Dead as Disco – How to Import Songs and Fix Beat Sync

Dead as Disco lets you bring your own music into Infinite Disco, then fight waves of enemies to the rhythm of the track you imported. The feature is simple once you know where it is, but the real difference comes from setting the right BPM, fixing Beat Offset, and knowing when a song needs extra work in the Advanced Editor.

This guide covers how to import songs in Dead as Disco, how to add custom music on PC and Steam Deck, which file formats work, and how to fix beat sync problems when your attacks feel early, late, or completely off the rhythm.

1. How to Unlock Custom Songs in Dead as Disco

Custom music is tied to Infinite Disco, so you need access to that mode before importing songs. Infinite Disco becomes available after you complete the tutorial. Once it is unlocked, you can start adding your own tracks through the Free Play section.

1. Complete the tutorial.
2. Go to the Level Select screen.
3. Select Infinite Disco at the bottom of the screen.
4. Open the Free Play tab at the top.
5. Select Add My Music above the song list.
6. Choose a local audio file from your device.
7. Save the song so it appears in the Free Play song list.

Music importing is exclusive to Infinite Disco. If you are looking through the normal level structure or challenge content, you will not find the custom song option there. On the main menu, Infinite Disco appears below Encore Bar, and once you enter the mode, you need to switch to Free Play instead of staying on the challenge levels.

Infinite Disco

2. How to Import Songs in Dead as Disco on PC

Importing a song on PC is the simplest version of the process because the game opens a file browser directly from the Add My Music button. After selecting the file, Dead as Disco shows the song details in-game, where you can review the track information before saving it.

1. On PC, open Infinite Disco.
2. Select Free Play and click Add My Music.
3. Choose the audio file from the file browser.
4. Review the song details that appear in-game.
5. Press Save.

Once saved, the imported song is added to the bottom of the Free Play song list.

3. Which Audio Files Work Best for Custom Songs

Dead as Disco accepts several audio formats, but MP3 is the safest option. The game supports wav, mp3, ogg, flac, aiff, m4a, wma, and aac files. However, excessively large files may not play properly, so smaller MP3 files are recommended when possible.

Tip: If you are preparing a song specifically for Infinite Disco, avoid files with long intros, music video noise, skits, or background audio before the actual track begins. Those sections can make syncing harder, especially when setting BPM and Beat Offset later.

4. How to Add Custom Songs on Steam Deck

Adding custom music on Steam Deck still uses Infinite Disco and Free Play, but the extra step is getting the audio file into the right folder first. If the song is not stored where the game expects it, it may not appear correctly when you try to import it.

Steam Deck File Explorer

4.1. Transfer the Song to Steam Deck

One practical method is to email the song file to yourself, then download it on the Steam Deck through Desktop Mode. This is not the only way to transfer files, but it is a straightforward option if you are not using external storage or cloud folders.

1. Send the song file to yourself from another device.
2. Hold the Steam Deck power button.
3. Select Switch to Desktop.
4. Open a browser.
5. Go to your email provider.
6. Download the song file.

4.2. Copy the Song to the Dead as Disco Music Folder

After downloading the file, open the file manager and copy the song from your Downloads folder. Then paste it into the Dead as Disco music folder:

/home/deck/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/3404260/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/Pagoda/Saved/MusicFiles/

You can navigate there manually or paste the folder path into the file manager search bar. If some folders do not appear, open the three-line menu near the search bar and enable hidden files.

4.3. Import the Song in Infinite Disco

Once the song is in the correct folder, launch Dead as Disco and import it through Free Play. The song will appear at the bottom of the Free Play song list.

If it still does not show up, check that the file was copied into the correct MusicFiles folder and that hidden folders were visible when navigating through the Steam Deck file manager.

5. How to Edit Songs in Dead as Disco

After importing a song, Dead as Disco lets you adjust several track details.

