Better Music Mod (Updated)

A simple way to replace the default music with better, PS1 quality music.

Why?

The reason you should install this mod is because FF8's PC music is low quality MIDI. Back when the game was released, MIDI was used by many soundcards to create high quality music with low filesize. Nowadays, however, soundcards are much more advanced and can support better quality music.

Many players of this game are also used to the PS1 version of the game, so they are also familiar with the music. The default PC music just sounds hollow compared to this, so it's desirable to replace it.

There are two options when it comes to replacing the audio, OGG and SGT, options 1 and 2 respectively.
OGG audio offers identical quality to the PS1, as well as the ability to replace the audio with custom soundtracks.
SGT is similar to the PS1 audio, but can be noticably different in some parts. It allows for little modification, but is much easier to install.

Note: If you wish to try out both mods, it is recommended to install the SGT mod as you can install the OGT mod over the top of the SGT mod, but not vice-versa.

Option 1 - Roses and Wine

By using Roses and Wine you can make Final Fantasy VIII redirect from using the standard SGT audio to using high quality OGG audio. This allows not only for PS1 quality audio, but also the possibility of replacing the OST with custom mods.

Step 1: Downloading the files

Because of the large filesize, I have had to split the archive into 3 files. If you do not know how to combine these files, install 7zip, highlight all the files and then right-click and select 7-Zip -> Extract Here. Alternately, use {LINK REMOVED}[Roses and Wine - Steam Version.torrent] supplied by Covarrfetch'd.

First, download RaW.zip [Part 1][www.2shared.com] [Part 2][www.2shared.com] [Part 3][www.2shared.com] and extract RaW.exe. Once this had been done, navigate to \Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY VIII\ and backup the following files:

• /data/
  
• ff8.exe
  
• ff8_launcher.exe

This is done just so that if the installer fails, or you wish to revert the mod, you can do so easily.

Step 2: Running the installer

Once extracted, run the installer (RaW.exe) as administrator. (Right click -> Run as Administrator). You may get some warnings from your antivirus for either lack of users or suspicious activity. This is just because the application is new, and the way it patches the files can be mistaken for the way a virus installs itself.
Proceed through the license agreement and it should automatically detect your Final Fantasy 8 folder. If it doesn't, insert the path and click continue.

On the next part, there are a few options. The most important option is to select 2013 Steam. If you select 2000, you may get errors and be forced to revert your backups.
Now there are options for music mods. The original PS1 audio is "Original Soundtrack" although you may wish to select other options. Once you have decided, click continue.

You will come to a summary page, click install and wait for the progress to complete. Once done, click finish and the mod will be installed.

Now, if you load FF8 the higher quality OGG audio should be playing.

Option 2 - SGT

Although this music isn't 100% the same as the PS1's music, it's pretty much the best available without a complete overhaul of the game.
Note, I did not create the modifications for this. I merely wrote the guide. All credit for the files go to Samuel Slight.

Step 1: Downloading the files

First, download [dmusic.zip][www.2shared.com] https://mega.co.nz/#!aVoyhYQK!DXc0HsqJa4rh5qGiiawxMhq5Q18KzSqtsKA1rYxiR6Q and save it somewhere on your PC.
Once you have downloaded this file, extract them to a folder names /dmusic/

Step 2: Replacing the original music

Navigate to \Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY VIII\Data\Music\. You will see 2 folders and 1 file.

• /dmusic/
  
• /stream/
  
• eyes_on_me.wav

Now stream and eyes_on_me.wav are both full quality audio, similar to the PS1. However, /dmusic/ is low-quality sgt files. sgt are similar to midi in that they use soundfonds to create audio, not the ideal option.

First, create a copy of /dmusic/ and name it /dmusic_old/. This is incase you wish to restore the original music tracks, or you mess up the installation.
Once you have done this, copy the /dmusic/ folder that you extracted from dmusic.zip earlier to \Steam\steamapps\common\FINAL FANTASY VIII\Data\Music\. It will ask you to overwrite files, press "Yes to all". By doing this it ensures that any missing files still remain.

Once this is done, you should have a structure like this:

• /dmusic/
  
• /dmusic_old/
  
• /stream/
  
• eyes_on_me.wav

Now if you load FF8 through Steam, you should have the new, enhanced music! Enjoy!

Credits

I found a lot of the information in this guide at [this page][ffsf.aaron-kelley.net]. I simply wrote a guide and mirrored the files as I was unable to find a working download link.
Specifically, credits go to Aaron Kelley and Samuel Slight as they provided the files to make this modification possible.
I'd also like to thank Steam users Assimi and Covarrfetch'd for providing me with information about the OGG modification.

Roses and Wine was created by DLPB. Please donate to him https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=Iv7r-dy8zhzMbdRtQlDH2quW-t_lZ7OjHPTVcfVCl7CDvALyYM0GWKktcDK&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8def8934b92a630e40b7fef61ab7e9fe63. Without his software, there would be no easy way to use OGG music in Final Fantasy VIII.

[David86100]

Merci :)

[DarkAlenia]

Yeah...thats the .exe I was talking about in my post that got deleted xD

[Osaka]

Oh, I just noticed that Sendspace use a download manager. I will modify this and rehost it. Sorry!

[Aulayna]

I'm not sure if someone has remote access to your computer, or not, Osaka. But the download link originally sent me too a location which downloaded a bogus sendspace downloader - which is an installer full of malware and remote administration tools. I just had a lot of fun removing that from my computer. I'm not going to accuse anyone of anything, as I see there's a different link there now, but your comment mentions other people claiming it was Trojan. So if it's not you, then perhaps someone else is editting that link in? :/

[Osaka]

Sorry, I've had a few comments that have claimed that it's a trojan when it clearly isn't so I've generally been wiping any comments that have seemed fishy.

There are a few graphic mods, but they're not too impressive. I was looking for a way to make the overworld load in high quality texture mode, but it seems that it's an issue with the launcher and of course using the Squeenix launcher nullifies this.

[DarkAlenia]

Instead of deleting my comment, you could have explained to me the mistake I made that I just figured out. Thanks.

Anyway...thanks for sharing the files.
Are there any graphics mods for VIII like there was for VII?

[Osaka]

Sadly this is the best I found. There are alternate mods that I linked in the credits, but I found this to be the most accurate to PS1 quality.

[Captain Joystick]

Would you be able to do this same thing to install even higher quality, alternate music?

[Ðio!]

Many thanks to you! worked 100%!!!

[LolindirLink]

def. savingthis for a future purchase of VIII !!
thanks! love these kind of overhauls <3