New “Bardic Inspiration” DnD Album is About to Drop

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Music has long been a part of Dungeons & Dragons, both mechanically with classes like the Bard, as well as in the real world, with Dungeon Masters often using music to bring drama and ambiance to the table.

Over the years, Wizards of the Coast has released a number of different musical products that tie in to the world of DnD. Now, a new album is about to drop entitled Bardic Inspiration: A Musical Journey through the Forgotten Realms. Created by composer Michael Gatt, it will be available sometime in the Fall of 2024 as both a vinyl record collectors set and in various digital formats.

So will this new DnD album deliver the goods? Below, we drum up all the details.

What is the “Bardic Inspiration” D&D album?

Bardic Inspiration is an orchestral album that features 12 original tracks, each of which is inspired by a location from the Sword Coast region of the Forgotten Realms. The music is created by noted film and TV composer Michael Gatt and includes a variety of different instruments along with a 40-person live choir.

The album, however, is more than just music and is being released as double vinyl gatefold collectors edition as part of the 50th anniversary of DnD. The final product will feature art direction from A.J Hanneld and new illustrations from long-time Magic: The Gathering artist Jeremy Jarvis that includes a gold dragon on the cover. The vinyl set will retail for around $50 USD, but you’ll also be able to snag a digital version online (although Wizards of the Coast has not yet confirmed what platforms it will be available on and how to order the physical product).

Notably, the title of the album is a play on the Bard class ability of Bardic Inspiration, which was recently updated in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

Who is Michael Gatt?

Michael Gatt is a Los Angeles-based composer who originally started out touring with live bands including Squeeze, Social Distortion and Spinal Tap. He later began to compose for film, television, commercials and video games, and over the years has worked with brands such as Warner Bros. and Universal Studios. Most notably, Gatt’s music has appeared in the animated film Batman: The Long Halloween and the recent animated series Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

What other DnD musical albums are available?

Believe it or not, Bardic Inspiration isn’t the first time DnD has been given the musical treatment. Most recently, in August 2022, Wizards of the Coast released a free online digital album entitled Spelljams that was designed as a tie-in to the release of the Spelljammer: Adventures in Space. The album – which you can also buy in a vinyl format – was a double LP that featured 19 different tracks. It was produced by Chris Funk, a DnD fan and the guitarist from the popular indie folk band The Decemberists and featured tracks from a variety of artists, including comedian/musician Reggie Watts and San Francisco-based rock band Osees.

Over the years, Wizards of the Coast has also released other albums, including most notably an album in 2003 simply entitled Dungeons & Dragons which was produced by the American ambient music duo Midnight Syndicate.

Final thoughts

Music can be a powerful element of Dungeons & Dragons, so it’s great to see it live on in a new album. It remains to be seen, however, just what the actual music will sound like and whether it will resonate with both DnD fans and music lovers.

We’ll be keeping a close eye (and ear) on this story in the days ahead and will update this page with more information about the new Bardic Inspiration album as it’s made available.

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