There comes a time in every game development process where one will start to think about the music. Can you create the soundtrack yourself? Should you try to find some royalty free music to use? Should you hire a composer? There are many options available to you, but which way should you go!?
There are many reasons why I believe that spending time and money on getting quality music for your game is an excellent step forwards but you will need to decide this for yourself. If you are looking for someone to work with on your game music - why not pop me an email: ninichimusic@gmail.com to explore this further. I'm a game music composer and would love to help!
To get you started, however, here are 5 key reasons why it's a good idea to take this seriously and to really invest in getting some great game music...
1. Create the Right Mood
Getting the right type of music playing at the right time in a game can be really powerful. Music is often the main element in a game that really sets the scene and contributes to the mood of any game. If you don’t choose your music carefully, you will be missing a trick and an opportunity to really engage with those playing your game.
2. Make your game stand out
By creating a unique and stunning game music soundtrack, you can really make your game stand out above the rest. Memorable tunes stick in people’s minds and have a life beyond the basic game and gameplay.
3. Be a pro and get taken seriously
Have you ever come across a great, professional looking game that has really bad game music? If so – you are incredibly unlucky and hopefully you’d agree that this isn’t the norm. Most great games will give serious thought to what music to have playing across the different parts of the gameplay. Make your game appear professional from all angles.
4. Immerse people in your world
As well as creating the feelings and mood in a game, the music is what connects us to the game-world. It can be that one thing that helps to complete and create a truly immersive experience. Through the music you can feel like you are really there since music affects us in ways that visual cues cannot.
5. Have your own Theme tune
Make your game that bit more memorable by creating your own catchy theme tune. Theme tunes often stand-alone as great pieces of music and so if you’ve invested in a great soundtrack, people will come to appreciate that and associate that theme song with your game.
About the author: Ninichi is a game and film music composer. She works on a range of freelance composing projects supporting talented game developers and film makers with their music.
Want some great custom music for your game? Listen to Ninichi's game music or contact her now to discuss your game music needs.
Follow her @ninichimusic
When you decide to work with your friends, it can be hugely exciting. However, it’s also important to establish some clear boundaries if and where you can in order to prevent potential conflicts arising during your project.
When you decide to work with your friends, it can be hugely exciting. However, it’s also important to establish some clear boundaries if and where you can in order to prevent potential conflicts arising during your project.
Are you a game designer, game artist or indie game developer? If so, welcome to my blog! I’m Ninichi and I’m a game music composer. I make music for indie games, films, shows and anything that needs music really! I also run this blog on my website, which tries to offer a place for people to learn, get inspired, share experiences, get tips and much much more.
I’m delighted to be sharing with you some thoughtful tips and insights today, from Lucy Jamie - a super friendly game artist and designer based in Melbourne. She has over 5 years of professional experience in the field and is currently
Are you an indie game developer wondering how to fund your game? Perhaps some of these organisations and indie developer funds could be worth looking at. I’m Ninichi - a freelance game music composer (see my homepage) and as such have worked with many different indie developers and indie game studios on their projects. One big challenge that I’ve noticed is often the financial side of game development. There are many options available to you, including self-financing, crowd-funding, finding a publisher and so on, but one area that is sometimes overlooked or not really considered is that of grants and other funding sources.
It is very easy as a keen indie game developer, to spend more and more time on your game and to overwork yourself into the ground. You have a vision for your game, you have an impossible number of things to do, there’s lots to learn and to try out and to fix and to design, code, get modelled, integrated and so on. The list is endless but your energy is not. As an indie game music composer (see my stuff!) working alongside many game developers, I've seen this happen many times.
It is so easy for anyone keen to succeed in any industry and/or in any job, or working on any project of significance, to burn out – but we must do all that we can to prevent this. If you burn out, your energy levels deplete, your enthusiasm and positivity vanishes, your work becomes suboptimal and ultimately even if you finish the project, it won’t be your best work.It is so easy for anyone keen to succeed in any industry and/or in any job, or working on any project of significance, to burn out – but we must do all that we can to prevent this.
After having connected with various indie game developers (often supporting them with their game music), I’ve discovered that there are many challenges that one faces in the game development journey.
It can be a tricky road to travel and it’s always good to know what to avoid if you can and so I’ve tried here to highlight some common issues and mistakes that I’ve heard/seen/witnessed people going through. I hope that you will be able to take something away from this and that you find these useful. So here are some key mistakes to note and avoid as you develop your game…After having connected with various indie game developers (often supporting them with their game music), I’ve discovered that there are many challenges that one faces in the game development journey.
So, you have a great idea and maybe even an awesome team working on it already! That is an excellent start, however, the often tricky issue of financing your project may be something you have yet to decide on and to have set up for you.
Are you sure that you have the funds to see your exciting project through? If not, then crowdfunding may be something for you to consider.
