diff --git a/OpenRA.Game/Sound/Sound.cs b/OpenRA.Game/Sound/Sound.cs
index 7ac399c040..8654ee2334 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Game/Sound/Sound.cs
+++ b/OpenRA.Game/Sound/Sound.cs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ namespace OpenRA
 			soundEngine.SetListenerPosition(position);
 		}
 
-		static ISound Play(Player player, string name, bool headRelative, WPos pos, float volumeModifier)
+		static ISound Play(Player player, string name, bool headRelative, WPos pos, float volumeModifier = 1f, bool loop = false)
 		{
 			if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(name))
 				return null;
@@ -109,16 +109,18 @@ namespace OpenRA
 				return null;
 
 			return soundEngine.Play2D(sounds[name],
-				false, headRelative, pos,
+				loop, headRelative, pos,
 				InternalSoundVolume * volumeModifier, true);
 		}
 
-		public static ISound Play(string name) { return Play(null, name, true, WPos.Zero, 1); }
-		public static ISound Play(string name, WPos pos) { return Play(null, name, false, pos, 1); }
+		public static ISound Play(string name) { return Play(null, name, true, WPos.Zero, 1f); }
+		public static ISound Play(string name, WPos pos) { return Play(null, name, false, pos, 1f); }
 		public static ISound Play(string name, float volumeModifier) { return Play(null, name, true, WPos.Zero, volumeModifier); }
 		public static ISound Play(string name, WPos pos, float volumeModifier) { return Play(null, name, false, pos, volumeModifier); }
-		public static ISound PlayToPlayer(Player player, string name) { return Play(player, name, true, WPos.Zero, 1); }
-		public static ISound PlayToPlayer(Player player, string name, WPos pos) { return Play(player, name, false, pos, 1); }
+		public static ISound PlayToPlayer(Player player, string name) { return Play(player, name, true, WPos.Zero, 1f); }
+		public static ISound PlayToPlayer(Player player, string name, WPos pos) { return Play(player, name, false, pos, 1f); }
+		public static ISound PlayLooped(string name) { return PlayLooped(name, WPos.Zero); }
+		public static ISound PlayLooped(string name, WPos pos) { return Play(null, name, true, pos, 1f, true); }
 
 		public static void PlayVideo(byte[] raw, int channels, int sampleBits, int sampleRate)
 		{
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/OpenRA.Mods.Common.csproj b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/OpenRA.Mods.Common.csproj
index 3bb01cbe2c..53ea4af361 100644
--- a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/OpenRA.Mods.Common.csproj
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/OpenRA.Mods.Common.csproj
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Traits\ShakeOnDeath.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\SmokeTrailWhenDamaged.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\Sound\ActorLostNotification.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Traits\Sound\AmbientSound.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\Sound\AnnounceOnBuild.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\Sound\AnnounceOnKill.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Traits\Sound\AnnounceOnSeen.cs" />
diff --git a/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/Sound/AmbientSound.cs b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/Sound/AmbientSound.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..967f8b9b2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/OpenRA.Mods.Common/Traits/Sound/AmbientSound.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#region Copyright & License Information
+/*
+ * Copyright 2007-2015 The OpenRA Developers (see AUTHORS)
+ * This file is part of OpenRA, which is free software. It is made
+ * available to you under the terms of the GNU General Public License
+ * as published by the Free Software Foundation. For more information,
+ * see COPYING.
+ */
+#endregion
+
+using OpenRA.Traits;
+
+namespace OpenRA.Mods.Common.Traits
+{
+	[Desc("Plays a looping audio file at the actor position. Attach this to the `World` actor to cover the whole map.")]
+	class AmbientSoundInfo : ITraitInfo
+	{
+		public readonly string SoundFile = null;
+
+		public object Create(ActorInitializer init) { return new AmbientSound(init.Self, this); }
+	}
+
+	class AmbientSound
+	{
+		public AmbientSound(Actor self, AmbientSoundInfo info)
+		{
+			if (self == self.World.WorldActor)
+				Sound.PlayLooped(info.SoundFile);
+			else
+				Sound.PlayLooped(info.SoundFile, self.CenterPosition);
+		}
+	}
+}