Music is a powerful tool in all games. It is used to help set the tone of the game, develop an atmosphere, support key storylines and characters and to create an immersive experience.
I’m Ninichi, and I’m a composer. I make music for games, films and media. Most of the projects that I work on are the original soundtracks to indie games and I do this on a freelance basis and love it! There is no one way to approach the music in a game, and there are so many really interesting games and projects going on all the time.
I’m always on the look out to get involved with new projects and it’s never too early or too late to think about music! If you need help with music, do drop me a line! Otherwise – for now, I’d like to share a few thoughts around why I think that there are some real advantages to thinking about music early on in game development…
1. Inspiration and motivation
Developing a game can be a long endeavour. It’s no easy or super quick task but instead requires dedication, commitment, skills, talent and a lot of enthusiasm! Seeing your game being brought to life by the music can be really inspiring and it can help to boost your motivation throughout your project.
As you work on your game from concept through to completion your energy and enthusiasm for it may be tested and if you’re doing it all by yourself – it can be quite a lonely journey. However, if you get to work with others and to see the different elements of your game coming together (i.e. visuals, music, audio etc), this can be hugely satisfying and motivating.
Also see: How to Stay Motivated to Complete your Indie Game
2. It’s a more Organic approach
Developing your game alongside its soundtrack enables them both to develop more naturally. You will get to see each part of game get completed at the same time and each element can build on each other as you develop the game as a whole.
This approach is a good way to enable you to see how everything is looking, sounding and working together at every stage of your game development.
Also read: 5 Ways to Use Music in Your Game
3. Team spirit
If you hire a composer, they can become an invaluable member of your team. They will be with you on your journey and will be there to see your game as it develops and unfolds.
This can be useful in helping them to fully understand your vision for the game and to therefore be more involved creatively. It can also help you, to have others involved and emotionally invested in your game, since it means that you’re not alone. You can support each other, you will have a strong advocate for your game, and you will have someone truly excited about your game being released, long before you get to publishing it. This can be a great confidence boost and help to keep you on track.
4. Music is an integral part to a game
The quality of a game music soundtrack can make or break it. It is key to setting the tone for it and in enhancing the gameplay experience. It isn’t something that can be tagged on or rushed at the end of development, but for some reason many indie game developers end up unintentionally doing this. They spend so much time on every other aspect of their game that they forget about the music until the last moment. Then, it may be too late!
The music in your game deserves attention and to be as carefully crafted as the rest of your game has been. It is one of the key elements that will help to pull everything together. So, if you make time for it as you work on other parts of the game as well, it will not be forgotten or left as an after thought.
I hope that these points are useful and get you thinking a bit harder about how music may fit with your project and when you might want to start thinking more carefully about it. If you would like to chat about it or to explore working together, contact me now – I don’t bite! It’ll be wonderful to learn about what you’re working on. Or, if you’re still exploring, feel free to browse some of my other articles and/or to have a little listen to my game music here.
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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance indie game music composer who enjoys creating soundtracks for video games, film & media. She's composes in a wide range of styles & loves supporting indie game developers and indie filmmakers with their projects. Find out more about her game music or royalty free music and contact her to discuss your project and music needs.
Follow her @ninichimusic
