Guide:Finding a composer for your visual novel

Hiring someone for your project can be intimidating. You are putting your heart and soul into your work, and you want to find the right person to help bring your vision to life. That can be a lot of pressure!

While it might inevitably be a somewhat daunting task, understanding the process, how to prepare, and what to look for, can at least take away some of the stress. This post will help guide you through some of the most important parts of hiring a composer, and help you feel a little more ready to tackle the search!

Getting started

Before making any decisions, reaching out to people, or committing to anything, start by taking a look just to see what’s out there. See what stands out to you, what kinds of things you gravitate towards or away from. Notice any trends in pricing/rates. Just get a general feel for what your options are so that when it comes time to make decisions, you’ll have at least some sort of reference point.

Where you want to look is up to you. Social media is always an option if you want to search around for composers or anyone offering music commissions. There are a lot of extremely talented people out there to discover. Unfortunately, if you aren’t already seeing some of these people on your feeds, it can be a little bit hard to find them on your own. Visual novel and game development hashtags can help, but I have found them difficult to weed through.

Discord is another great option, particularly if you can find servers dedicated to the type of project you are making. Spaces dedicated to visual novel development, or even game dev in general will generally have a number of active composers who could be a great fit for your project. While sometimes you might just come across them through conversation in these spaces, many servers will have a spot for self promotion of commissions that you can search through.

Specialized forums and subreddits are also great places to search. Similar to looking on Discord, searching within the development community is much more likely to net you better results. While there are absolutely places specifically for composers to gather and promote themselves, you are much more likely to be inundated by people who don’t necessarily fit the needs of what you are looking for.

There are also a number of platforms you can commission people through directly that offer at least some security and structure for the interaction. However, I will generally say to be very careful when searching on any of these sites, especially if the prices and demo work seem too good to be true. In addition, the sites themselves sometimes offer less protection than it might seem at first glance. That’s not to say you can’t find a great composer through any of these services, after all Balatro’s composer was found on Fiverr, just be especially careful.

While it is primarily aimed at the VTubing community, VGen is another good potential website to look at, even if you aren’t a VTuber. Many composers there also have experience working on games, or writing music for other types of projects, even if that is not the primary target of the space. As someone who takes Vtuber commissions through them, I will admit I am a little bit biased, but they offer quite a bit more protection for both the buyer and the seller than I have seen anywhere else.

In addition to the spaces mentioned previously, one of the best ways to find composers is to look up projects you like, or that are similar to what you are looking to do. Find out who is credited with making the music, and search for more information about them. Chances are that if they are available for commission, they will have some kind of website or page with more information. And don’t be intimidated by their past work! No matter how experienced they are, don’t be afraid to reach out. You’d be surprised at how happy most people are to chat about your project and see if you might work well together.

Similarly, word of mouth can do a lot of heavy lifting in this regard. If you know other people who have hired composers, ask them about their experiences. Find out who they worked with and what their overall thoughts on the process are like. Anything that stood out about the communication, creative input and work done. Just remember that every project is different, so just because they were a perfect fit for your friend, doesn’t mean that they will necessarily be the right person for you.

Regardless, whichever you pick, the more you click through these spaces, look at composer’s websites, and just generally get a sense of what's out there, the more you’ll notice you’ll develop an idea of what appeals to you and what doesn’t. You’ll also be able to better potentially spot any red flags that are clear outliers from what most people seem to be offering.

Questions to ask yourself

Now that you have a point of reference to work with, you can start determining what you are looking for, and getting everything ready to reach out to someone.

The first decision to make is deciding what you are looking to achieve with your music. Do you have a specific style, instrumentation or genre in mind? Are you looking for music that elicits a certain emotion? Or that establishes a specific setting? Having some sort of general idea of what you are searching for will help you narrow down which composer might be the best fit.

And even if you aren’t sure exactly what might be best, that’s okay too! Part of this process is finding someone who you trust to make good creative decisions that align with your goals. When you have that, you can focus on the parts you are sure of, and then allow them the creative freedom to assist with the rest.

Another decision you will need to keep in mind is how much music you are looking to commission. Finding someone who is going to be able to work within your budget and timeline will be a big deciding factor in finding the right person. Even if you don’t know the exact amount you will need, having some kind of rough idea is important. From a logistical standpoint, if you just generally know you have a large project, a composer with minimal availability might not be able to help. But also, if you have a rough idea of what you need to cover, a composer might be able to help suggest the most efficient way to create music to fit within your budget and schedule.

Similarly, does any of the music need special considerations? Is it meant to be in the background, behind voice acting? Does it need to loop seamlessly? Are you making a game where the music needs to adapt dynamically? Does it have to line up to animations? Even if you don’t know the exact answers to all of these kinds of questions, knowing what you need your music to do in general will better help you find someone who can figure out those details for you. A game composer is going to have a different skillset than a film composer or a songwriter.

