Proximity voice chat on your Minecraft server (Simple Voice Chat)

Updated 4 November 2026

To get proximity voice chat on your Minecraft server, install Simple Voice Chat on the server and have every player who wants to talk install the same mod in their game. It needs one extra UDP port, and every ServerSpark Minecraft Java plan includes 1 extra port that you add yourself in SparkPanel, so it works from the 1 GB plan up without extra cost.

Facts about the mod were checked on 28 October 2026 in its official documentation (modrepo.de) and on Modrinth.

What you need

• A Minecraft Java server: Paper (our default), Purpur, Fabric, Forge or NeoForge. Simple Voice Chat exists for all of them.
• On the players' side: Minecraft Java with a mod loader (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt) and the Simple Voice Chat mod for the same Minecraft version. Players without the mod can still play; they just can't talk or hear.
• Bedrock players (phones, consoles) who join through Geyser can't use Simple Voice Chat; it is a Java mod.

Step 1: install it on the server

1. Open your server in SparkPanel. On a Paper server, go to the Plugins tab, search for Simple Voice Chat and install it. On a Fabric, Forge or NeoForge server, add the mod version from the Mods tab.
2. Prefer doing it by hand? Download the right file from modrinth.com/plugin/simple-voice-chat and upload it to plugins/ (Paper) or mods/ (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge) under Files.
3. Restart the server once. The mod now creates its settings file.

Step 2: give it its own port

1. In SparkPanel, open Network and add your extra port. Note the port number, for example 25601.
2. In Files, open plugins/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties (Paper) or config/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties (Fabric, Forge, NeoForge).
3. Set port= to your extra port, for example port=25601. Save and restart.

Why not use the normal port? Voice chat runs over UDP. The mod's own documentation says you can set port=-1 to share the Minecraft port, but strongly advises against it because UDP on that port is also used for server queries, and it may crash the server. If you also run Geyser, Geyser already uses UDP on your main port, so a separate port avoids any clash.

No extra port to add? Some older servers don't have one yet: email info@serverspark.nl with your server name and we add it for free. Need more ports, for example for a second voice or map plugin? The +3 ports extra costs €0.49 per month.

Step 3: every player installs the mod

1. Install a mod loader in the Minecraft launcher, for example Fabric, for the same Minecraft version as the server. A launcher like Modrinth App or Prism Launcher makes this a few clicks.
2. Add Simple Voice Chat for that version to the profile and start the game.
3. Join your server. The mod connects to voice chat on its own; open its menu (the default key is V) to set your microphone and push-to-talk.

Not connected?

• "Voice chat not connected" for everyone. The port in voicechat-server.properties is not the extra port from Network, or the server was not restarted after the change.
• It works for some players only. Their mod version doesn't match the server's, or they joined from Bedrock.
• Server lags since adding voice chat. Voice chat itself is light. Look at other causes first; see Fix Minecraft server lag.

Which plan?

Voice chat uses little memory, so pick your plan by players and plugins: 2 GB (€1.89 per month paid per quarter, €2.19 monthly billing) for a few friends, 4 GB (€4.19 / €4.39) for 5 to 15 players or many plugins, 6 GB (€6.09 / €6.29) for a modpack with voice chat. See How much RAM does a Minecraft server need?

Frequently asked questions