Releasing a soundtrack alongside your game from multiple artists?

[rpgmakerxp]

This is something I've been unable to find clear information on.

So for example, I have a few songs from a musician who made a few songs specifically for my game. Another musician allows free-use/edits of their songs, while another one's songs were obtained from a purchased rpg maker music pack.

I was wondering what are the legalities surrounding releasing a soundtrack for your game under similar circumstances? If it is even necessary? Or if just purchasing the game entitles the player with the "rights" to obtain the song from wherever they like.

Now normally I wouldn't consider releasing a soundtrack, but what happens when one isn't released is that people end up just ripping the songs from the game, youtube, etc.; which isn't exactly a moral way to go about it.

Also a friend of mine showed a game he owned on steam and it was playing a song I was planning on using for my own game. This made me get even more unsure of how to go about this.

 

[Shaz]

Are you selling the soundtrack?

The songs you had specifically written, you should be okay to sell, but you should confirm that with the artist. It depends on the terms of your agreement - ideally, the possibility of selling should have been discussed and agreed on before the tracks were made.
Free use/edits does not mean you can sell them. Check the terms of use carefully to see if selling is allowed, and if you can't find anything specific, you will not be allowed to. Think about it - why would any artist be okay with you selling stuff that they have provided for free?
Tracks purchased from a pack can definitely not be sold. You can't even distribute them for free. The terms of use will state that you can use them in your game. That is the only permitted use.

 

[rpgmakerxp]

Are you selling the soundtrack?

The songs you had specifically written, you should be okay to sell, but you should confirm that with the artist. It depends on the terms of your agreement - ideally, the possibility of selling should have been discussed and agreed on before the tracks were made.
Free use/edits does not mean you can sell them. Check the terms of use carefully to see if selling is allowed, and if you can't find anything specific, you will not be allowed to. Think about it - why would any artist be okay with you selling stuff that they have provided for free?
Tracks purchased from a pack can definitely not be sold. You can't even distribute them for free. The terms of use will state that you can use them in your game. That is the only permitted use.

The purchased packs allow for commercial games, so I suppose I figured it also meant the distribution of the soundtrack as well. That was an error on my part.

This makes me wonder how people would then be able to obtain the soundtrack? Or perhaps I'd just end up releasing the songs I am permitted to sell alongside the game while the others are obtained illegally?

I'm still wondering the situation about the song that the game my friend showed me had. I just wouldn't want to release a soundtrack that includes a song that someone else already has in their game. Based on what you said this wouldn't be possible with the rpg maker packs, but what if it was from another source? I can't imagine having to listen to numerous games' music in order to take that into consideration.

 

[Shaz]

You would need to find out who released the soundtrack for that game, and whether they got permission to use the audio. Just because they did it doesn't mean they did it legally. If they DID do it legally, it doesn't mean you can do it too - they may have made some arrangement with the musician and you would need to do the same. You could do it illegally, but is it worth the risk? Your game could be taken down, you could be sued, and people could choose not to do business with you (your portals may not want to sell your future games, people who worked with you might not want to work on future titles with you). It's more far-reaching that just the person who created the resource.

For the store pack, check the specific terms provided with the pack. Most assets are for use in your game - there are even restrictions on some that prevent you using the assets for advertising - you are only allowed to use screenshots, not the assets themselves.

If the source is legitimate, it should tell you how you can use it. You should not have to check other games. If it's a free resource, then it's very likely that other people will be using it too. If you want unique music, you're going to have to get it made, and you and the musician can determine the terms of use. If you hear something you like, you should not download it or rip it from that game or website that's sharing it - you should find out who created it and go all the way back to the source. That is where you will find the terms of use.

 

[Tuomo L]

You can't sell storebought assets yourself, so no, you can't sell "soundtrack" for your game since it's not a OST that you're selling. You're basically taking music that's pre existing and hasn't been composed for you, claiming it is original for you. This is immoral and honestly, violates the rules in most packs.

Besides it'd be really silly because people could just buy your "Soundtrack" and the original owner wouldn't get a single cent as people would keep getting those loops and beats for themselves. Pretty much every single storebought asset probhits distributing the materials as is and that's exactly what you're trying to do.

If you want to sell OST with your games, hire a musician and compose original songs for your games. Then you can sell your Original Sound Track with your game, which is what the term OST even stands for.

And no, you cannot take profit by selling stuff that you found for free. So don't go download Incompetech's all songs and claiming that's the soundtrack for your game and try and sleaze off money for it, you'll get into legal troubles.


If you have OST and want to sell that, you can make a bundle package in Steam that includes the OST that the player gets when they buy that version. There's also places like Bandcamp and such that you can use to sell it invidually.

 

[rpgmakerxp]

You can't sell storebought assets yourself, so no, you can't sell "soundtrack" for your game since it's not a OST that you're selling. You're basically taking music that's pre existing and hasn't been composed for you, claiming it is original for you. This is immoral and honestly, violates the rules in most packs.

Besides it'd be really silly because people could just buy your "Soundtrack" and the original owner wouldn't get a single cent as people would keep getting those loops and beats for themselves. Pretty much every single storebought asset probhits distributing the materials as is and that's exactly what you're trying to do.

If you want to sell OST with your games, hire a musician and compose original songs for your games. Then you can sell your Original Sound Track with your game, which is what the term OST even stands for.

And no, you cannot take profit by selling stuff that you found for free. So don't go download Incompetech's all songs and claiming that's the soundtrack for your game and try and sleaze off money for it, you'll get into legal troubles.


If you have OST and want to sell that, you can make a bundle package in Steam that includes the OST that the player gets when they buy that version. There's also places like Bandcamp and such that you can use to sell it invidually.

You can relax I'm not a criminal nor was I deliberately trying to be, so there's no reason to talk to me in a condescending tone. Just because the thread exists doesn't mean you have to respond. Shaz already made it clear, so I completely understood with her responses. I simply forgot to have this thread closed. Have a nice day and Thank you Shaz for the good responses.

 

[slimmmeiske2]

This thread is being closed, due to being solved. If for some reason you would like this thread re-opened, please report this post and leave a message why. Thank you.