I have been fascinated by game music since I was a child. The way it sets the atmosphere and evokes emotions makes me never want to play games without music. Seriously, when I play a mobile game, the sound has to be on. If necessary, I’ll use earphones. The interactive elements, like in the Sly series where the music intensifies during battles, have always appealed to me.

But enough about my nostalgia. A year ago, I got the idea to write game music. I had already composed some pieces for a friend and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to continue. Creating 8-bit music seemed incredibly fun. Not only the theory behind the music but also the sound and atmosphere. After some research, I found an external plug-in for Logic, the program I use. I played my first track to the same friend. ‘Sounds like space music,’ he said. What if I made an entire album for space games? That’s what I set out to do.

Creating 8-bit Music

Logic Pro X for Mac has always been my go-to DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). I’ve been working with Logic for over six years now. After some searching, I found the Magical 8bit Plug by YMCK. This plug-in features Square frequencies, Triangle frequencies, and a noise generator. It precisely simulates what a composer in the ‘70s and ‘80s could use. The plug-in gave me a better feel for the frequencies and possibilities within 8-bit. I created the first three tracks on the album with it.

Later, I started using Logic Pro for iPad. You can download a free pack within the app with 8-bit sounds. I use only a small part of the pack, as most sounds are more synthesizer than 8-bit. They have a nostalgic 'feel,' but they aren’t truly 8-bit. Nonetheless, it’s a nice pack. With the sounds, I tried to replicate and manipulate the frequencies as accurately as possible. Along the way, I got better at using the app, the sounds, and composing game music in general. If you have any tips for Logic Pro for iPad, feel free to leave them in the comments! I love hidden features and plug-ins that make my workflow easier and, of course, new, better sounds.

All Tracks in the Album

8-bit Space Music contains 9 tracks, each with its own atmosphere. Except for one track, the main theme from the Main Theme reappears throughout if you listen closely. The first four were composed on my Mac, and the rest on the iPad. Here are all the tracks listed:

• Space Main Theme: This track was created as menu or opening music. Of course, you can use the music however you want. The track mainly came about by experimenting with the Magical 8bit Plug.
• Industrial Planet: I imagined this as level music. The idea is that it sounds like a factory with many robots. It’s almost entirely made with the noise machine.
• Star Militia: More level music. This track always gives me ‘Space Invader’ vibes, hence the name.
• Exploding Sun: Very intense, for example for a final boss or extra difficult level. Here, I mainly experimented with different chord schemes and tried to build as much tension as possible.
• Exploring the New Planets: This is a somewhat happier melody that invites adventure. This was the first track I wrote on the iPad, and I mainly tested various sounds with it.
• AI Malware: More final boss music. I wrote it with Industrial Planet in mind. In my imagination, these two tracks belong together. I’m very curious to see how this track will be used.
• Milky Way: A calmer track for the more relaxed levels. I’d had enough of the up-tempo and threatening music. I also wanted to create something calm.
• Cruising through the Asteroid Rain: A cheerful, adventurous melody. The challenge was to write a bad track. You decide whether I succeeded or failed.
• Astral Float: Another calm track for the more relaxed levels. This track always gives me the feeling of floating in space. This was mainly a track where I tested some functionalities and sounds.

Through making this album, I learned a lot about creating 8-bit music and its restrictions. It’s fun to create as much as possible with minimal resources.

Why is this album free?

There are so many game music composers that it’s hard to stand out. I want to offer something valuable to the community. This album is my business card, my first major work, and I gladly share it with the world for free.

You can download my album for free via this button.

Use it for your games, your videos, your streams, whatever you want! If you want to credit me, I’d be thrilled. Do you like my music? It’s available on various platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and SoundCloud.