If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! I’m a game music composer and believe that communication is key to a strong working relationship. In order to ensure that you get the best music for your project, whether it’s a game music soundtrack, film score or anything else – knowing how to communicate effectively with your chosen composer can really help. Here are a few tips that I hope will help you to get the most out of your working relationship with your composer.If this is your first time visiting my blog, welcome! I’m a game music composer and believe that communication is key to a strong working relationship. In order to ensure that you get the best music for your project, whether it’s a game music soundtrack, film score or anything else – knowing how to communicate effectively with your chosen composer can really help.
If you’re thinking about hiring a composer for your project – whether it’s a game, a commercial, a film or anything else, it’s important to find the right person to work with. There are many composers around, however, unfortunately we are not all the same! As with other industries, there are good ones and bad ones and it’s important to know what to look out for when doing your due diligence and deciding who’s best for your project.
Do you need some music for your game, film or media project? You may be at that key stage of weighing up your options, contacting music composers and exploring music production libraries online. I've been composing for a while now and have supported many indie game developers and indie filmmakers with their projects - and so I understand some of the dilemmas that you may be tackling. If you want to chat about it, I'd be happy to hear from you. Feel free to email me at ninichimusic@gmail.com to explore working together and your options further.
Knowing which route to take and which platform to use to distribute your game to the world can be challenging. Maybe you’ve done it before, maybe you haven’t – but the aim of this article is to try and offer a little bit of help in laying out what the main options are and could be for you.
In order to ensure that you get the very best game music soundtrack for your game, you will need to brief your composer as well as you can. As a game music composer myself (learn more about me), I have experience in working with many different types of people and clients – from indie game developers, small game studios, filmmakers, podcasters, tv producers and more.
If you’re working on your first game or perhaps you’ve done a few already but now you’re considering hiring a composer to work with you, this may feel like a big step! It could feel like a risk or a bit daunting to be bringing on someone new to the team, but it doesn’t have to be difficult or scary.
I’m a game music composer (see some of my music) and have worked with various indie game developers on their projects and have found it a very rewarding, fun and simple process. It could be this for you as well!
As a game music composer, I believe that the music that one chooses and includes in a game is really important. I think that in some cases, it is easy to underestimate the impact that great game music can have on a players experience and perception of a game. This is an easy mistake to make but I am hoping that this article will help to convince you of the real potential that well chosen and well placed music can have in your game.
As a composer for games, film and other media, I am often asked about sound effects and where to find some for various projects. I myself specialise in music only and so I don't create sound effects - however, there are many resources online which offer great audio clips for various uses. Many of these are free to use, some requiring creator attribution and some not at all. Others do charge for the sound effects but they don't charge much, so they're worth exploring too. I've attempted to list some of these sound effect libraries in the hope that this is a helpful reference for you...
One of the reasons that many of us find games so enjoyable is because of the music. Music can really help to enhance a players experience of a game and to immerse them in it. When choosing what music to put to your game, it is important to have in mind the various ways that music can be used throughout the game…
There comes a time in every game development process where one will start to think about the music. Can you create the soundtrack yourself? Should you try to find some royalty free music to use? Should you hire a composer? There are many options available to you, but which way should you go!?
Working with the right composer is such an important part to any successful project – whether you’re producing a film (see my cinematic music), working on an artistic project or creating a new game (see my game music examples).
To me, given that I am a game music composer (learn more about me!)– the music within games plays a crucial role in enhancing a gamer’s experience and appreciation for a particular game. Without music that really suits a game, the experience for a player can be significantly diminished. However, don’t just take my word for it!
As a big supporter of indie game developers and someone who is working with many within the game community (usually supporting them with their game music and/or marketing), I am frequently asked to share more marketing tips on my blog. So, here are 5 top tips that I hope will be useful to you, whether you are a solo indie developer, a small team of game developers or a larger game studio...
In this article I will highlight 3 key mistakes that are easy to make but also easily avoided, when creating music for your game.
One of the greatest marketing platforms for a game is Twitter. Yet, it is not always clear how to really use Twitter to build a following or to promote your game. If you’re an indie game developer or are part of a growing games studio, if you’re not already using Twitter to grow your audience – you are definitely missing out!
Are you an indie game developer getting ready to develop & launch your first game? Perhaps you've created a few games now and want to get your marketing right? Here are 6 top tips to help you market your game successfully...
Perhaps you have started developing and designing your game, and are happy with the way it is coming along. The next stage is to think about the music for it. Are you thinking about creating the music for your game, yourself? If so, here are some thoughts on this to help you weigh up the pros and cons of going down this route:
There are many things to think about when considering what music to put alongside your game. Getting it right, however, is really important as the music can really bring a game to life. It can enhance the user experience and get them in the right 'zone' for playing and enjoying your game. Read on to find out more...