What a game asset license covers: one game, exclusive, and what you can't do
When you buy a track, a sound pack or a piece of art for your game, you aren't buying the thing itself. You're buying a license, which is permission to use it. Here's what that covers, what it doesn't, and how the license in IndieGuild's Market is set up.
- A license is permission to use someone's work. The creator still owns it.
- In IndieGuild's Market, one license covers one game on any platform, plus trailers and streams of it.
- You can't resell the files, hand them out or use them in a second game.
- Exclusive means the creator stops selling that item after you buy it.
- Before you pay for any asset, check the AI rule, the refund rule and what happens with sequels.
The Market is invite-only while I test it, and checkout opens with the pilot. The full license text comes with checkout, and I'll keep this page matching it. I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice. It's the plain-words version, so you know what to look for.
A license is permission, not ownership
The creator keeps the copyright. You get the right to use their work the way the license says. That's why the same pack can be sold to many devs, and why "royalty-free" never means "do anything you like".
It's also why licensed work costs less than custom work. With custom work you're often paying for the rights as well as the hours.
What "one game" means on IndieGuild
Every item in the Market is sold the same way: a license for one game, on any platform, plus trailers and streams of it.
- One game. The one you bought it for. A second game needs a second license.
- Any platform. PC, console, phone or web. You don't pay again to port.
- Trailers and streams. Your trailer can use the track, and people can stream your game with it in.
What you can't do
These hold for nearly every asset license, here or anywhere else:
- Resell the files, or give them away on their own.
- Use them in a different game without a new license.
- Say you made them.
Exclusive: when you want it to be yours alone
Some items in the Market carry a second, higher price marked Exclusive. Buy that one and the creator stops selling the item after this.
It costs more because they give up every later sale. It's worth it for a main theme, a logo or key art. It usually isn't for footsteps. Exclusive stops future sales. It doesn't undo a license someone bought before you, so ask the creator if that matters for your game.
Human-made, and what happens if something's wrong
Every item in the Market needs the creator's tick: "I made this myself, with no generative AI, and I own the rights to sell it." It's the rule for selling here.
Before you pay, you hear or see a protected preview. Audio plays its first minute at lower quality with a soft chime over it, and art shows as a smaller copy with a watermark. The full files unlock right after you pay, and broken or wrong files are refunded within 7 days.
Questions to ask about any license
Wherever you buy, these are the ones that bite later:
- Sequels and DLC. Is more of the same game covered? Is the next game?
- Editing. Can you loop, cut, recolour or layer it to fit?
- Credit. Does the creator need a line in your credits?
- Content ID. If you register licensed music with a fingerprinting service, it can flag every other dev who licensed the same track. Most licenses forbid it.
- AI. Was it made with generative AI, and are you allowed to train a model on it?
- Refunds. What happens if the file is broken or isn't what the listing said?
Need something the license doesn't cover?
Ask. Every item in the Market has an Ask for a custom version button that opens a normal chat with the creator. A longer cut, a different key, a second game: that's a conversation, and it's free to have.
If it turns into custom work, put the deal in writing. The Contract Kit covers that.
If you're the creator
Putting an item in your shop offers that one-game license to anyone who buys. You keep the copyright and you can keep selling it, unless someone buys it exclusive. Your side of the deal is the tick: it's yours, and you made it without generative AI. More on that in how to open a shop.
Frequently asked questions
What does a one-game license mean?
You can use the asset in one game. In IndieGuild's Market that covers any platform the game ships on, plus trailers and streams of it. A second game needs a second license.
Do I own the music or art after I buy a license?
No. The creator keeps the copyright. You get permission to use the work in your game the way the license says.
What does an exclusive license mean on IndieGuild?
The creator stops selling that item after you buy it. It costs more than the one-game price because they give up every later sale. It doesn't undo a license someone bought before you.
Can I use a licensed track in my trailer or on stream?
In IndieGuild's Market, yes. The license covers trailers and streams of the game it was bought for.
Can I get a refund on a game asset?
In IndieGuild's Market, broken or wrong files are refunded within 7 days.
Are the assets in IndieGuild's Market made with AI?
They aren't allowed to be. Every item needs the creator's tick that they made it themselves with no generative AI and that they own the rights to sell it.
Make a page for your game or your work
IndieGuild is where indie devs and the people who make music, sound and art for games find each other. A profile takes a few minutes and it's free.
Make my free profileMore guides
- How to open a shop on IndieGuild
- How to price a game asset pack
- How to get music and sound effects for your game
- How much does music cost for an indie game?
- How much does art cost for an indie game?