How much does music cost for an indie game?
"How much does music cost for my game?" Short version: anywhere from free to thousands of dollars, depending on how much music you need and who makes it. Here's how composers price it, sourced numbers, and how to work out a budget that fits your game.
- Most composers price per finished minute of music. Some charge per track or one price for the whole soundtrack.
- Guides from game composers quote roughly $50 to $2,500 per finished minute, with many indie projects paying a few hundred dollars a minute.
- Count your minutes first: a short game with a few looping tracks needs far less music than an RPG.
- Letting the composer keep the rights (a license) usually costs less than buying the music outright.
- On a tiny budget, mix free CC0 tracks or music packs with one or two custom pieces for the moments players remember.
I'm not going to invent numbers. The ranges here come from game composers and a Game Developer article you can read yourself. Rates move a lot with experience, live instruments, deadline and rights.
How composers price game music
- Per finished minute. The most common way. You pay for minutes of final music, not hours worked.
- Per track. Simple for small games. Ask how long each track is and whether loops and variations count as extra.
- Per project. One price for the whole soundtrack. Write down how many tracks and minutes that includes.
- Rev share or hobby. Some composers, especially newer ones building credits, will work for a share of sales or for credit on a passion project.
What composers charge
Guides written by game composers quote roughly $50 to $2,500 per finished minute, with many indie projects landing at a few hundred dollars per minute (GameSoundCon, Ninichi Music). A 2016 Game Developer article by composer Kole Hicks put work-for-hire rates at about $500 to $1,000 per minute for emerging composers and $1,000 to $2,000 for mid-tier ones. Work-for-hire means you own the music, which is why those numbers are higher.
Work out your own budget
Before you ask anyone for a price, count how much music you actually need. List every place music plays: main menu, each level or area, combat, boss fights, shops, cutscenes, victory and game over stingers. Then estimate a length for each. My list of the music and sound effects a game needs walks through each one, from menu themes to boss music.
Then do the math with the composer's rate. For example, if your game needs 10 minutes of music and a composer charges $300 per finished minute, that's 10 x $300 = $3,000. If you only need 3 minutes of loops for a jam game, the same rate is $900. The rate is the same, but knowing your minutes changes everything.
Tip: Looping tracks are your friend. A good 90-second loop can carry a whole level, so you often need fewer minutes than you think.
License or buyout?
With a license, the composer keeps the copyright and you get the right to use the music in your game (and usually trailers). With a buyout, you own it outright. Buyouts usually cost more. Many indie deals are licenses that also let the composer sell the soundtrack on Bandcamp or Steam, which can be a nice bonus for both of you. Whatever you pick, put it in writing, including trailers, streams and sequels.
Cheaper ways to get music
- Free CC0 music. Tracks you can use in commercial games with no credit needed. ComposerScout has a free CC0 music page with human-made tracks.
- Music packs. Royalty-free packs on itch.io and asset stores are cheap. Check each license, and remember other games may use the same tracks.
- Mix and match. Use packs for menus and filler, and hire a composer for your main theme or boss fight, the music people actually remember.
- Newer composers. Composers early in their career often charge less and work hard for credits. Listen to their work over your gameplay before you decide.
- Rev share. Works best when you already have a demo. Put the percentage and how it's paid in writing.
What about sound effects?
Sound effects are usually priced per sound or per day. The same Game Developer article put work-for-hire sound effects at about $20 to $100 each depending on experience. My guide on how game music, sound and voice acting is priced covers SFX and voice acting in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much does music cost for an indie game?
Guides from game composers quote roughly $50 to $2,500 per finished minute of music, with many indie projects paying a few hundred dollars per minute. Multiply the rate by the minutes of music your game needs to get a budget.
How much does a composer charge per minute?
It varies with experience and rights. A 2016 Game Developer article by composer Kole Hicks put work-for-hire at about $500 to $1,000 per minute for emerging composers and $1,000 to $2,000 for mid-tier ones. Many indie deals pay less, especially when the composer keeps the rights.
How many minutes of music does my game need?
List every place music plays (menus, levels, combat, bosses, cutscenes, stingers) and estimate each length. Looping tracks mean you often need fewer minutes than you think. A small game might need a few minutes, an RPG much more.
Can I get free music for my game?
Yes. CC0 tracks can be used in commercial games with no credit needed, and royalty-free packs are cheap. ComposerScout has a free CC0 music page with human-made tracks.
Is it cheaper to license music than buy it outright?
Usually yes. With a license the composer keeps the copyright and you get the right to use it in your game, so they can often charge less. Put what you can use it for in writing.
Is ComposerScout free?
Yes. ComposerScout is free for developers and creators, and I don't take a cut of anything you pay people. Pay and rights are agreed directly between you and the person you hire.
Find a composer who fits your budget
Post who you're looking for (it takes about a minute) with your budget, and composers who fit get it in their inbox. Or hear composers' work over your own gameplay before you message anyone.
Post your music roleMore guides
- What music and sound effects does my game need?
- How to find a composer for your indie game
- How game music, sound and voice acting is priced
- How to get music and sound effects for your game
- Free music for indie games (CC0)
- How to find a sound designer for your indie game
- How much does art cost for an indie game?
- How to find people to work on your game