How to find music for your indie game
There are three ways to find music for your indie game: hire a composer for an original soundtrack, buy ready-made music packs, or use free music with a license that allows commercial use. Which one fits depends on your budget and how much you want your game to sound like nobody else's.
I'm Bryan, an indie dev. I'm making my own game, and I built IndieGuild because finding the right music was the part that felt like guesswork. Here are the places I'd actually look, including the ones that aren't mine.
- No budget or a prototype: free music from OpenGameArt, Incompetech or the IndieGuild CC0 library. Check the license.
- Small budget: packs from itch.io, GameDev Market or Indie Game Music.
- You want it to sound like your game and nobody else's: hire a composer on IndieGuild, r/gameDevClassifieds or Fiverr.
| Option | Cost | Made just for your game | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire a composer | About $50 to $2,500 per minute | Yes | Main theme, the music players hear most |
| Music packs | Free to about $50 a pack | No | Small games, filler tracks |
| Free libraries | Free (some need credit) | No | Prototypes, game jams |
Hire a composer
Original music is the only way to get a soundtrack that's yours: themes that match your world, loops that fit your pacing, and music that can change with the action. For pricing, see how game music is priced, for the steps, how to find a composer, and to compare platforms, where to find composers for games.
1. IndieGuild
Browse game composers, hear their samples over a clip of your own gameplay, and message them directly. You can also post an open role and let composers come to you. Rates and specialties are on every profile.
2. r/gameDevClassifieds
Post a [Hiring] thread with your genre, track count, budget and a gameplay clip, and composers reply with portfolios. Also good for browsing [For Hire] posts.
3. Fiverr and Upwork
Quick and cheap for a few loops or a single theme. Filter for people with game music in their portfolio and listen before you buy.
4. SoundBetter
A marketplace of music pros, mostly mixing, songwriting and production, with some composers who do game and film work.
5. Bandcamp and SoundCloud
If an album or track already sounds like your game, reach out to the artist and ask if they'd write for it or license a track. Plenty of game composers started this way.
Buy ready-made music packs
Packs are the middle ground: cheap, fast, and made by real composers, but other games can use the same tracks.
6. itch.io music packs
Thousands of packs by indie composers in every style: fantasy, horror, chiptune, lo-fi, orchestral. Cheap, and you're paying the composer directly.
7. GameDev Market
Music and sound packs made for games, often with loops and stingers already cut.
8. Indie Game Music
A library of tracks by indie composers with licenses for freeware and commercial games, in WAV, MP3 and OGG.
9. AudioJungle
A huge stock library where you buy one track at a time.
Use free music
Free music is great for getting a build in front of players. Know the three license words: CC0 means use it anywhere with no credit, CC-BY means free but you must credit the creator, and NC (NonCommercial) means you can't use it in a game you sell.
10. IndieGuild free library
Human-made tracks you can use in commercial games with no credit needed. You can also play them over your gameplay in the Gameplay studio.
11. OpenGameArt.org
A long-running community library of free game music and sound. Filter by license to find CC0 tracks.
12. Incompetech
Kevin MacLeod's huge royalty-free library, used in thousands of games and videos.
13. Pixabay Music and Free Music Archive
Big free libraries you can search by mood and genre.
Whatever you pick, test it over your gameplay
A track that sounds great in a playlist can fight your pacing or bury your sound effects. Listen to it over a clip of your actual game before you commit. In IndieGuild's Gameplay studio you drop in a clip and switch between tracks while it plays, including composers' samples and the free library. The clip stays on your device.
Need sound effects or voices too? See how to get music and sound effects for your game and how to find voice actors for your game.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find music for my indie game?
Three ways: hire a composer for original music (IndieGuild, r/gameDevClassifieds, Fiverr), buy ready-made packs (itch.io, GameDev Market, Indie Game Music), or use free music with a license that allows commercial use (OpenGameArt, Incompetech, Pixabay, the IndieGuild CC0 library). Most indie games mix free packs for prototypes with hired music for the parts players hear most.
Where can I find free music for my game?
OpenGameArt.org, Incompetech (credit needed), Pixabay Music, Free Music Archive and the IndieGuild free CC0 library. Always check each track's license before you ship a commercial game.
Where can I hire a composer for my indie game?
IndieGuild lets you hear game composers over your own gameplay and message them for free. r/gameDevClassifieds, Fiverr, Upwork and SoundBetter are other common places. Ask for a short paid or free test track before you commit.
How much does it cost to get music for an indie game?
Free if you use CC0 or CC-BY music, a few dollars to tens of dollars for packs, and roughly $50 to $2,500 per finished minute to hire a composer, often a few hundred dollars per minute for indie projects.
Is IndieGuild free?
Yes. Devs post roles for free, composers, sound designers, voice actors and artists make profiles for free, and I don't take a cut of anyone's gigs. Pay and rights are agreed directly between you and the person you hire.
Hear your game's music before you hire
Drop in a gameplay clip and hear composers' samples over it. Message the person who made them. Free, and no cut taken.
Find my matchMore guides
- Free music for indie games (CC0)
- How to find a composer for your indie game
- How to get music and sound effects for your game
- How to find voice actors for your indie game
- How game music, sound and voice acting is priced
- Where to find composers for games
- Where to find a composer, sound designer or voice actor