FREE GAME MUSIC CC BY 4.0

Guide 4 of 5

Music for game jams: get a soundtrack in ten minutes

A jam gives you hours, not weeks. Music should take ten minutes, not an afternoon. Here is the quick way.

Minute 1 to 3: list your scenes

Title screen, main level or two, a menu, credits. That is usually four to six tracks.

Minute 4 to 8: fill the slots

Open the Soundtrack Builder, press Auto-fill, then swap any track that does not fit by pressing Change and previewing options. Everything is saved in your browser.

Minute 9: export

Copy CREDITS.txt into your credits screen and your submission page. Download the MP3s.

Minute 10: wire it up

Drop the MP3s in your project. The Engines page has short examples for Godot, Unity, Phaser and plain HTML. Use a crossfade between tracks rather than looping one song.

Keep the file small

Jam sites often limit upload size. A four-minute MP3 is about 4 to 6 MB, so five tracks are around 25 MB. Cut the list or trim tracks if you need to.

Quick answers

Is jam music allowed to be pre-made?

Rules vary by jam. Most allow pre-made assets if they are credited and the licence allows it. Check your jam page.

Try it

Open the Soundtrack Builder and give each scene a track, or browse the zones on the map.

Press playA Short Walk With You
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