Music For Video Games

From scales and semitones to pentatonics and cadence patterns. It's all about the science behind the expression, here.

Music For Video Games

Postby JSynth » 22 Jan 2014 21:29

So, lately I have been looking into making music for video games. I have been reading as much as I can on the subject and it definetly seems like a good area of work. One of the main reasons I have been looking for more sources of incomev (lots of bills and little money).

I would probably start off charging arround $40-60 per minute, seeing that I am a student and have a little over a year of production experience.

Anyway, does anyone here have experience making music for games?
https://soundcloud.com/jasper-synth/back-at-me
Jokeblue wrote:You fool. You've doomed the Spam thread to yet another, inevitable :3 spam.

My Tumblr
My YouTube
My SoundCloud

DAW: Logic Pro 9
Plugins: Sylenth, Sausage Fattener, Komplete 9, NI The Mouth, Ozone 5, Bitspeek
User avatar
JSynth
 
Posts: 726
Joined: 12 Dec 2012 10:48
Location: not in the snow anymore
OS: Not Windows
Primary: Logic 9
Cutie Mark: yo face

Re: Music For Video Games

Postby Acsii » 22 Jan 2014 23:34

Also I'd like to point out that in the December 2013 edition of Music Tech there is an interview with a producer who makes video game music. The article may also be on their website not sure, but it gives good insight into the industry.
20 something Transgirl that makes sounds called music
Soundcloud | Facebook | Bandcamp | Blog
Placing my tongue on the GR meter to taste the gain reduction I some how improved my skills.
User avatar
Acsii
 
Posts: 2457
Joined: 19 Apr 2012 01:55
Location: Melbourne, Australia
OS: OS X
Primary: Logic Pro X
Cutie Mark: Old round oscilloscope

Re: Music For Video Games

Postby CitricAcid » 23 Jan 2014 05:48

I once met with some game developers about doing music from games and got a few key pointers. For one, small game companies hire one "sound" person to do both the music and sound effects. If you can do both, then you're much better off than if you do just music. They also tend to favor electronic music over orchestral. This may not be a big deal for you, but it sure was a downer for me.
Image Image Image
User avatar
CitricAcid
 
Posts: 286
Joined: 20 Sep 2013 09:35
Location: Detroit, MI
OS: Windows
Primary: Cubase
Cutie Mark: Music scroll

Re: Music For Video Games

Postby itroitnyah » 23 Jan 2014 15:52

Listening to a lot of background music of different styles can be really helpful. One source of good background music to take examples from would be, in my opinion, World of Warcraft. Because the game does a really good job of incorporating emotion into their background music. And a lot of it is phenomenal. So the first thing you must do is compose it to fit into the scenario or location it would be playing in.

Take the humans, for example. In WoW, they're portrayed as the good in the game. They're very chivalrous, and act courageous and with much dignity. They're very powerful and very much in a crusade sense to bring right to the world.

Here is the background music to their big city: Stormwind

Now, let's visit the opposite side of the spectrum. The orcs. A very brash and brute race. They're seen as barbarians. They lavish in battle and bath in the blood of their enemies. You probably get the idea.

Here is the background music to their big city: Orgrimmar

As you can tell, it's very important to understand just how much of an impact music can have in any movie, show, and videogame. Even silence plays a big role. Just take some time to sort of study the background music in games, in movies, etc. Listen to how the composer uses the instruments so create suspension, energy and calm. Perhaps you already knew to be doing all of this, but this makes up a large chunk of background music.
Image Image I am no longer an active member. here
My studio: [List of equipment]
User avatar
itroitnyah
 
Posts: 2482
Joined: 02 Mar 2012 20:27
OS: Windows 7
Primary: FL Studio 11
Cutie Mark: Blank flank

Re: Music For Video Games

Postby ExoBassTix » 26 Jan 2014 05:02

I'd been asked by a Norwegian guy if I wanted to make a soundtrack for a game that he, and a few other Norwegian and Dutch guys are working on. Just because they heard my Ambient Noise piece The Fade Of Oblivion. Apparently they were very impressed, judging by the guy's talking. He told me a few days ago that the game is on hold for quite some time, because everyone on the team is going through busy times (even though a Dutch friend of mine who knows more of what's happening in the team told me they're just idling except one, who's cracking out the multiplayer scripting (making the others have nothing to do for a while)).

Still, I want to stress what Kyoga said. If there'd be a sector where you need to form your own sound and way of working, it's in the video game music sector. And of course that music you'd make for such a video game would be, in part, defining for the eventual quality of the full game itself. It helps tell the story from a different perspective. A special treatment for the player to intensify the emotions the game brings forth (be it aggressive music for a fighting game, slow and subtly repetitive (mysterious) music for puzzle games or dark ambient music for horror games).
Image
Collecting dust...

Dieselminded drifter dodging delirium in daunting dreamscapes.
User avatar
ExoBassTix
 
Posts: 3579
Joined: 28 Mar 2013 13:01
Location: The Dutch white waters
OS: Windows 7 x64
Primary: FL Studio 20
Cutie Mark: a crystal waterphone


Return to Composition and Music Theory Advice



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests

cron