diff --git a/public/configuration/soundboard-sounds.json5.example b/public/configuration/soundboard-sounds.json5.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dffaaa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/public/configuration/soundboard-sounds.json5.example
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+    // Soundboard pads loaded from a file — used as a FALLBACK when the server
+    // (soundboard_sounds DB table) returns no sounds. Copy this file to
+    // `soundboard-sounds.json5` (without .example) and add your sounds. JSON5:
+    // // comments and trailing commas are allowed.
+    //
+    // Fields:
+    //   id   - unique number (pad key)
+    //   name - label shown on the pad
+    //   url  - audio file URL (mp3/ogg/wav). Relative urls resolve against
+    //          `soundboard.url.prefix` (falls back to `asset.url`).
+    //
+    // NOTE: file-defined pads play LOCALLY for the person who clicks them. To
+    // broadcast a pad to everyone in the room, the sound must exist server-side
+    // in the soundboard_sounds table (same flow as custom badges). The file is
+    // the no-DB / offline option; the DB is the multiplayer one.
+    sounds: [
+        // { id: 1, name: 'Airhorn', url: 'https://your-host/airhorn.mp3' },
+    ],
+}
diff --git a/src/components/soundboard/SoundboardView.tsx b/src/components/soundboard/SoundboardView.tsx
index 6508d78..76d7a80 100644
--- a/src/components/soundboard/SoundboardView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/soundboard/SoundboardView.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ export const SoundboardView: FC<{}> = () =>
                             { sounds.map(sound => (
                                 <button
                                     key={ sound.id }
-                                    onClick={ () => play(sound.id) }
+                                    onClick={ () => play(sound) }
                                     title={ sound.name }
                                     className="flex h-20 cursor-pointer flex-col items-center justify-center gap-1 rounded-lg bg-[#3a7bb5] px-2 text-white shadow transition-transform hover:bg-[#336ea3] active:scale-95">
                                     <span className="text-2xl leading-none">🔊</span>
diff --git a/src/hooks/soundboard/useSoundboard.ts b/src/hooks/soundboard/useSoundboard.ts
index d436962..e671e59 100644
--- a/src/hooks/soundboard/useSoundboard.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/soundboard/useSoundboard.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,32 @@
-import { ISoundboardSound, SoundboardPlayComposer, SoundboardPlayEvent, SoundboardSetEnabledComposer, SoundboardSettingsEvent } from '@nitrots/nitro-renderer';
-import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import { ISoundboardSound, loadGamedata, SoundboardPlayComposer, SoundboardPlayEvent, SoundboardSetEnabledComposer, SoundboardSettingsEvent } from '@nitrots/nitro-renderer';
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { useBetween } from 'use-between';
 import { GetConfigurationValue, SendMessageComposer, setSoundboardRoomEnabled } from '../../api';
 import { useMessageEvent } from '../events';
 
+// A pad as the client uses it. `local` marks pads that came from the JSON5 file
+// fallback rather than the server (DB) — those play locally on click because the
+// server can't resolve their id to broadcast them.
+export type ClientSoundboardSound = ISoundboardSound & { local?: boolean };
+
+const playLocal = (url: string) =>
+{
+    if(!url) return;
+    try
+    {
+        const audio = new Audio(url);
+        audio.volume = 0.8;
+        void audio.play().catch(() => {});
+    }
+    catch {}
+};
+
 // Resolve a stored sound url (which may be relative, like custom badges) to an
 // absolute one against the asset host.
 const resolveUrl = (url: string): string =>
 {
     if(!url) return '';
-    if(/^https?:\/\//i.test(url) || url.startsWith('//')) return url;
+    if(/^https?:\/\//i.test(url) || url.startsWith('//') || url.startsWith('/')) return url;
 
     const base = (GetConfigurationValue<string>('soundboard.url.prefix') || GetConfigurationValue<string>('asset.url') || '').replace(/\/+$/, '');
     return base ? `${ base }/${ url.replace(/^\/+/, '') }` : url;
@@ -20,37 +37,67 @@ const resolveUrl = (url: string): string =>
 const useSoundboardState = () =>
 {
     const [ enabled, setEnabled ] = useState(false);
-    const [ sounds, setSounds ] = useState<ISoundboardSound[]>([]);
+    const [ serverSounds, setServerSounds ] = useState<ISoundboardSound[]>([]);
+    const [ fileSounds, setFileSounds ] = useState<ClientSoundboardSound[]>([]);
     const [ lastPlayed, setLastPlayed ] = useState<{ soundId: number; username: string } | null>(null);
+    const fileLoadStartedRef = useRef(false);
 
     useMessageEvent<SoundboardSettingsEvent>(SoundboardSettingsEvent, event =>
     {
         const parser = event.getParser();
         setEnabled(parser.enabled);
-        setSounds(parser.sounds);
+        setServerSounds(parser.sounds);
         setSoundboardRoomEnabled(parser.enabled);
     });
 
     useMessageEvent<SoundboardPlayEvent>(SoundboardPlayEvent, event =>
     {
         const parser = event.getParser();
-        const url = resolveUrl(parser.url);
-
-        if(url)
-        {
-            try
-            {
-                const audio = new Audio(url);
-                audio.volume = 0.8;
-                void audio.play().catch(() => {});
-            }
-            catch {}
-        }
-
+        playLocal(resolveUrl(parser.url));
         setLastPlayed({ soundId: parser.soundId, username: parser.username });
     });
 
-    const play = useCallback((soundId: number) => SendMessageComposer(new SoundboardPlayComposer(soundId)), []);
+    // Fallback: when the soundboard is on but the server (DB) provided no pads,
+    // load them from the JSON5 file once. loadGamedata accepts plain JSON and
+    // JSON5 (// comments) — same loader used for the avatar effect map.
+    useEffect(() =>
+    {
+        if(!enabled || serverSounds.length || fileLoadStartedRef.current) return;
+        fileLoadStartedRef.current = true;
+
+        const url = GetConfigurationValue<string>('soundboard.sounds.url') || 'configuration/soundboard-sounds.json5';
+
+        (async () =>
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                const json = await loadGamedata<{ sounds?: ISoundboardSound[] }>(url);
+                const list = Array.isArray(json?.sounds)
+                    ? json.sounds
+                        .filter(s => s && s.url)
+                        .map(s => ({ id: s.id, name: s.name, url: s.url, local: true }))
+                    : [];
+                setFileSounds(list);
+            }
+            catch {}
+        })();
+    }, [ enabled, serverSounds.length ]);
+
+    const sounds: ClientSoundboardSound[] = serverSounds.length ? serverSounds : fileSounds;
+
+    const play = useCallback((sound: ClientSoundboardSound) =>
+    {
+        if(!sound) return;
+        // File-defined pad: the server doesn't know it, so play it locally.
+        if(sound.local)
+        {
+            playLocal(resolveUrl(sound.url));
+            return;
+        }
+        // DB-backed pad: let the server broadcast it to everyone in the room.
+        SendMessageComposer(new SoundboardPlayComposer(sound.id));
+    }, []);
+
     const setRoomEnabled = useCallback((value: boolean) =>
     {
         setEnabled(value);
@@ -62,7 +109,7 @@ const useSoundboardState = () =>
     const reset = useCallback(() =>
     {
         setEnabled(false);
-        setSounds([]);
+        setServerSounds([]);
         setLastPlayed(null);
         setSoundboardRoomEnabled(false);
     }, []);