this change, but it is a popular one, and it will increase purchases of Jam Tracks in all likelihood. That will increase V-Bucks sales, which is ultimately the bottom line.

Slowly but surely, actual songs with lyrics that are from real recording artists have become a much bigger part of the Battle Royale and its other modes. Now, players can put on songs while they’re playing a regular 100 PvP Battle Royale match.

Fortnite allows music in background of matches

As of now, Fortnite players can use their jam tracks in a regular Battle Royale match. Players can harvest trees to the sound of Popular by The Weeknd or build-fight with an enemy to the backing sound of Buddy Holly by Weezer.

The new feature was shown off in this video shared by several leakers. Players can simply go to the emote wheel, select a jam track, and have it begin playing in the background. This is likely the final evolution for the feature.

Music used to be nothing to Fortnite. Then, it started being added to emotes. Car radios could play certain songs. The arrival of Festival mode, though, accelerated everything, adding many new ways to use it. Around the same time, emotes in the Fortnite ICON Series began using both music and lyrics from actual songs.

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But Festival introduced Jam Tracks, which have ultimately led to this. Even in Battle Royale mode, players could pick up an instrument and play a piece of their Jam Track. With four total people, the whole song would be performed.

Then, Epic Games allowed Jam Tracks to be used when skydiving out of the Battle Bus and as a celebration of a Victory Royale. I use Applause by Lady Gaga when skydiving and Africa by Toto when I win, for example.

Now, gamers can simply pick any Jam Track, mostly from the Fortnite Item Shop, that they have and set it to play during the match. There’s really no upward evolution for the feature anymore, so this is the pinnacle of music in Fortnite.

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Featured image credit: Epic Games