[MC-97521] `Unable to play empty soundEvent: minecraft:entity.snow_golem.ambient`

I know this issue is a duplicate, but I just need to tell that this bug still appear at the latest version of Minecraft.

1.9

[22:17:53] [Client thread/WARN]: Unable to play empty soundEvent: minecraft:entity.snowman.ambient

Environment

OS: Windows 10 Pro
JRE: Java 8 Update 66

Linked issues

is duplicated by 2

MC-203403 Snow golems do not have an ambient sound, despite the sound event existing Resolved

MC-261260 Unable to play empty soundEvent Resolved

relates to 6

MC-97958 Small slime has no jump or squish sound Resolved

MC-91893 Missing subtitles for various sounds Resolved

MC-311504 Empty sound events exist for fungus blocks Open

MC-132307 `Unable to play empty soundEvent: minecraft:entity.<fish>.ambient` Reopened

MC-177819 Unable to play empty soundEvent: minecraft:music.nether.warped_forest Resolved

1 more links

Comments 22

kumasasa 2016-02-19T07:14:57Z

In fact not a duplicate, added to the list of MC-91893.
_{In any other case:}_Don't_{deliberately create a duplicate, just leave a comment on the existing ticket}

migrated 2016-02-21T12:18:12Z

como vcs fizeram para conseguir jogar o minecraft?

migrated 2016-02-22T21:25:47Z

@cruz only english is allowed on this tracker

SteveKunG 2016-02-24T16:43:03Z

Still in 1.9 pre-3
[23:40:55] [Client thread/WARN]: Unable to play empty soundEvent: minecraft:entity.snowman.ambient

migrated 2016-02-24T16:45:01Z

not for me, try restarting the launcher

12 more comments

SteveKunG 2016-02-24T17:04:55Z

Still not working. I tried to re-downloading 1.9 pre-3.

migrated 2016-02-24T17:06:35Z

Completely ignored arguments: [--nativeLauncherVersion, 301]
[17:44:27] [Client thread/INFO]: Setting user: FVbico
[17:44:27] [Client thread/INFO]: (Session ID is token:d73bd847b50d46e9aabb88d9192bad09:79bf99e1621c4e91bd81a77a08b386ba)
[17:44:29] [Client thread/INFO]: LWJGL Version: 2.9.4
[17:44:37] [Client thread/INFO]: Reloading ResourceManager: Default
[17:44:37] [Sound Library Loader/INFO]: Starting up SoundSystem...
[17:44:38] [Thread-5/INFO]: Initializing LWJGL OpenAL
[17:44:38] [Thread-5/INFO]: (The LWJGL binding of OpenAL.  For more information, see http://www.lwjgl.org)
[17:44:38] [Thread-5/INFO]: OpenAL initialized.
[17:44:38] [Sound Library Loader/INFO]: Sound engine started
[17:44:39] [Client thread/INFO]: Created: 1024x512 textures-atlas
[17:45:11] [Client thread/INFO]: Connecting to XXXXX

I don't see a message on my part, I'll reopen it if more people still experience this

migrated 2016-02-29T23:46:45Z

Since the fix at 1.9 Pre 3 it doesn't happen on my side anymore

kumasasa 2016-03-01T00:03:58Z

Got that log right now in 1.9

Tinsel 2016-03-01T00:19:35Z

Is everyone sure this is an issue? Why can't it just be a sound event that exists but the devs purposely never put any sounds because.. snowmen don't make noises. Just throwing "works as intended" out there.

Marcono1234 2016-04-03T10:46:44Z

Probably the same reason as for MC-97958:

The sounds.json file (1.9) contains no entries for this sound event

"entity.snowman.ambient": {
    "sounds": []
},

[Mod] Asteraoth 2016-04-13T20:57:04Z

Confirmed for 16w15a and 16w15b

[Mod] Asteraoth 2016-05-01T23:56:36Z

Confirm for 1.9.3 pre-2

[Mod] Asteraoth 2016-05-15T07:09:16Z

Confirmed for 1.9.4

[Mod] Asteraoth 2016-05-21T22:23:58Z

Confirmed for 16w20a

Marcono1234 2016-09-27T16:01:53Z

@unknown I know this is kind of a suggestion, but there should be a way for the sounds.json file to tell that a sound event should play no sound. The way it currently is is pretty confusing because this is logged as warning.

Creeper Juice 2021-08-31T20:02:24Z

Why is this WAI?

ThisIsNotMyName 2021-09-08T19:42:32Z

also happens wth entity.cod/salmon/tropical_fish.ambient sound events

aceplante 2022-06-13T16:29:42Z

Still happens in 1.17

ZYX_2D 2022-08-17T00:05:06Z

1.19.2, minecraft:music.nether.warped_forest.

muzikbike 2026-09-10T16:37:03Z

I’m not sure if this was resolved as Works as Intended by Mojang or by a moderator. Regardless, I believe that this ticket is probably worth reconsideration in a modern light.

Following the precedents set by the reopening of MC-132307, triaging of MC-311504 and fixing of MC-275274, it seems clear to me that Mojang consider empty sound events and their resulting errors to be legitimate game and resource issues rather than intentional elements of game design, and that were this ticket created today rather than in 2016, it would have recieved similar such treatment.

Whether or not snow golems actually have an ambient sound or not is irrelevant - creepers also have no ambient sound, yet they don’t attempt to play one either, since we see no log error. Instead of an empty sound event, if snow golems are indeed to remain silent, there simply should be no attempt to play a sound event at all. This would keep the current in-game behaviour without throwing out frivolous errors all the time. An error indicates something is going wrong, and it is good programming practice to limit them.

muzikbike 2026-09-10T16:40:56Z

This should also be marked as related to MC-132307, MC-177819 and MC-275274.