Are you thinking about whether or not to hire a composer for your game? As a game music composer myself, I have worked with many indie game developers and indie game studios and I have come to understand that, in order to make the right decision on who is the best person to join your team, there are some things you must have clear in your head. Here are some tips that I hope will help you find the best composer for your project.
FLUTU GAME AUDIO is a full time game music department that benefits Indie Game Developers and Studios by outsourcing audio related services. Feel free to tell us more about your game at the “Tell us More” section of the website. After getting to know your project, whatever stage it’s at, I will personally get in touch with you to discuss the overall musical direction of your game and talk about what is the best gameplan to get it to where it can be!
Ok, so let’s start…
- KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
If you are reading this post, you’ve given some thought to what you want your game to sound like. Maybe all you know so far is that you want your game to stand out from the others. It can be hard to precisely translate how you want your game to sound to another person, and that is why I think it is so important that you can bring your references! During the first meeting, bring them, talk about what you like and what you don’t like. References don’t need to be game audio music, it could be “Pink Floyd”, “Dr. Dre”or any kind of music that you think would fit your project.
A good composer will know how to dig into your mind and your concept to deliver great music for your game!
- LONG TERM CONTRIBUTOR OR ONE-OFF PROJECT
If you are thinking of hiring a composer, you should bear in mind that they can come in to contribute in different stages of game development. Composers can work with your team during the first designing stages of your project, or they may come in just to wrap up the musical part.
Now, here are some questions that can help you figure some of this stuff out:
Do you want someone who will be a long-term contributor to your team, or do you want someone you can call on ad hoc? Is it a one-off project, or do you want to build a relationship with a composer you can work with on multiple projects? Developing a relationship with a composer would certainly improve your rapport with each other, and that definitely makes for a better result in the long run. Just think of long time contributors like Spielberg and John Williams!
Sometimes, however, all you need is a composer to help you decide and understand what you really want, and this professional will help you create the audio assets within your budget. In this case the composer will also be working as your Audio Lead for your game.
- THE MINIMUM
Hey, here’s some things EVERYONE can agree are indispensable in a working relationship with a composer!
- You are sure you can trust them to deliver great music for your game.
- You find it easy to communicate with them.
- You respect them and they respect you, your team and your vision.
- You can discuss your ideas with them openly.
- You can trust them to bring your vision for your game to life.
- KNOW WHAT KIND OF MUSIC YOU LIKE
Many composers can write in a variety of styles, but they often have a particular style that is reflected in all of their music. First, determine what kind of music you are looking for and what different styles interest you.
Our job here at Flutu Game Audio is to find the perfect match for your game. Once we have established your musical goals, finding the right composer will be easy!
In composing our composers we’ve spent ours listening to people who work and create all sorts of music, diving into their work and what they’ve been producing in the past years, keeping an ear out for both the feeling and the technical quality of their music.
As for our tip, you should listen to the quality, the melodies and tunes, the style of music – and determine if you like what you hear (now that you hopefully have a much clearer idea of what you are looking for).
- SHARE YOUR BUDGET ESTIMATES
Every game developer has a budget (or lack of budget) to work with! Be clear about how the music for your game fits into it. How important is the music to you and how important is it to the game?
Some games rely heavily on great music and sfx to bring them to life. The quality of the music often determines whether or not the gaming experience will be brilliant and memorable. In other cases, the music takes a back seat – in which case you should spend less time and money on it compared to other aspects of your game.
In order to determine what kind of composer you’d like to work with, think about where the music fits in the grand scheme of things. Do you have a large budget that gives you the opportunity to work with a big budget composer – who offers high production value, epic sounding, and fully orchestrated scores? Or do you have a more modest budget to work with?
Finding the right balance between finding a good composer to work with and managing your budget can be an interesting challenge! However, once you have found the right composer for your project, you should feel that the collaboration and the music is worthwhile and really enhances your game.
Here at Flutu Game Audio you can count on us to manage your audio budget. Here at our studio we have developed several techniques to make your game happen within your budget. Sharing your plans with us is the perfect way to avoid a headache with the quality of the audio assets of your game.
- LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Finding the right composer for you can sometimes take a little more time than just picking a track from a production library and putting it in your game – but once you find the right one, it can be the start of something amazing!
If you found someone and is trying to understand if that composer is legit, I recommend reading the article How to Spot a Bad Composer, where I describe several techniques you can use to spot if you have the right composer on your team.
This is it for now! Thanks for reading!.
As usual, I am always open to talk to you about your project and find solutions to fit the audio assets within your budget. Visit the “Tell us More” section of the website and let’s talk about your game.
See you soon!
