$12256 / $11500
Hi,
I'm a music producer that deals with a few different genres. I'm always coming up with new miscellaneous bits of music, some of which are more soundtrack than actual songs. I can see what the other talented producers around here have been making, but in open gaming, what sort of stuff is most popular with developers?
Like, for fantasy RPGs, do people mostly go for a chiptune/soundfont style, or would they prefer something more modern (albeit with bigger files)? Are there many UT-like FPS projects that could use some heavier electronica/EDM? Is there a market for metal? Or should I just start posting stuff and see what people like?
-W
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I can't speak for the entire community, but as a developer I can tell you what I look for.
Although I (and many other developers) tend to use retro graphics, I don't really look for chiptune music to match. Having higher bit rate music paired with lower bit graphics seems to really bring out a feeling of wonder and adventure in my opinion.
Just posting stuff and see what people like is a good approach.
One thing I find more valuable than the type of music is how it's categorized. Adding useful tags to anything you upload is super helpful because it makes it easier for people to find your music. If you have a song called "orange dreamsicle sunset over an angry heart", the title of the song is artistic, but it doesn't help anyone find the song by itslef because no one will use any of those words when searching for a song. Having relevant and descriptive tags (like "spooky, electronica, orchestral, forest, melancholy, subdued, excitement, chiptune, anger, silly, heavy metal, volcanoe, evil, romantic") will boost you to the top of the popularity index in no time.
Sets of themes are also cool. A colleciton of music that portrays all the major emotions (sad theme, happy theme, angry theme, etc.) or common game environments (dungeon theme, cave theme, forest theme, ocean theme, metropolis theme), stuff like that. Having sets of tracks that are designed to work with each other to form a complete package for a game are incredibly helpful.
I know that's a tall order. Not expecting the moon, here. Just letting you know what I find most valuable as a developer. :)
--Medicine StormNot a tall order at all, that's exactly what I was looking for. Organizing things into sets helps with making music, too. I'll scour my archives and see what I have, thanks!
Music producer. Contact me if you need music.
I can't speak for everyone either. But I would like to see more chiptune music on here.
Reposting from a freegamedev forum thread:
When looking for music for a game, I look for two things in particular: mood and theme.
Mood depends on the gameplay. Is it fast-paced, or relaxed? Is it during a build-up, or a climactic boss-battle? Is it a creepy/horror section, or a wide-open arena?
To give a few examples, creepy music is often arhythmic and atonal. Boss battles are fast but full of tension and most likely in a minor key.
Theme is less important but must fit with the game's setting. Fantasy/medieval settings would often feature orchestral instruments and maybe period instruments like lutes or lyres; sci-fi settings often have lots of synths. Forests might be backed with Celtic music, deserts with Arabic music - very cliche I know.
Hope this helps.