Quick answer: most indie games mix a few sources:
- Sound effects: start with a royalty-free library, then record or design the sounds that make your game unique.
- Music: a library track is cheapest, a composer gives you a unique sound, and AI music tools are fast and cheap but come with licence questions.
- Whatever you use, read the licence. “Royalty-free” doesn’t mean free, and not every licence covers commercial games.
Option 1: Royalty-free libraries
You pay once (or nothing) and use the sound in your game.
Pros: cheap, instant, huge choice. Cons: other games may use the same sounds; licences vary.
Check the licence covers:
- commercial games (not just personal or non-commercial use),
- your platforms and any trailers or soundtrack releases,
- streaming and YouTube. Some music is registered with YouTube’s Content ID, which can flag videos of players streaming your game.
Option 2: Creative Commons
Free, but read the letters:
- CC0: use it any way you like.
- CC BY: free if you credit the creator.
- NC (non-commercial): not allowed in a game you sell.
Option 3: Hire a composer or sound designer
Pros: a unique sound that fits your game, made to your timing and mood. Cons: the most expensive option, and it takes time.
To keep costs down: ask for fewer, longer tracks that loop well, and reuse themes across levels. Agree the rights in writing: can you sell a soundtrack, use the music in trailers, and keep using it after launch?
Option 4: AI music and sound tools
Modern AI tools can produce usable music and sound effects in minutes, and for many prototypes and small games the results are good enough to ship.
The honest drawbacks:
- Check each tool’s terms for commercial use; free plans often don’t include it.
- Copyright protection is uncertain. In some countries, including the US, purely AI-generated material can’t be copyrighted, so others may be free to reuse it.
- Steam asks you to disclose AI-generated content when you submit your game.
- Exact edits are harder. Changing one bar or making a perfect loop can take many tries.
Option 5: Make it yourself
Free and paid music software, sample packs and virtual instruments let you write your own music or design sound effects, even as a beginner.
Pros: cheap, fully yours, and it improves as you learn. Cons: it takes time away from the rest of the game.
You can also do more of it inside Unreal. MetaSounds builds procedural audio, and Quartz keeps music and gameplay in sync.
Which to choose
| Your situation | Good choice |
|---|---|
| Prototype or game jam | Library or AI, then replace later if needed |
| Small budget, commercial game | Library sound effects + a few commissioned or self-made tracks |
| Music is the core of the game (rhythm, music game) | Composer or self-made, with in-engine audio tools |
| You want a unique sound identity | Composer, or design your own |
FAQ
Can I use popular songs in my game?
Not without a licence from the rights holders, which is usually expensive. Assume you can’t.
Do I need to credit library sounds?
Only if the licence says so, but crediting is always a nice touch.
Is free music on YouTube safe to use?
Only if its licence clearly allows commercial games. Many “free” tracks are for videos only.
Related articles
Making the audio inside Unreal? VST Audio runs VST3 instruments and effects in C++, Blueprints and MetaSounds. Sound Design LITE lets you build sound effects on a Level Sequence timeline and render them to SoundWave assets. For music-driven games, MIDI Engine 4 PRO plays and syncs MIDI with your gameplay.