To game developers,

When it's that time to get the perfect BGM for your project, but you don't want to use AI nor buy a music pack, how do you go about finding the perfect person to compose custom music for you?

Are there times at which you have to get creative instead of just directly searching for the exact genre that you want? For example, I've seen projects that look like they would have 8-bit or chiptune music but it really has orchestral, EDM, or something very unexpected.

Looking forward to your answers.

JezzaRoddy said:
how do you go about finding the perfect person to compose custom music for you?

I have used several methods:

Ask other producers about composers they've used.

Look at credits of games using music I liked.

Listen to demo reels of composers who've offered me their services in the past.

Check out sites used by composers to advertise their music: Soundcloud, Fiverr, LinkedIn...

There are other options for producers seeking composers, right here on gamedev.net:

Browse the Portfolios section;

Browse Your Announcements;

Browse the Music/SFX forum...

There are a bunch of resources for royalty free music, but you do need to verify the license works for you. Keep that documented with your project.

As for the style, that would be what fits your game. I have seen people swap out music themes, edm, calypso beat, jazz, metal, and they were able to fit giving a distinct vibe while still fitting in. Many games have map-specific music, an upbeat day at the beach, thump thump thump in a nightclub, fast-paced trumpets or drums in exciting races, slow and deliberate in an evasion level, each boss getting themes, etc.

General audio ideas start early with level design and concept exploration, and it may be swapped out a few times during development. I find the final music comes in relatively late in the process.

frob said:
There are a bunch of resources for royalty free music, but

Actually, the OP is asking from the point of view of a composer, to better understand how to present oneself to producers and project managers (and solo indie devs).

Ah.

For the composers I have worked with professionally reputation and connection was everything. From one case “I have a connection with Kurt Bestor, he could possibly arrange it and maybe even be a guest conductor”, (which he did), to “I could ask Chance Thomas if he is interested” (which he was), to other variations of "I know a well-known person who could work with this style." I can't remember any professional games I have been on where they went with an unknown person based on the portfolio, all of them were either established names or “I know a guy”, and usually both.

Finding good composers is tricky. My wife is in music with several state-wide and national organizations, and I've played for 40 years now (getting ready for Christmas performances…) so I know a bunch of people, yet I know I would not get specific composers for specific styles. Someone great at ballads could be terrible for a jazzy style, someone amazing at intense racing music could be a terrible fit for a kid's adventure. Sometimes you want someone who can rip out hours of a full orchestral score and have the budget to go with it.

In the hobby space this site usually works with, budgets are non-existant so it's the free and low-cost websites that get recommended. Pay for the composer is minimal, and the non-exclusive license and cheaply synthesized tracks match the budget.

@undefined Big thanks for the reply. I knew trying to find a composer was hard, but seeing all of this listed out makes me understand the work it takes to find someone.

For hobby games it is mostly just the money, or lack of it.

Good composition takes skill, time and effort. While Pro Tools and related software is relatively cheap, building a full orchestration with excellent synthesis is not. And getting a professional recording is out of the question for individuals, even if the composer is capable of it.

Good composers are absolutely worth the money if you can find them. More than one project I have worked on the composers were the single highest paid worker, done as a contract project, in one more than the ceo for the year because they wanted that specific composer. But the projects also had the budget for hours of orchestra time.

You won't find it with hobby games. If you are passionate about creating the music for the specific project, that's what would fuel you.