How do I set up PMDG 737 cabin announcements in MSFS?

To set up cabin announcements in the PMDG 737 for Microsoft Flight Simulator, first decide between its built-in crew/chime audio and a separate announcement utility. Enable the relevant PMDG sound levels, power the aircraft, test the passenger-sign and call controls, then configure any external utility through SimConnect and select the correct audio output.

What does the PMDG 737 play by itself?

The PMDG 737 provides aircraft chimes, call signals and some crew or cabin audio, but it should not be treated as a complete airline announcement sequencer. A passenger-sign switch may produce the expected chime without playing a welcome, safety, service or arrival message.

The available controls and their location can differ between PMDG releases and between Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Depending on the installed build, aircraft options may appear in the CDU's PMDG Setup pages, on the aircraft tablet, or across both interfaces.

Our guide to installing and triggering flight-sim announcement packages explains the wider differences between sound packs, cockpit-triggered audio and companion programs.

How do I enable the built-in PMDG cabin sounds?

Built-in PMDG sounds should work once the aircraft has normal electrical power and neither the aircraft nor simulator audio is muted.

1. Load the PMDG aircraft. Confirm that you selected the PMDG 737 rather than a default 737 or another add-on with a similar livery.
2. Establish normal electrical power. If starting cold and dark, connect external power or bring the APU and electrical buses online. Battery power alone may not place every relevant aircraft system in its normal operating state.
3. Check the PMDG audio options. Open the PMDG Setup pages through the CDU or tablet and look for sound, crew, cabin or PA levels. Raise the applicable level if your build exposes one, then apply or save the setting where offered.
4. Check the simulator and operating-system mixer. Make sure aircraft and cockpit sounds are audible and that Microsoft Flight Simulator is using the intended headset or speakers. A desktop utility has its own output setting and volume control.
5. Test the cockpit controls. Move the Fasten Belts switch and operate the attendant-call control while the aircraft is powered. These should test the chime or call circuit, but they will not necessarily start a spoken announcement.

The cockpit PA and call controls are not a library of prerecorded airline messages. If the chime works but no safety demonstration follows, that usually indicates normal built-in behaviour rather than a fault.

How do I add full airline cabin announcements?

Full boarding, safety, take-off, service and landing announcements normally require a compatible sound pack or an external announcement utility.

1. Choose the right package type. Use a sound pack for simple prerecorded clips, or a companion utility when you want automatic triggers based on doors, parking brake, passenger signs, altitude or flight phase.
2. Install it in the correct place. An add-on specifically packaged for the Community folder belongs there; a desktop executable does not. Avoid directly replacing PMDG aircraft files unless the package explicitly supports your PMDG version and provides restoration instructions.
3. Select the PMDG 737 profile. Choose the correct PMDG family or variant where the utility offers separate profiles. Generic airliner profiles may not read PMDG-specific doors, signs or custom simulation variables correctly.
4. Connect after loading the flight. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator, load into the PMDG cockpit, then launch or connect the utility. Modern MSFS installations include SimConnect, so a separate legacy installer should only be used when the utility's instructions specifically require it.
5. Configure the triggers. Assign manual buttons or verify each automatic condition individually. Test boarding, doors closed, safety demonstration, take-off and landing before attempting a complete flight.
6. Prevent duplicate playback. If the utility supplies its own sign chimes or crew calls, disable those duplicated sounds where possible or reduce one source's volume.

Should announcements use manual or automatic triggers?

Manual triggers are more reliable, while automatic triggers provide better timing once the aircraft profile is reading the PMDG systems correctly.

• Choose manual hotkeys when using custom recordings, flying online, or needing precise control over when a clip starts.
• Choose automatic triggers when the utility has a dedicated PMDG profile and correctly detects doors, signs and flight phases.
• Use a hybrid setup for dependable operation: automate routine chimes and keep safety, service and irregular-operation messages on manual buttons.

If you also want boarding, passenger counts and service events rather than audio alone, use a package designed for passengers and cabin-service functions.

Why are my PMDG 737 announcements not playing?

Most failures come from missing electrical power, an incorrect audio device, a disconnected companion utility or a trigger that cannot read PMDG's custom aircraft variables.

• No chime or call sound: establish normal aircraft power, check PMDG sound levels and confirm that the simulator's aircraft audio is not muted.
• Chime works but no speech follows: the switch is probably operating correctly; add a spoken-announcement package if that is the expected result.
• The utility says disconnected: load fully into the cockpit before connecting, then follow our steps to diagnose and repair the MSFS SimConnect connection.
• Manual buttons work but automatic triggers do not: select a dedicated PMDG profile. If none is available, keep the affected announcement on a hotkey rather than relying on a generic door or sign variable.
• The program shows playback but remains silent: inspect its own output device and the Windows volume mixer. Audio utilities do not necessarily follow the output selected inside MSFS.
• Two announcements play together: both PMDG and the add-on are responding to the same sign or flight-phase event. Disable one trigger or one sound source.
• A sound pack stopped working after an update: do not restore old aircraft files over a newer build. First update the PMDG 737 through the supported updater, then reinstall only a sound package confirmed compatible with that build.
• A Community package is ignored: check for an extra nested folder and remove duplicate or obsolete copies. The package's manifest should not be buried beneath several identically named directories.

Can I use PMDG cabin-announcement utilities on console?

Desktop announcement utilities and user-installed Community-folder sound packs are generally PC-only. On Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5, where the aircraft or package is offered for that platform, cabin audio is limited to the PMDG aircraft's built-in features and console-compatible Marketplace content.