Question about "Music" in games.

[PureGhostGR]

I wanted to ask this for quite some time now.

What are the rules/laws concerning using MIDI/MP3 in a game that you make?
Must you always seek out Royalty Free music (or write our own)? Or is it possible to use something else too (like a well known track from an album) , provided you make a Freeware adventure game?

I am sorry if this topic has been covered before.

[Peter Thomas]

It's all to do with copyright, which - on the whole - means you can't use a song from an album or suchlike, unless you get express written consent from the producer/composer/company etc. And even then, if you DO write to them, chances are they'll just tell you to go away, since if they WERE going to let you use it, they wouldn't have put copyright on it in the first place.

Of course, if you really REALLY wanna use a well-known song, then I would encourage you to write and at least give it a shot. You could be pleasantly surprised.

Though practical advice is to use royalty free music or, indeed, write your own. It's the only way you can be sure you won't get sued. And if you look around, chances are you'll be able to find something equally as good anyway. There are plenty of musicians on the forums who'd be happy to work with you, as long as you could give them some foundation and assurance that they won't be making music for a game you'll just abandon in three months...

[BOYD1981]

personally i don't care much for copyrights, but one thing you could do if you are using a certain track that you think may be copyrighted but really suits the game is use a placeholder track and put a note in a readme advising that the game would be better with the certain mp3/ogg then if people want to they can acquire the mp3, rename it and place it in the game folder and AGS will use that instead, that way you're not breaking the law you're just encouraging other people to, although some people might actually own the song anyway, or you may be bringing a song to the attention of other people who might then decide they like the artist and go out and buy a CD, in which case you're making the record company some money and since you don't get a fee for it they should be grateful...
but at the end of the day it's up to you what you use and include in your game, and unless you go round posting on every forum you come across and on a website that the game uses a certain song, nobody in a position to do something about it is gonna find out.
if you do want some "proper professional sounding" music then you could try out sites like vitaminic and mp3.com, i think most people would probably let you use a track of their's if you asked them and credited them, i know i would...