With video games becoming more and more all-encompassing as far as the scope of the world within the game itself, the demand for extensive soundtrack music has increased exponentially. Here are some tips on how to get music submitted to video game companies so that you too can become a published musician.
Publishing Companies
There are many independent companies out there that will help you submit your compositions to game companies, as well as television and film companies. You pay a small fee and your music is put into a pool with other composers’ works until they are picked up by companies who are interested in them.
Get A Graduate Degree in Music
If you have already taken music in college, consider going the extra mile and take your education to the next level by getting a graduate degree in music. Not only will you have that piece of paper that backs up your skill and definitely impresses, but it isn’t difficult to pay for the high cost of tuition either. If you take out a student loan from a private lender, you can arrange for a repayment plan that works for you.
Licensing Opportunities
By licensing your music to a particular company, you are essentially selling a company the rights to feature your music in their game. Be careful about what type of deal you sign, however. This may be the time to hire an attorney who is experienced in music rights. There are several different ways to license music. If you opt for royalties, you get an agreed upon percentage of any game sold. The catch here, though, is that if the game does not sell well, you won’t be paid much for your music. Another way to license your music is to just accept a lump sum for your music. This time, the catch is that if the game becomes incredibly popular, you have already been paid for your art so there is no additional money that you are due.
Have an Array to Choose From
One thing you will have to have ready is an actual selection of music to choose from. Trying to market only one piece of music is difficult. You will want to have pieces of music that represent different moods. Whether the pieces are haunting and spooky for horror games, high-intensity for action shoot-em-ups, or cartoony for kids’ games, you will definitely need a full arsenal of music at your disposal.
Searching for Companies
There are also various ways to look for companies to which you submit your music. You can certainly do the legwork yourself, this way you will maintain the most control over your music. However, this way also takes the most amount of time and at the beginning of your career can produce the least results. There are the aforementioned third-party companies who can do the company shopping for you in exchange for you paying them a fee. There are also music libraries that many companies, especially independent game companies, use to search for licensable music they can use.
