Thoughts on adding original music to an IF?

[silverflame]

Hi! What do you all think about adding original music to a few emotional scenes in
an IF? Would it be distracting, or would it help you get more immersed in the story
(assuming the music is good quality and non-obtrusive)?

[ChanceOfFire]

@silverflame

Hi! What do you all think about adding original music to a few emotional scenes in
an IF?

Original music? The first thing that comes to mind is cost. If you’re making it yourself or have a friend willing to do it for cheap, that’s fine, but if you’re paying someone to compose something from scratch for you, it may be an overpriced investment, unless you have a popular WIP and are dead certain the music provides added value.

@silverflame

Would it be distracting, or would it help you get more immersed in the story
(assuming the music is good quality and non-obtrusive)?

It can be distracting if the game is largely silent, then suddenly plays music when you reach the emotional part. For folks who play these games in a crowded place without headphones, music could be… inconvenient.

I believe one author who tried to add music/sound to his submitted game also encountered some mechanical issues which needed time to iron out.

Anyway, that’s just my opinion, so I’ll also present one view from the opposing camp.

January 2025 Writer Support Thread

@ChanceOfFire @Fusion_Ultimatum I have turned purple due to orc flu and would prefer to wallow in my cave… I think a title track can set the scene and go down well. The Track I used, Adrenaline Rush by Emily Roll for Fantasy, is fully credited. I also provided relevant links and info to the composer herself. Her tracks are often free for public and commercial use. I have not received any complaints about the track, from players. The only issue was that the track continued to run through the g…

[LiliArch]

I hate it. It’s not that it’s distracting, it’s that it’s annoying. I tend to listen to my own playlist and/or radio when I read IF, and when I suddenly get blindsided by a game pushing a track on me which overrides my radio, which means I need to re-open the latter, which means that if someone made a goal in the hockey game I was listening to during that I’m going to miss it completely, I’m going to want to throw the whole game away and never play it again.

Which, granted, is a me issue, but giving the player the option to opt out of music would be something I’d recommend nonetheless.

(VNs are a different animal.)

[NumberedEntity]

I’m intrigued by this idea. However, before you start the game, give players a warning and an option to turn off all the music and sound. Also, it is probably best to let them know that the music will be set to their volume, since we have no control over sound levels inside the game or app (afaik).

I’d love to see an example scene/short project using sound and music like this.

[silverflame]

That’s a very good point. What I had in mind was asking players at the start if they want the music enabled. I’d then gently fade the tracks in and out where it feels appropriate. Another idea is to just release a soundtrack album, so players can listen to the character themes on their own (for example: ‘In the Steppes — Ai Nara’s Theme’).

@NumberedEntity

I’m intrigued by this idea. However, before you start the game, give players a warning and an option to turn off all the music and sound. Also, it is probably best to let them know that the music will be set to their volume, since we have no control over sound levels inside the game or app (afaik).

I’d love to see an example scene/short project using sound and music like this.

[silverflame]

@ChanceOfFire

Original music? The first thing that comes to mind is cost. If you’re making it yourself or have a friend willing to do it for cheap, that’s fine, but if you’re paying someone to compose something from scratch for you, it may be an overpriced investment, unless you have a popular WIP and are dead certain the music provides added value.

Yep, it’s free. A friend is doing it for me.

@ChanceOfFire

I believe one author who tried to add music/sound to his submitted game also encountered some mechanical issues which needed time to iron out.

Thank you for pointing out this post!

[silverflame]

@LiliArch

Which, granted, is a me issue, but giving the player the option to opt out of music would be something I’d recommend nonetheless.

That’s an idea!

[Carloshmc2812]

Music in games will always be a distraction for me. probably because I use a screen reader, so it gets in the way.

[myeraland]

I don’t listen to music when I play IF Games. That said, if it’s a toggle option, I will listen to the music on a later playthrough.

I say go for adding music. Especially if it’s free. I think it’s a novel idea. Music has a way of bridging gaps that words can’t always nail.

However, one thing to keep in mind is that, for fast readers, sometimes the music won’t have finished playing by the time the scene ends! I’ve unintentionally cut off a lot of music tracks (so I try to pause for a moment to listen, which may or may not affect the scene’s tension/pacing). This is more a factor if you have more tracks to play or if you use the *sound nothing command.

Another thing to worry about: how long will the music last? You’ll have to decide if you want the music to play and stop, or loop to keep the overall mood of a scene. Looping would require you to manually repeat the track and upload that as one file. That way the music plays seamlessly across the scene—regardless of reading speed. Which can increase the overall file size of the game (only a factor for slower or older devices).

