Plusmusic is a new AI-driven plugin that creates game soundtracks. Currently, the plugin is available for Unity and Unreal, two of the most common game engines. Acquiring music licenses is one of the more expensive aspects of game development, so Plusmuisc aims to offer an affordable alternative by offering an extensive library of pre-licensed music from a variety of genres. The company founders were inspired by the idea of melding the music and gaming industries.
“We spent our careers in music as musicians and music business professionals and love games. We saw a big opportunity to bring the games and music industries together,” Plusmusic founders told GamesBeat. “There was a gap for musicians to distribute at scale into games and music licensing was too complicated and complex. We also felt like, given our background and understanding of music licensing, that we could help solve some of the pain points for music licensing. Technology is critical to that union.”
An affordable solution
Plusmusic promises its pricing model is affordable for indie developers, allowing any game developers to have quality music in their games. The plugin utilises AI for real-time music adaptation. Likewise, it’s capable of developing dynamic soundscapes that react to players’ choices and in-game events.
The platform also keeps soundtracks fresh by intelligently adapting the score to reflect the game’s current intensity and mood. This keeps soundtracks from being repetitive. With this new AI-driven plugin, game developers no longer need exhaustive audio programming skills. Thus, it saves dev teams hours of work.
Grammys add award for best video game score
A good soundtrack brings the game’s emotions to the forefront, adding a deeper layer of immersion. Recently video game soundtracks have begun to receive the recognition they deserve. This year, for the first time, The Grammy’s included an award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media.
Nominees included Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Guardians of the Galaxy and Call of Duty. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla took home the inaugural award. While many other game soundtracks warrant recognition, the award marks the beginning of the music industry acknowledging the art of video game soundtracks.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
