7 ms·

The Minecraft game score unexpectedly became big business for its composer

118 points by tunapizza 1y ago

chrisdalke 1y ago
It really is great, haunting, nostalgic music that I associate with a formative time in my childhood. Beyond the game it’s also fantastic deep focus & coding soundtrack. If you haven’t heard it, listen to Sweden or Aria Math.
- Tijdreiziger 1y ago
  https://youtube.com/watch?v=gVYjlmB81Hc https://youtube.com/watch?v=gVYjlmB81Hc
rollcat 1y ago
The later composers for Minecraft have also crafted some exceptional pieces. Lena Raine's work was an instant hit. Nothing better than playing a Pigstep music disc at the end of a speedrun (because memes are more important than PBs).
- vintermann 1y ago
  Pigstep is OK, because the music disks were a bit oddball anyway, but I really don't like the non-c418 in game music. They feel out of place. It also an issue that the reason c418 didn't get to keep doing the Minecraft music, was that he refused to do it on "work for hire, sign over all the rights" terms.
  - rollcat 1y ago
    I'm quite certain there's a mod to manage your in-game playlists, and unlike in e.g. Factorio, the server doesn't even need to know about it. As for c418, you're privileged as an artist when you get to keep your rights and make decent money. That was a very smart strategic move. Microsoft could've responded in any number of ways, but keeping the music + hiring new artists doesn't even sound like a bad compromise; these artists deserve the exposure, even if they can't match c418.
  - hungmung 1y ago
    Yeah I like Lena but nobody was going to live up to the bar C418 set unless it was just ripping off of him entirely. Maybe if they got Brian Eno. But how many tracks are you going to get him to do for a videogame? (Trivia: Eno did the win95 startup sound)
    - Triphibian 1y ago
      Eno already did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZYP8SzlN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZYP8SzlN8
  - smj-edison 1y ago
    Lena wasn't my favorite, but I've really loved the new music by Aaron Cherof, in particular "Watcher" and "Featherfall".
pityJuke 1y ago
It is incredible how Minecraft, and the soundtrack in particular, was created by unknown part timers. A remix of Mice on Venus [0] is one of the few things that can make me cry on cue. There is something so powerful about it. Doesn’t help it is often used in Technoblade tributes because of this video. [1] [0]: https://youtube.com/watch?v=v1wMBrkUEFE https://youtube.com/watch?v=v1wMBrkUEFE [1]: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pPmo21gkETU https://youtube.com/watch?v=pPmo21gkETU
- Arainach 1y ago
  How often are video game soundtracks created by well known artists? Especially without AAA studio resources? Have there been that many big names in the space? Nobuo Uematsu for JRPGs, Jeremy Soule, Yasunori Mitsuda....who else has done enough that many people would have a chance of knowing their name?
  - rft 1y ago
    Just throwing https://www.frankklepacki.com/listen/soundtracks https://www.frankklepacki.com/listen/soundtracks out there. This is the composer of the C&C, and many more, soundtracks.
    - vintermann 1y ago
      GST channel on YouTube has a feature on Frank Klepacki. The artist features in that channel is in general great at highlighting VGM composers. But, like most of them, Klepacki is most famous for his game soundtrack work.
  - tialaramex 1y ago
    The soundtrack of Quake is famously by Nine Inch Nails, a "band" which basically consists of Trent Reznor who these days is probably as famous for movie soundtracks like "The Social Network" or "Soul" or for TV soundtracks like the "Watchmen" series but at the time would have been called the "front man" of NiN.
    - 1y ago
donatj 1y ago
It really annoys me that Microsoft brought in new composers. You're so insistent on "owning" the music you give up on a major part of what made the game what it is today.
- jsiepkes 1y ago
  I get why they want that. Otherwise every time they want to do something "out of the box" with Minecraft they have to go through corporate and IP lawyers first.
  - vintermann 1y ago
    The only thing they couldn't do with C418's music, was to publish "Minecraft: the official soundtrack" and take all the royalties themselves. Nor could they claim YouTube videos for having Minecraft's original music in it (they did it several times "accidentally" when the movie came out, and stole a couple of million from YouTube makers). So no, I don't buy the "they'd have to go through lawyers" excuse. They could still have had blanket licenses for using the music in all sorts of ways, they just wouldn't own it.
- encom 1y ago
  I'm further annoyed that Microsoft stole Minecraft from me. I can't play a game a paid for. Absolute scumbags of the highest order.
  - Novosell 1y ago
    Hmm? What'd they do to it?
    - sneak 1y ago
      They require a Microsoft account. There was a period of time where you could port over your Mojang account, but I and many other people did not, because I didn't want a Microsoft account or to have to agree to the Microsoft Terms of Service, a new legal contract which didn't exist at the time I paid for Minecraft. It's a classic bait and switch. Then, the account migration window closed, and Mojang accounts stopped working. Now I and thousands of others can't play the game we paid good money for. Fuck Notch and Microsoft both.
Deeksha676 1y ago
I really dont like people sharing paywalled articles, here’s the non paywalled version for those who are curious to read it: https://archive.ph/Erzmg https://archive.ph/Erzmg
eps 1y ago
https://archive.is/k91o9 https://archive.is/k91o9
n20benn 1y ago
Aside: if you enjoy the Minecraft music albums, you should definitely check out C418's new album for Wanderstop that was released earlier this year. It has a lot of the same feeling to it, and I personally like it even more than the Minecraft albums now. Tracks like Wanderstop Part 2, Earl Grey Part 2, Cinnamon Part 3, and The Forest are good places to start--it's three and a half hours long, so there's a lot to comb through.
- mkaic 1y ago
  I second this recommendation, I've been listening to the Wanderstop OST on shuffle for over a month now and find it delightful. The sister album "Wanderstop FM", which contains tracks that play diagetically on the in-game radio, is also excellent.
- foxyv 1y ago
  I bought it on Bandcamp a month ago and I've been playing it during focus time. I just love it!
neko_ranger 1y ago
Sweden is my favorite track
bearjaws 1y ago
Quick check shows he made about ~$2M in royalties on Spotify, maybe a bit more with YouTube monetization. Maybe the movie made a good chunk for him too. Curious what the offer was, it likely was higher since Microsoft just wanted to have clear ownership over the entire IP.
neonate 1y ago
https://web.archive.org/web/20250720113004/https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-minecraft-score-became-big-business-for-composer/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250720113004/https://www.billb...
- tunapizza 1y ago
  https://archive.ph/MORIQ https://archive.ph/MORIQ
beAbU 1y ago
For some reason C418's song "Minecraft", alongside the "klink-klink" sound skeletons make when near you are etched into my brain, like screen burn-in. I can recall the combination of the song and that sound instantly, and it's clear as day in my mind's ear today, nearly 15 years since I've last played any serious Minecraft.