Lastly, you’d focus on consistency. When does the music play? I recall a IF where there was an unexpected scene music that startled players! It’s nice for the reader to know when music will be played. The WIP One Knight Stand also uses music and sound effects, but sometimes it can be unclear what sounds will take a priority or when sounds are supposed to play and when are some scenes silent. I think the WIP is a great starting point to see the reception of music/sound in an IF.

Anyways, it’s very nice if a reader can predict or have an intuition when music might play to create a smooth gameplay experience. If music is rarely inserted, it may be helpful to warn the reader about the upcoming sound. If music is frequent, it should feel invisible and seamless, which is the ultimate goal to adding music to our games.

I would advocate adding in a menu option in the stats menu to listen to the tracks at any point! Non-loop versions! I haven’t seen a game do that yet, and I would really appreciate it.

[silverflame]

Thanks for the insightful comment, myeraland!

@myeraland

Another thing to worry about: how long will the music last? You’ll have to decide if you want the music to play and stop, or loop to keep the overall mood of a scene. Looping would require you to manually repeat the track and upload that as one file. That way the music plays seamlessly across the scene—regardless of reading speed. Which can increase the overall file size of the game (only a factor for slower or older devices).

You make a great point about reading speed. That’s a real challenge. I’m trying to find a middle ground, such as a 1-2 minute musical piece that works across multiple scenes. That way, fast readers can breeze through the scenes while the music still fits, and slower readers can immerse themselves in the music during the most relevant parts. But definitely no sound loops and sound effects!

@myeraland

The WIP One Knight Stand also uses music and sound effects, but sometimes it can be unclear what sounds will take a priority or when sounds are supposed to play and when are some scenes silent.

Thanks for pointing out those projects that use sound. I gave the WIP a try, and I think it’s a bit TOO heavy on the sound effects. I’m envisioning music only for a few key moments, like when the protagonist reads a letter from a loved one before departing, during a poignant childhood memory, or when the spaceship loses connection to Earth and is torn apart.

@myeraland

If music is rarely inserted, it may be helpful to warn the reader about the upcoming sound.

This is a great suggestion. Something like: The air was filled with warmth, and the tender, distant notes of a piano began to drift in.

@myeraland

I would advocate adding in a menu option in the stats menu to listen to the tracks at any point! Non-loop versions! I haven’t seen a game do that yet, and I would really appreciate it.

Another brilliant idea!

[chrisbat]

I personally hate it any time someone adds music to their IF. If I’m reading I don’t want music.

[silverflame]

Legit points!

@Carloshmc2812

Music in games will always be a distraction for me. probably because I use a screen reader, so it gets in the way.

@chrisbat

I personally hate it any time someone adds music to their IF. If I’m reading I don’t want music.

[Vertigo1]

As long as you add the option to turn it off for those who are not a fan, it’s a cool feature to have. Sounds can be a great tool to add another level of immersion, if chosen right. But they also can distract, and every reader can have their own preference in ambience.

Personally, for me a very nice example of an immersive soundtrack for the story is Garden of Bones by Efflorescence on itch. Or Cantata by Fir & Fireweed. It really adds to the narrative. If we are talking about choicescript games, One Knight Stand is also a great example of story with immersive sounds, though strictly speaking, no ‘music’ is present.

[Herewegoagain1280]

I think it can work really well if it’s used sparingly. A few emotional scenes or important moments, sure. Constant background music the whole game though would probably get tiring fast for me.

Also definitely make it optional. Some people love immersion, others are playing IF half asleep at 1am with their own music already on

[Allen1]

Ok here’s my personal opinion so take it without malice and hurt: I hate music in IF mainly due to me being autistic and I literally can’t focus on reading if I have distracting audio going off however with an option to turn it off would be best and I would make sure the writing doesn’t use the music as a crutch to portray the tone you want. It should be supplemental, lack of the music shouldn’t harm the scenes and carry the same impact. Now there’s the highly variable difference between each person, what’s “good music” to one person is bad music to another and you can’t realistically expect every one to like it even if they don’t mind music in their IFs

[S_Missions]

Maybe you should write something like “if this had a soundtrack.. it would be (insert title here)”. This way people can play the soundtrack when they play the game and get the experience that you want them to have.

[Chaoszzzzz]

Would be great

[silverflame]

Also an excellent solution!