Your Game Already Has Music. But Does It Have Its Music?

This week, I had an interesting interaction with a good friend who is working on a game. He asked me to test a demo he had put together, so I did what I tend to do when someone hands me a game build: I started playing it and testing it.

Testing is actually something I enjoy doing, and it's something I bring with me from my professional life. As a project manager, I've led software projects for years, and user acceptance testing is a normal part of those projects. I'm not the kind of project manager who is afraid to roll up his sleeves and get into a build. If something needs to be tested, I'll test it.

I do the same thing when I participate in game jams. Game jams are small teams working against very tight deadlines, and everyone has a job to do. Sometimes, though, the best way to help the team is simply to do whatever needs to be done. For me, that often means testing the game, writing test cases, finding problems, and helping the team get the build across the finish line.

So that's what I was doing with my friend's game. And while I was playing it, I kept thinking about the music.

The Music Worked. But It Wasn't His.

He had used music that came with RPG Maker.

And honestly, I couldn't blame him. When you're building a game and trying to get a playable version together, using music that's already available makes sense. It lets you focus on getting the game itself working without adding another production task to the list.

The music worked. But as I played, I kept thinking that the game could sound so much more like his game.

Not because the music was bad. It just wasn't written for his game.

And that's an important distinction.

There's a Difference Between Music That Fits and Music That Belongs

There is nothing wrong with using stock music, asset packs, or music that comes with your game engine. They're useful tools, especially during development, and there are plenty of situations where they're exactly the right choice.

But there is a difference between music that fits a scene and music that was created because of that scene.

Pre-existing music has to be flexible enough to work in a variety of games and situations. Custom music doesn't have that limitation. A composer can write around your game's specific setting, characters, story, pacing, and personality.

The music doesn't have to be something you found that was close enough. It can be something that belongs there.

You Don't Always Need More Music

This is probably one of the biggest things I've learned since getting into game composition: the answer isn't always to add more music.

Sometimes the music you already have is exactly what the project needs. But sometimes the music is an opportunity to take something that's already working and make it feel more connected to the game.

A simple musical idea written specifically around a character can make that character feel more distinctive. A small theme can make a location feel like a real place. Even something intentionally funny can become funnier when the music is written to support the moment.

The music doesn't have to be complicated. It just has to belong there.

Your Game Is Part of Your Portfolio

There's another reason this matters for indie developers that I think is easy to overlook.

A lot of developers are building games not only because they want to make a game, but because they want to build a body of work. The game becomes part of their portfolio. It's something they can show to potential collaborators, publishers, employers, or future players and say, "This is what I can do."

When someone experiences that game, they're not separating the programming from the art from the sound from the music. They're experiencing the whole thing.

The music contributes to that impression.

A custom soundtrack can help make a game feel more distinctive because the music is part of the game's identity rather than something borrowed from somewhere else. And when you're trying to make your work stand out, those details can matter.

I'm learning this myself as I build my own portfolio as a game composer. The projects I work on aren't just music samples. They're opportunities to show how I can contribute to a real game and collaborate with the people building it.

The same is true for developers. Your game is telling people what you can do. Every part of it contributes to that impression.

So When Should You Use Custom Music?

Not every game needs a composer.

If you're making a prototype, testing a mechanic, participating in a game jam, or putting together an early build, use whatever gets the job done. There are plenty of excellent music libraries and asset packs available, and they can be exactly what a project needs.

But when you're starting to think about the identity of your game, especially when that game is becoming part of your portfolio, I think it's worth asking a different question.

What should my game sound like?

Not just, "What music can I find that works?" but, "What music belongs to this game?"

That's a different conversation.

And it's one I'm always happy to have with developers.

Work With Me

If you're an indie developer looking for original music for your game, I'd love to hear about what you're building.

I take the time to understand your game, your vision, and what you want players to feel, then turn that into music created specifically for your world.

Have a game that needs a soundtrack? Let's talk.