118 points by tunapizza 1y ago

It really is great, haunting, nostalgic music that I associate with a formative time in my childhood. Beyond the game it’s also fantastic deep focus & coding soundtrack. If you haven’t heard it, listen to Sweden or Aria Math.

Tijdreiziger 1y ago
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gVYjlmB81Hc https://youtube.com/watch?v=gVYjlmB81Hc

rollcat 1y ago

The later composers for Minecraft have also crafted some exceptional pieces. Lena Raine's work was an instant hit. Nothing better than playing a Pigstep music disc at the end of a speedrun (because memes are more important than PBs).

vintermann 1y ago
Pigstep is OK, because the music disks were a bit oddball anyway, but I really don't like the non-c418 in game music. They feel out of place. It also an issue that the reason c418 didn't get to keep doing the Minecraft music, was that he refused to do it on "work for hire, sign over all the rights" terms.
- rollcat 1y ago
  I'm quite certain there's a mod to manage your in-game playlists, and unlike in e.g. Factorio, the server doesn't even need to know about it. As for c418, you're privileged as an artist when you get to keep your rights and make decent money. That was a very smart strategic move. Microsoft could've responded in any number of ways, but keeping the music + hiring new artists doesn't even sound like a bad compromise; these artists deserve the exposure, even if they can't match c418.
- hungmung 1y ago
  Yeah I like Lena but nobody was going to live up to the bar C418 set unless it was just ripping off of him entirely. Maybe if they got Brian Eno. But how many tracks are you going to get him to do for a videogame? (Trivia: Eno did the win95 startup sound)
  - Triphibian 1y ago
    Eno already did it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZYP8SzlN8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZYP8SzlN8
- smj-edison 1y ago
  Lena wasn't my favorite, but I've really loved the new music by Aaron Cherof, in particular "Watcher" and "Featherfall".

pityJuke 1y ago

It is incredible how Minecraft, and the soundtrack in particular, was created by unknown part timers. A remix of Mice on Venus [0] is one of the few things that can make me cry on cue. There is something so powerful about it. Doesn’t help it is often used in Technoblade tributes because of this video. [1] [0]: https://youtube.com/watch?v=v1wMBrkUEFE https://youtube.com/watch?v=v1wMBrkUEFE [1]: https://youtube.com/watch?v=pPmo21gkETU https://youtube.com/watch?v=pPmo21gkETU

