Heya there,

Just a quick question...for music as in soundtracks, do you have to do them externally or are they included within the sounds for the ambient_generic?

If it's externally then do I have to use a .vpk?

Do you mean the released soundtracks by valve?
if you mean that , then yes.

You don't have to pack them into a .vpk if they are any of the files accessable in Hammer by default. If you want any of the in-game sounds/music/soundscapes, you do not need to pack those into a .vpk because everyone has them.

How do I know which track name is for what bit of music in Hammer, and where are they located in Hammer?

In hammer, if you make an ambient generic and browse for a sound, click on the Game Sounds tab and scroll down so it says RAW instead. Search "music" into the filter and just preview them with your sound on. They should be corresponding to the chapters, for example, if it says A1, it will be act one (destroyed areas). A2 will be rebuilding all the way up to the fall, A3 is old aperture, and A4 is wheatley-end.

Use "music" as your search filter when browsing for sound files.

Works every time.