Even if most probably can't be separated from purchase of the base game for contractual reasons, a separate section for soundtracks would be good, at least they'd then be organized better.

Not bought many soundtracks either on GOG or Steam due to the opinion that soundtracks should be included in the game itself.

Not really sure why people don't consider selling the soundtrack separately as a form of DRM to be honest.

But if you are going to buy the soundtrack separately - and it is a big if - then Steam is fine as long as you download it within a reasonable period as allowed by consumer law. There's no DRM on the soundtracks as far as I can see and you can buy them without buying the game, as was mentioned before.

(4) Contracts and Deals.

When an artist (or band) agree to do a soundtrack for a game, no doubt there is always a contract involved and some clauses as part of the deal. The artist and the developer are often two separate entities.

Both parties are in the business of making money from their product.

One such clause, could be an agreement where the artist can sell the soundtrack separately.
With that in mind, it would be about a certain return ... profit.

If you check out some of these soundtracks at places like SoundCloud and Bandcamp, and add the price being asked there to the price of that game at GOG etc, you can see why the game is often available without the soundtrack, to be at a more attractive price.

Sometimes there is a time limit involved, and maybe even a clause that covers when one game publisher sells to another etc. So no doubt it is all about licensing.

So we can try and blame GOG, but I am very doubtful they have any real say. It would be down to whatever agreement the artist and game developer/publisher can come to.

And so while I don't like the situation anymore than anyone else, I can see where the price for a soundtrack is often devalued at GOG etc to buying it elsewhere, where rather than an extra to a game, it is a music product.

Sometimes you get an absolute bargain buying a soundtrack at GOG etc, other times it is a big ripoff ... hence the sense and benefit of checking a soundtrack out at youTube etc ... unless of course you already know the music inside out.

Well, if the publisher does't allow the OST to be purchased seperately here on gog, then it seems gog is simply a poor negotiator.

Niffelheim OST gog
Niffelheim OST somewhere else

Edit: Maybe this way the OST can be offered cheaper. But I think it would be no hassle to make a simple check: Game owned -> special price, game not owned -> original price

These are the soundtracks you can buy without having to own the game:
Agony
Beautiful Desolation
BroodStar
Lost Ember
My Friend Pedro
Obduction
Owlboy
Outward
Paradise Lost
The Pedestrian
I wish there were more...

Agreed

As for me, I am okay with gamers ripping the music files from their game copies or downloading a similar quality/format copy from "elsewhere" if they bought the game. (p.s. Gog forum search is shite...in the future, you can use your usual search engine as follows: example text site:gog.com)

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Imo Gog's been a poor negotiator for years(look at things like included extras, pricing, etc for examples of this)

Well, in some cases like Unreal or Jazz Jackrabbit 2, that'd be redundant and take up more size than the tracker files. And the game, in some cases.

Ultima ]|[ (video) for example had to fit on a soft shell floppy!

Because the game and soundtrack are likely made by separate entities, so already separate.

It's not just about GOG doing a deal with the game provider, it is also often about the game provider doing a deal with the music creator.

And music or audio creators are separate entities in most cases, and not really part of the game development team, not in the same way that other members are anyway. That likely means the soundtrack has a separate license, a license that often expires once a game has stopped being published. That would then require a new negotiation in any subsequent re-release ... unless that has already been covered in the original deal.

Part of the deal usually, is the music creator retains the rights and can sell the soundtrack independently, and they often do at Bandcamp and SoundCloud and other places.