Arainach 1y ago
How often are video game soundtracks created by well known artists? Especially without AAA studio resources? Have there been that many big names in the space? Nobuo Uematsu for JRPGs, Jeremy Soule, Yasunori Mitsuda....who else has done enough that many people would have a chance of knowing their name?
- rft 1y ago
  Just throwing https://www.frankklepacki.com/listen/soundtracks https://www.frankklepacki.com/listen/soundtracks out there. This is the composer of the C&C, and many more, soundtracks.
  - vintermann 1y ago
    GST channel on YouTube has a feature on Frank Klepacki. The artist features in that channel is in general great at highlighting VGM composers. But, like most of them, Klepacki is most famous for his game soundtrack work.
- tialaramex 1y ago
  The soundtrack of Quake is famously by Nine Inch Nails, a "band" which basically consists of Trent Reznor who these days is probably as famous for movie soundtracks like "The Social Network" or "Soul" or for TV soundtracks like the "Watchmen" series but at the time would have been called the "front man" of NiN.
  - 1y ago

donatj 1y ago

It really annoys me that Microsoft brought in new composers. You're so insistent on "owning" the music you give up on a major part of what made the game what it is today.

jsiepkes 1y ago
I get why they want that. Otherwise every time they want to do something "out of the box" with Minecraft they have to go through corporate and IP lawyers first.
- vintermann 1y ago
  The only thing they couldn't do with C418's music, was to publish "Minecraft: the official soundtrack" and take all the royalties themselves. Nor could they claim YouTube videos for having Minecraft's original music in it (they did it several times "accidentally" when the movie came out, and stole a couple of million from YouTube makers). So no, I don't buy the "they'd have to go through lawyers" excuse. They could still have had blanket licenses for using the music in all sorts of ways, they just wouldn't own it.
encom 1y ago
I'm further annoyed that Microsoft stole Minecraft from me. I can't play a game a paid for. Absolute scumbags of the highest order.
- Novosell 1y ago
  Hmm? What'd they do to it?
  - sneak 1y ago
    They require a Microsoft account. There was a period of time where you could port over your Mojang account, but I and many other people did not, because I didn't want a Microsoft account or to have to agree to the Microsoft Terms of Service, a new legal contract which didn't exist at the time I paid for Minecraft. It's a classic bait and switch. Then, the account migration window closed, and Mojang accounts stopped working. Now I and thousands of others can't play the game we paid good money for. Fuck Notch and Microsoft both.

Deeksha676 1y ago

I really dont like people sharing paywalled articles, here’s the non paywalled version for those who are curious to read it: https://archive.ph/Erzmg https://archive.ph/Erzmg

eps 1y ago

https://archive.is/k91o9 https://archive.is/k91o9

n20benn 1y ago

Aside: if you enjoy the Minecraft music albums, you should definitely check out C418's new album for Wanderstop that was released earlier this year. It has a lot of the same feeling to it, and I personally like it even more than the Minecraft albums now. Tracks like Wanderstop Part 2, Earl Grey Part 2, Cinnamon Part 3, and The Forest are good places to start--it's three and a half hours long, so there's a lot to comb through.

mkaic 1y ago
I second this recommendation, I've been listening to the Wanderstop OST on shuffle for over a month now and find it delightful. The sister album "Wanderstop FM", which contains tracks that play diagetically on the in-game radio, is also excellent.
foxyv 1y ago
I bought it on Bandcamp a month ago and I've been playing it during focus time. I just love it!

neko_ranger 1y ago

Sweden is my favorite track

bearjaws 1y ago

Quick check shows he made about ~$2M in royalties on Spotify, maybe a bit more with YouTube monetization. Maybe the movie made a good chunk for him too. Curious what the offer was, it likely was higher since Microsoft just wanted to have clear ownership over the entire IP.

neonate 1y ago

https://web.archive.org/web/20250720113004/https://www.billboard.com/pro/how-minecraft-score-became-big-business-for-composer/ https://web.archive.org/web/20250720113004/https://www.billb...

tunapizza 1y ago
https://archive.ph/MORIQ https://archive.ph/MORIQ

beAbU 1y ago

For some reason C418's song "Minecraft", alongside the "klink-klink" sound skeletons make when near you are etched into my brain, like screen burn-in. I can recall the combination of the song and that sound instantly, and it's clear as day in my mind's ear today, nearly 15 years since I've last played any serious Minecraft.