Level Up.pdf

Some Notes on Music 395
the rights to music licenses and negotiating deals is usually handled by the
game ’ s publisher.
Because video games currently don ’ t generate royalties once published,
game publishers will negotiate one - time buy- out fees for music licenses
lasting over a period of 7 years to “ life of product. ” Licensing fees can range
from $2,500 to over $30,000 a song. The more popular and prestigious a
song is, the higher the licensing fee. I don ’ t
want to think how much the licensing fees were
for The Beatles: Rock Band (EA, 2009).
If the song you want for your game is too
expensive for your budget, don ’ t fret — there are
still plenty of options. You can license a less ­
expensive cover version of a song — this was
done in the first Guitar Hero (Activision, 2005).
Or, you can find a similar sounding but less
expensive song at a music library. In fact,
libraries are great if your game calls for a wide
variety of musical styles or requires incidental
music, like that heard on a radio or in the
background of a bar scene.
Your other option is to use original music. Original music is a composition
that is created specifically for your game. Unless you can compose,
perform, and record your own music, then I suggest hiring a music director
to work with your team 2 . Not only will they create the music, but they can
also handle the resources required for performing, recording, and preparing
the music for your game. Even though that ’ s a lot of work, there is still
plenty of prep work for a game designer to do before you even get to that
stage.
I find it helps to be able to talk to a music director in their own language,
even if you can ’ t write music, play an instrument, or carry a tune. You just
have to know what you like and have an opinion about it! Provide
examples of what you want for your composer: try to cut out as much of
the guesswork as possible. For Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, I gave the
composer a “ mix tape ” of music from movie soundtracks and songs I
thought would be appropriate for the game ’ s levels. While they say that “ a
little knowledge is dangerous ” , I have found it useful to develop a musical
vocabulary so you are speaking the composer ’ s language. It will make it
that much easier to request changes when you know what to listen for and
what it ’ s called.
2 That is, if you don ’ t already have a music director working on your team.