Elevating the way video game companies work with music

gamesindustry.biz:

Ben Sumner

Tuesday 21st June 2022

Branding through music is key to any project and is always one of the biggest cultural positioning tools for any producer or marketer -- gaming or otherwise.

Look at FIFA and GTA and how they have made music core elements of their products and marketing. Think about the music from Halo or Rocket League; it doesn't necessarily represent what consumers might listen to for purely musical purposes but you know instantly the cultural space that these brands sit in. The music becomes a key part of any game's identity, shaping the environment, and often driving high levels of long-term recognition.

I'm constantly reminded of how much of an after-thought music can be when the proverbial phone rings with a new client needing a track for an asset they have been planning for 12 months+, that goes live in weeks, and they don't have music locked in.

[Music] is currently underutilized, and a tool that can be better harnessed in games

Music is a lot of things but I believe that it is something that is currently underutilized, and a tool that can be better harnessed in games; more so now than ever.

The music industry is ever more open to the use of music and artists are largely very keen to work in the sector. It is still a very complex landscape of rights that can be difficult to traverse but the rewards are there for those that make the effort.

Here are seven key things that can be done to improve the way games companies work with music.

Putting music at the end of the chain is a mistake. Choices about the style, tone and genre should be made early on rather than trying to fit specific scenes or trailers. These choices still need to work for specific assets but having a directional guide from the