• Tempo: Controls the song’s BPM and overall beat speed.
• Beat Offset: Moves the beat grid so the beat lines land in the correct place.
• Start Time: Changes where the song begins, but does not fix sync issues.
• Beat Sound: Adds a click track that helps confirm whether the beat lines match the music.
• Calibrate: Lets you tap along with the beat to estimate the BPM.
• Add BPM Section: Lets you handle songs where the BPM changes during the track.

You can access deeper song editing through the Advanced Editor.To open it, select the imported track in the Free Play playlist, press the on-screen Edit prompt at the bottom of the screen, then choose Advanced Editor.

Advanced Editor

6. Best BPM Range for Imported Songs in Dead as Disco

Dead as Disco recommends a Tempo between 120 and 200 BPM for the best results. Tempo matters because the song’s BPM affects how quickly the rhythm structure runs, which also affects the pace of movement and attacks during the track.

If you already know the song’s BPM, enter it directly into the Tempo field. If you do not know it, use a BPM database such as Tunebat, or use the in-game Calibrate option and tap along with the beat to get a usable estimate.

7. How to Find the Correct BPM for Song Sync

Start every sync fix with BPM. If the Tempo is wrong, Beat Offset adjustments will not hold across the full track because the beat grid will drift as the song plays.

1. Select the imported song in the Free Play playlist.
2. Press the Edit input at the bottom of the screen.
3. Open the Advanced Editor.
4. Turn on Beat Sound under the timeline.
5. Click the number next to Tempo.
6. Enter the song’s correct BPM.

Beat Sound is useful because it adds a click track. That makes it easier to hear whether the beat lines are matching the song rather than relying only on visual timing.

If you cannot find the BPM online, select Calibrate under the timeline and tap or click along with the beat. This gives you a reasonable BPM estimate. After that, return to the Advanced Editor and adjust the Tempo until the Beat Sound stays matched with the track.

Tempo Edit

8. How to Use Beat Offset to Fix Sync Problems

Once the BPM is correct, use Beat Offset to line up the beat grid. This is often the most important fix for imported songs because many tracks have the right tempo but still start slightly ahead or behind the grid.

8.1. Find a Strong Beat in the Song

Move through the track until you find a section with a clear beat. A beat drop after a quieter section is ideal because the waveform peak is easier to spot. If the yellow play marker does not move freely across the timeline, press the Toggle BPM Section Edit Mode input shown over the timeline.

8.2. Zoom In on the Waveform

Zoom in tightly on the strong beat you selected. Look for the waveform peak. The closest pink beat line should land directly on that peak. Each pink line represents a beat on the in-game beat map.

8.3. Adjust Beat Offset in Larger Steps First

Start with a larger Beat Offset value, such as 100, so you can clearly see how the pink beat lines move. This helps you understand the direction of the adjustment before fine-tuning.

• If the pink line moves too far to the right: Lower the Beat Offset number.
• If the pink line is still left of the beat: Increase the Beat Offset number.
• If the pink line is close to the waveform peak: Start making smaller changes.

8.4. Fine-Tune Beat Offset by One or Two Points

When the pink line is close to the beat, stop making large changes. Adjust Beat Offset by one or two points at a time until the pink line lands on the waveform peak. Keep Beat Sound enabled while testing, because the click track helps confirm when the grid is properly aligned.

Beat Offset Tweaking

9. When to Use Start Time

Start Time is useful when a song has silence, a slow intro, spoken audio, or ambient noise before the rhythm begins. It does not change the song’s sync, and it does not replace BPM or Beat Offset tuning.

10. How to Test if a Song Is Properly Synced

After setting BPM and Beat Offset, test the song from the start and use the results to decide which setting needs another pass:

• Play the song from the beginning.
• Listen to whether the beat matches the track.
• Check whether your attacks land on the rhythm.
• Watch whether the timing stays consistent after several bars.
• If it starts right but drifts, return to BPM.
• If the beat feels off from the start, return to Beat Offset.
• If the playable section starts too late, adjust Start Time.