It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionWho would ever buy a soundtrack to a game?(65 posts)(65 posts)
(65 posts)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
This is my favourite topic
Posted December 04, 2018
I would be glad if I could purchase midi OST played via hardware they were composed for without extra work with soundfonts, munt etc.
Posted December 04, 2018
Outside of things like supporting developer\composer and owning a official soundtrack, there is another aspect in some cases - interactive music or music using a midi-like format. In tthe first case, what you would rip from the game would be - in best case scenario - a pack of short, disjointed pieces of music (or even of specific instruments) that would have to be somehow manually put together. In the case of midi-like structure - ripping anything would be nearly impossible, although that was mostly the case for old PS1 and PS2 games - and ports of those games usually had more "traditional" way of storing music (examples of this that I know of include Soul Reaver on PS1 and Silent Hill 2 on PS2).
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
idbeholdME: The authors were already reimbursed by the developers who paid them to make music for the game and it is included in the price of the game when you buy it. You buy it as a package, including the music, videos, everything.
Exactly, as a package, to be enjoyed as a whole in-game - not for you to extract the music from the game files and listen to it separately on your mp3 player as if it was a regular album you bought. Anyway, I'm not telling you you can't do that; I don't care, do whatever floats your boat, I'm not even judging. Just saying some people would prefer to buy the music officially instead of searching through the encrypted or packaged game files, or to reward the composer more directly. Franky, we don't really know how the contracts between dev studios and composers usually look like and how well the latter are paid for their music (then again, if the soundtrack is sold as DLC as opposed to e.g. on Bandcamp, we don't really know if or how much of the money goes to the composer either ...)
Post edited December 04, 2018 by Leroux
Posted December 04, 2018
What I don't understand is why soundtracks aren't offered in FLAC format as well as mp3. The idea of paying for lossy quality really is irksome.
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
idbeholdME: The owners of the game already have it and non-owners are not interested because they haven't played the game. The only plausible option seems to be buying just the soundtrack and not the game, based on a recommendation or listening to it on youtube and wanting just the music without the game or something like that.
I haven't played Hollow Knight (other than just trying it out), but I *love* the soundtrack. If the soundtrack is good enough, and if it is of a type of music I like, then I might buy it.

The soundtrack for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap includes a whole bunch of tracks that are not in the game; many seem to be experiments before they settled on how they wanted the in-game music to sound.

Undertale's soundtrack contains at least one track (Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans) that is not in the actual game (not even in the data files). Conversely, the data files contain at least one track (mus_kingdescription.ogg is the filename) that is not in the soundtrack (it's not actually used in the game, either).
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
idbeholdME: The owners of the game already have it
That's not an accurate statement.
Posted December 04, 2018
My Winamp library is full of extracts from games. I have copied the music files from all the Legend of Heroes games which are just plain Ogg Vorbis files. They completely lack metadata so I just let Winamp fill the title in as the filename and added all the rest myself. I have done the same for the Ys series and only Oath in Felghana has any metadata, titles in Japanese. Ys 8 needed a little "decryption". I wrote my own demuxer for ffmpeg so I could convert Xanadu Next's files into flac.

I looked at Crysis' music and discovered that is a a multi-layer dynamic system to represent different tension levels combined with musical stings.

I have many pirated console game music extracts but unfortunately the Winamp plugins to play them are really showing their age.

That being said, I bought Stardew Valley's soundtrack because I could not be arsed trying to figure out the stupid dotNet packaging it uses. Microsoft's website was just a lot of dead links. I also didn't want to try some flakey utility provided a random internet user. I also wanted to support the creator a little more. I wanted the metadata. I wanted lossless. These are all reasons to buy a soundtrack.
Posted December 04, 2018
I would, and have bought game soundtracks.
Posted December 04, 2018
I buy my video game soundtracks so that I can burn them on a CD and play it in my car
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
rankoneglobal: I buy my video game soundtracks so that I can burn them on a CD and play it in my car
Damn Strait!

That's what I d when I go cruisin!
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
Leroux: Exactly, as a package, to be enjoyed as a whole in-game - not for you to extract the music from the game files and listen to it separately on your mp3 player as if it was a regular album you bought. Anyway, I'm not telling you you can't do that; I don't care, do whatever floats your boat, I'm not even judging. Just saying some people would prefer to buy the music officially instead of searching through the encrypted or packaged game files, or to reward the composer more directly. Franky, we don't really know how the contracts between dev studios and composers usually look like and how well the latter are paid for their music (then again, if the soundtrack is sold as DLC as opposed to e.g. on Bandcamp, we don't really know if or how much of the money goes to the composer either ...)
And if the music files were freely available in the "Music" folder where the game is installed, would that be any different?

Just recently, I have extracted the music from Shadowgrounds simply by using RAR. Something like 6 mouse clicks and one drag&drop. You don't have to be a hacker to do it.

Of course you can send more money to the author you adore. You can monetarily support anyone you want. I'm just saying that I have paid for the music once already (by buying the game) so why would I pay for it again (unless I wanted to support the author more). And I seriously doubt anyone would make music for a game if they weren't getting paid.

avatar
dtgreene: I haven't played Hollow Knight (other than just trying it out), but I *love* the soundtrack. If the soundtrack is good enough, and if it is of a type of music I like, then I might buy it.

The soundtrack for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap includes a whole bunch of tracks that are not in the game; many seem to be experiments before they settled on how they wanted the in-game music to sound.

Undertale's soundtrack contains at least one track (Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans) that is not in the actual game (not even in the data files). Conversely, the data files contain at least one track (mus_kingdescription.ogg is the filename) that is not in the soundtrack (it's not actually used in the game, either).
I can see the point in that. Exclusive, additional, different or alternative versions of tracks that are only a part of the soundtrack you can buy. Why not? But buying the same thing that is already present on your hard drive just seems pointless.

avatar
idbeholdME: The owners of the game already have it
avatar
Ancient-Red-Dragon: That's not an accurate statement.
Depends. You have the music files on your hard drive in any way, shape or form. No way around it.
Of course you don't "own" the tracks themselves but you have relatively easy access to them (usually) and you can just take them and use them. If it is for my personal use (and I have bought the game of course) I feel absolutely no regrets. I have already supported the authors by buying the game. I'm just using the thing I had paid for.
Posted December 04, 2018
I've never bought a soundtrack. If a particular song grabs me enough that I want to listen to it outside the game, I'll just listen to it on Youtube.
Posted December 04, 2018
surprising there are some people who do buy game soundtracks. in games I turn down or completely turn off game music.
Posted December 04, 2018
avatar
idbeholdME: And if the music files were freely available in the "Music" folder where the game is installed, would that be any different?

Just recently, I have extracted the music from Shadowgrounds simply by using RAR. Something like 6 mouse clicks and one drag&drop. You don't have to be a hacker to do it.
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I've done that on occasion, too, when it was that easy. Doesn't mean they want you to do it or think you're entitled to do it, although some probably don't really mind. Just saying what you think is right and what they think is officially or legally okay might differ. How you handle these differing viewpoints is your own business. ;)
Posted December 04, 2018
Wish they'd distinguish it. I just downloaded titan quest and unizipped to my music archive. Not inclined to pay for it but if it comes with the game, saves me hunting for it.

I remember some ol' 90s tracks. Was actually playing a few of the ambient music from panzer general 94' today on my phone.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionWho would ever buy a soundtrack to a game?(65 posts)(65 posts)
(65 posts)