Are you thinking about what music to create and use in your game? You've probably spent a significant amount of time developing your game and working hard on it to ensure that it's the very best that it can be. Music plays an important role in games and therefore I'm sure that you will want to have the best music that you find and/or create for your game.
As a game music composer, I often get asked about the music making process and if I have any tips to offer. Here are 3 mistakes to avoid when thinking about and when creating music for your game...
1. Making it too repetitive
In an ideal world, you would probably love it if people were to spend a long time playing your game. If they really enjoy it, they would return to play it again and again. What this means for the music – is that it will be listened to over and over again by your gamers. So, if you’re repeating your track(s) on a loop, if you lack variety in your in-game music or if your music is simply dull – it will get on people’s nerves!
Read my article on: 3 Basic but Important Game Music Rules! to make sure you start on the right track!
2. Meshing too many sounds together
It can be tempting to create or choose music that you like to listen to and to use this in your game. However, it might not work with what you’re trying to do. If the music you’ve chosen has a strong melody, if you put that together with a voiceover for example and/or with lots of sound effects – the whole experience could end up feeling quite confusing and overwhelming to the user. Choose your music carefully to fit the different moments in your game. Use strong and memorable melodies for key moments when the music can be at the forefront of the action. Use softer tracks with less going on in them for background moments in your game.
You may also want to take a look at: 5 Ways to Use Music in Your Game.
3. Using too many different types of music in your game
When you have lots of different musical styles all in one game, it can often end up feeling disjointed. It pays to have consistency across your game both in the visuals and the audio side of things. By thinking about the style of your game generally and making sure that everything else fits in with that ‘brand’ – you will help to ensure that the user experience is more cohesive. (Also check out: How to Choose the Right Music for Your Game)
Now with these things in mind, I hope that you manage to find the right music for your game. I would encourage you to take your time in creating the music and in finding the right ‘sound’ for your game.
Need help with the music?
Feel free to contact me to explore how we might work together!
About the author: Ninichi is a games, film and media composer and music enthusiast. She is the in-house composer for games company Quinton Studios and works freelance on a range of music-related projects for games, films & other commercial uses.
If you'd like some custom music for your game or other project, she would be delighted to help. Please contact her now to discuss your music needs. Feel free to listen to some of her game music and to follow her @ninichimusic