The last piece is of course the big one, what is your budget? I would love to be able to give you some definitive guide on how much to expect to pay, but it is really just going to depend on too many different factors. A minute of music might be $50 or it might be $50,000. Because of this, at the end of the day, you are inevitably going to have to have a conversation with whoever you choose to reach out to. However, there are some factors you can generally keep in mind that can help you have a little bit more of an idea of what to expect.

Budgeting factors

Experience Level - While this isn’t always a direct correlation, how experienced the composer is will often affect the price. The more projects they have been a part of, the more you can generally expect to pay. This trade off though is not purely about quality of work. It’s also typically about the ideas they can offer to help improve the project, the quality of communication, and various other skills to help make the experience better for you overall.

Genre/Style - Very broadly speaking, the more complex the music you are asking for, the more the composer might need to charge. For example, a solo ambient piano piece will often take significantly less time to create than a fully orchestrated rock, electronic, orchestral hybrid battle theme. However, every composer has different skillsets, so this can vary a bit person to person and is worth having a discussion about.

Production Cost - Sometimes, the composer you are hiring isn’t able to create the music you’d like entirely by themselves. There can be a number of reasons for this that you would need to discuss with them on a case by case basis. However, generally speaking, it will be any time you are asking for something that they do not have as a skill themselves. For example, if you would like a pop song written, you might have a hard time finding someone who can write, produce and record it all for you on their own. In that situation, either you, or the composer, might need to hire a vocalist to record the song that the composer produces. This adds another person into the mix who will need to be budgeted for.

Amount of Music - As alluded to earlier, this one is pretty straightforward. The more music that you need, the more work it will be for the composer, and the more they will likely charge.

Deadline - If you give the composer a reasonable amount of time, it more than likely won’t really affect their rate. However, if you come to them asking for a track to be done by that night, expect to often pay a bit more for it.

Special Considerations - Also, as alluded to earlier, if there are any specific requirements you need from your music beyond just being music, this can raise the rate. Partially because the more specialized the request is, the fewer people there are who can do it for you. But also because some considerations add a considerable amount of work to what you are asking the composer to do. If you are asking for a simple loop, that shouldn’t be too expensive, but if you are asking for a track that responds to a fully dynamic system with branching musical moments and multiple different layers of tension, that will require a lot more work for the commission.

Usage Context - How the music will be used can also sometimes play a factor. The general rule of thumb is that the more value the music is creating for you, the more expensive commissioning it might be. For example, if you are looking to commission some music to play once in your visual novel, the rate someone might quote could just be their base. However, if you ask them to write music to be used as the main theme of your game, that will also be used in all of your marketing, and also used as a basis for all of the other music in the game, they might charge a bit more. In most small projects, this likely won’t come up, however, if you are dealing with a larger budget or higher profile project, you might expect this to become more of a factor.

Project Expectations - Similarly, there is the value being derived from the financial performance of your project. If you are commissioning the music for a passion project you are going to put on itch.io for a small audience of people, that likely wouldn’t affect the rate much. However, if the music is being used for a game to be released across all major consoles, in multiple languages, for a huge, established audience, you might expect to be quoted a higher rate to compensate for that value being derived.

Rights Ownership - I saved this factor for last because it can often be one of the most intimidating, but also one of the most important. Broadly speaking, when it comes to the negotiation of rights, there are two main categories: a buyout, and a license. (Disclaimer: Everything I am about to say is presented from the position of United States copyright law, and while it might often be broadly applicable, some nuance can be different if your contract is under the jurisdiction of a different country’s legal system.)

With a buyout, this means that you are purchasing the rights to the music entirely. Sometimes, the composer might stipulate specific terms in the contract, such as the requirement that you credit them for their work. But generally speaking, a buyout allows you to use the music for whatever you want, however you want, because you are the owner of it. This also means that you are responsible for the administration of the rights to that music (things like registering copyright, collecting royalties, etc.). This is often the most expensive option because there is no way for the composer to derive any money from the exchange beyond the initial payment.

The other option is called a license. This means that while the composer is still the one who owns the rights to the music, they are giving you permission to use the music in your project. There are often stipulations, such as that they must be credited, that you only use it in that one specific project, etc. But generally, the contract will lay out what you are and aren’t allowed to do with the music. This option still allows you to get music custom made for you, however, at a bit of a cheaper rate than a buyout because the composer still retains the rights. For the composer’s part, this means they can do things like make their work available for streaming or purchase and gain more income beyond the initial fee they charge you.

Licenses can also come in two flavors, exclusive, or non-exclusive. An exclusive license means that you will be the only one who is allowed to use the music they wrote for you. They might still release it as an album that people can buy, but they won’t license it out for use in any other projects aside from yours. Of the two, this is the more expensive type of license, because again, it is limiting what the composer may do with the music they created. On the other hand, with a non-exclusive license, they are still granting you permission to use the music they wrote for you, but they also might license it out to other projects as well. If you aren’t concerned about the music showing up in other places, this can be a great budget friendly option.

