How do you guys create music?

Definitely interesting however i would prefer to get sound samples … theres a bunch of open source synths for linux, simulating old analog synthesizers for example, but the software is quite a big job and scripting all that is also heavy duty.

I saw something about music synchronizing with game events, i cant remember if its an addon or the AudioStreamGenerator …

Actually no there was something else.

I think mixing samples, drums and using midi with synths, etc would be a fairly strong solution.

However i just dev my own games, if i was working in a team id probably use one of the more advanced music systems and then blend the tracks with 3d audio…

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Hi. Literally my first post. Open to help anyone with music. Im a music producer turned fresh game developer. and that part I already have it down. happy to create custom music. hoping to make game designing contacts that way

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Hi, sorry if this annoys you…
But I would love to learn how you learned on how to make music, or just music tips.

Get curious about this - what is it about your songs that don’t match your game? What could you do to make them match more? Sounds like a good starting point for some trial and error.

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Im not 100% sure whether the music should be developed at the same time as the game or whether the game should be developed first.
Im still at an early-ish phase on my current project but im already looking for music options. I have a general idea that i want some music running sometimes and theres a couple of clear themes.

Theres a bunch of music sets available on fab.com, i downloaded a free one and one in ten of the tracks fitted my idea… so its probably best to compose the music for the game…

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I use AI but with my own lyrics set in my universe and with the right vibe…

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Suno has the most convoluted copyright rules on its AI creations otherwise I’d use it.
The Udio is just as good imho but the interface is more finnicky and a bit trickier to master.
I have made an album’s worth of published music via Udio (having mastered / audio engineered it) onto Spotify and it has generally gone down well enough to those that listened to it.

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The instruments, the chords, the melody, the drums… basically everything.

It’s still a song but it doesn’t match my game.

If you don’t plan on going deep into composition(just scratch the surface) Beepbox
is my go-to tool. It can make some pretty epic music, but it’s not too overwhelming and it’s easy to get started

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If you want to make it yourself - and it sounds like you have some good music theory knowledge - then start by finding already existing music that does match the game and listen to a lot of it. Put it on in the background while you’re programming and playtesting your game.

Ask yourself what instruments it uses, what the rhythms are like, what type of key is it in (major/minor/modal) and start playing around on an instrument or software focusing on just one of these elements, just to start.

All the suggestions of different software here are all well and good but perhaps you need to look at your approach to writing music. If you’re looking to write in a particular style then your choice of software might have an impact (trackers for chiptune, audio tracks for anything live, etc)

And if you don’t want to make it yourself then there are loads of musicians who would be up to collab - I think a few even said so in this thread!

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This video explains the stuff i could almost remember above…

https://youtu.be/spBakIGn55E?si=K_2KsVN1122IxxJp

Also those streams give you control over what gets played, when and where … so they help you to match audio to the game.

Music is a very complicated field … cant explain how to compose for feel, vibe etc, you just have to know what you are doing … e.g dissonance (when notes dont harmonize, or theyre closer together like diminished chords) can be used to build tension, then resolution (back to the tonic chord of the key) releases tension or ‘resolves’ the tension (i.e. the action is ended etc).

So you have the major keys, the minir keys, the dominant and harmonic minor, the 6th diminished etc etc and many more scales …

And modes, like e-phygian …

Then you have drums, base, strings, brass, etc all these different instrument types …

And then theres many genres …

Cant quite summarize it in one post unfortunately…

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That’s fair. TBH, I am only moderately musical myself. I play the guitar and sing, but composition is beyond me. I’ve only co-written a few songs for fun. I’ve worked with some very talented professional sound engineers and I am awed by what they can do. My hope is to turn this into a well-paying enough career someday that I can hire people to do sound design.

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Im kind of replying to the main thread and the post above at the same time lol …

Would like to be able to compose my own complete tracklist too however in my experience thats a big enough job alone and then too much factoring in the game development too

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Which comes first though? The game development (like the coding and enemies and etc.)? Or the music and sfx? Because i’m not sure if I should do the music though I haven’t finished the coding and stuff.

Disclaimer: I haven’t made a single game.

But I think there really isn’t a definitive order? Like, in a game, all the parts need to mesh together perfectly. The music, the art, the sound effects, the story, the gameplay, the level design, the dialogue, the voice acting, etc. It all has to give a unified “vibe”.

So, I think you can approach it from whichever way you like best. You can do them all at the same time, or start with one and then add on others to match. If you’re a solo dev, then switching among them might be what is needed to provide variety and keep you going.

And always remember that you WILL need to replace some of everything it as the project progresses. Don’t get overly attached to your previous work.

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