I do I almost always have iTunes on whilst playing. I just turn the sound options quite low on my game.

Yeah, me too, especially in build/buy. The game music gets boring after a while!

Sometimes. I usually play in my room, so I'll have my iPlod playing next to me on my iHome. I cancel out of everything when I'm playing the Sims so I don't have my iTunes going. I used to, though, when I only had a) the base game or b) Sims 2.

I'm almost always listening to music while playing

I have placed a lot of my favorite music into the game. I listen to that. I generally listen to Mahler if I listen form an outside source. Somehow his music seems like the best fit. Also a French composer who no one has ever heard of named Alberic Magnard, his music is similar to Mahler in some ways. Also sometimes I’ll listen to Haydn. Although I love rock music and jazz, I rarely listen to anything but classical when simming.

I also just want to say this is such a great site, and so useful – I am unemployed now but when I can I definitely will make at least a contribution, as I have benefited from the stuff on here so much.

Usually "classic pop" -- standards like Da Linnip, Podie Tie, or oldies like Pocketful of Sunshii -- whilst in the game. Other genres at other times, though. There is Celtic music in my Custom Music directory. In general my main reason not to turn on music would be that there's already music playing out of the same speakers

For The Sims 2, after I got Seasons and I really started playing it, I actually listened to the in-game music a lot. I was usually listening to the Classical station.

However, with The Sims 3 I primarily listen to my iPod. I've never tried running any game with iTunes open and playing. Besides I like being able to have full control over both my iPod and my computer if I want to listen to something in the game. Plus, I skip through songs, so that wouldn't work out too well for me.

I usually open up media player and play music from there. I've never thought of using my mp3 player, though. I actually like that idea, since it would give me better control over what I want to listen to. But, yeah, I don't listen to in-game music pretty much ever. Not because I don't like it, but after a while, it gets old.

I listened to the sim's radio for entertainment.

I have never liked TS3's default music. The music is boring and repetitive, most of the music doesn't really suit the game that well. However, I'm tolerant enough to actually have the music play as normal.

If I'm building, decorating, or anything else that isn't strictly playing the game, I'll usually mute the game music and turn iTunes on in the background. Otherwise, it's gameplay as normal--full sound, no interferences.

I play TS3 in windowed mode for about 4 months now, which is usual because I can have my mediaplayer running and skip songs without having to minimize the game

No, I like hearing the game sounds, I think it's part of the experience. The only Sim music that drives me insane is the kids channel. When I'm building, I turn sound off.

TS3 is too much of a RAM hog to run a media player simultaneously on the PC.
An external iPod is the answer.
Sometimes I put TS2 music on. It inspires me when I build.

No I like the ingame music and the Sim sound (except in build/buy mode) BUT I usually have movies or tv shows going in the background with the volume a little lower than the Sims sounds. That way I can listen for when my sims' phone rings.

When I'm in buy mode I usually listen to Pandora Radio on my ipod. But sometimes I just turn the sound off and play the entire game to my own soundtrack. lol

I listen to Pandora right on website, while muting the music and ambient sounds of TS3.

While I am already tired and fed up with TS3 music, I feel it is still good to listen to the sound feedbacks from the game, like the sound of car, sims doing stuff, click sounds of TS3 menus. I don't hear music from in game stereo, and I mute the TV so I don't hear their sounds either. It works out well except the sound of playing video games, I wish I knew a way to turn that off.

Beside Pandora, I actually spend more time watching Netflix while playing TS3. That is because I indulge the luxury of having 2 monitors. Oh no, I didn't buy 2nd monitor just for TS3, but it is almost a requirement for my work.

Edit: I do agree about the RAM hogging part. But since I have 8Gb of RAM, I have a lot of RAM to go around for TS3 to chew on. Just don't try to play another game while TS3 is on.

I like in the game sounds, especially with a virtuoso sim in the shower singing away, it makes me smile The only in game sound that bugs me is some of the sounds gardening sims make, some are a bit wierd, oh and of course the buy/build music which is duly muted (there is a new tune there btw!) .. ..

I listen to all the game sounds as well, even the music. I've spent SO many hours in build/buy mode that I don't even hear the music anymore. Though I will notice that some of the build/buy music will pop into my head at random times, while I'm at work, in the shower, in my dreams...

The only sounds I can't stand in the game are listening to Sims snore and when slob/messy Sims eat like pigs. Those are two sounds I absolutely hate in real life, so in the Sims I can at least escape to Map View while those are going on. =)

I usually watch tv while simming. Unless of course I want to play the sims on my 40" tv . I like all the sims sounds

I usually get so tuned into the actual game play that I don't notice any sounds after a while, If I did listen to music I wouldn't be able to tell you what song I was on.

While playing Sims2 (or Sims3), I have Winamp play a special mix which includes:
- music from The Sims 1, SimCity 3000, SimCity 4, SimCity Societies, and their expansions
- pop/rock and roll from the 1950s and 1960s
- light rock from the 1970s, 1980s
- Various eighties genres (pop, new wave, synth)
- 90s-2000s pop and alternative


Since I own ALL the Sims 1 discs I have a fairly...expansive collection there.

I just play Bring me the Horizon or August Burns Red.