Reaching out

Once you have narrowed things down to a composer or two you’d like to reach out to, and have considered what you are looking for, it's time to start discussing your project. Most of the information already covered above will be rather straightforward to discuss, but there are a few specific points that can help with the communication of your goals.

A great way to express what you are looking for musically is to provide references. Any examples that you enjoy and think would work well for what you are looking to achieve. The key point however is to have multiple references rather than simply relying on one. This allows the composer to get a better sense of what you are looking for and what you prefer overall.

For example, if you send them a song and say “I really love the energy of this!” Their first thought might have been that you were referring to how the drums drive the track forward. However, the piece of it that was actually catching your ear was how fast the tempo and melody were. But if you have multiple references, it is easier to notice what traits the examples might have in common, and which ones they might not.

Explanations of what you like and what you are looking for are also very helpful, but don’t feel pressured to use musical terminology. The number one thing people say when they commission me for music is “I’m sorry I’m so bad at describing this stuff.” Describing music can be deceptively difficult, even if you know all the terminology and do it quite often. Instead, try to explain your goals using adjectives, emotions, and references rather than feeling like you need to know all of the technical musical language.

In fact, that can often get in the way. I’ve heard many stories of confusion created by music terms used in a commission that were misinterpreted. Unless you have a strong musical background, I generally recommend avoiding them entirely unless you are looking for something very very specific and you are positive you are familiar with the context of the word. Even something as innocuous as “jazz” can mean very different things to different people.

Another thing that can be very helpful in communicating what you are after is if you can share any samples of the project. Even if it's just a work in progress, or a concept, the more you can share with the composer, the more they will be able to understand the role their music will be playing. It can make a big difference in informing the creative direction that they choose.

You can of course also make a post announcing you are looking to hire someone as well and let people come to you. Just be prepared to sift through quite a lot of responses, many of which probably won’t be what you were looking for.

Closing the deal

You’ve prepared yourself, reached out, and are now considering hiring them. You’re almost there! There are just a few last steps to consider.

Make sure that they have experience with the thing you are looking for, or have given some sort of other indication to make you feel they are up to the specific task. Remember, just because someone can write great music, doesn’t mean they can write great music of every style and instrumentation. Just because they know how to score a scene doesn’t mean they know how to write adaptive music. That’s why I suggested really having a discussion about what you are looking for before deciding who to hire.

You also want to confirm that you are on the same page about usage rights, crediting, and any other contract terms. And especially to make sure that those terms exist in writing. If anyone ever refuses to outline the project in a contract, or even a basic agreement, this is a big red flag. Even if they truly have the best of intentions, and you don’t think you need to, it is an important habit to always be in. Not only does it offer some protection no matter how things turn out, but it also is very good for communicating expectations. Even if the legally binding part of the contract never matters, the fact that you both agreed to it in writing is extremely helpful in ensuring that everyone is on the same page about expectations for the work.

This is also one of the potential benefits of using services such as VGen, where the composer will have their own Terms of Service built into the platform. That being said, same as you would any other contract, make sure you read them and feel comfortable with what they are saying and why they are saying it. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to ask before agreeing. I’m sure they would want you to feel comfortable with the commission, and be happy to answer your questions. If they aren’t, that’s another big red flag for working with them.

In general, don’t be afraid to talk a little (within reason) and see how you feel. At the end of the day, you are working with them, and entrusting them to do right by your project. If something feels off to you, trust your gut. Even if they are a wonderful person, who makes great music, if you aren’t able to work well together, none of that really matters.

If they offer anything that feels too good to be true compared to all the other composers you looked at. If they are promising to work for you significantly cheaper than anyone comparable. If you feel they are being too pushy, or not really listening to what you are sharing with them. If it seems like they are putting out way more work than should be possible in such a short amount of time. Anything at all like that, don’t force yourself into a situation you aren’t comfortable with. There are plenty of other composers out there who would love to work with you and might be the perfect fit! It just requires a little bit more searching.

Wrap up

In my years writing music for people, I have encountered many clients who were very nervous about hiring the right person. So many people, myself included, feel a ton of pressure and anxiety commissioning someone. Anxiety about wanting to find the right person, wanting to work within your budget, not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings. All sorts of reasons. But that is exactly why I wrote this guide, and made it as thorough as possible. So that hopefully if you are reading this, no matter what hesitation you run into, you will feel more prepared than you did previously.

The depth here is not meant to overwhelm you. At the end of the day, most of these points just boil down to open communication. And not every consideration here will be applicable in every situation.

Just do your best! Keep this guide in mind when you can, and the whole process will be a lot less scary than it might seem.