Im unsure where to put this. So i tossed it here in design support. But is it copyright if you create your own cover of a theme? Example. Using FL Studio to create the rhythm heaven menu theme. But its my own cover, so lets say if I took time to create a 8bit version of it or maybe with different pitches.
Would I get in trouble for this?
Side note: I was unable to find a post already covering this. Please let me know if one exists and ill change the title to closed
Theme im talking about
If it’s not a 100% recreation, you should be find.
The Ultimate Doom’s soundtrack is full of covers of popular metal, rock, and grunge bands at the time, and Bobby Prince, the composer, didn’t need licensing or anything like that, mainly because he changed it enough to where the rhythm wasn’t a 1:1 copy.
You’re thinking the wrong way around. Instead of trying to turn other people’s ideas into your own, you should really make your own musical ideas and work towards the style you want to accomplish. Your in game music is like your game’s sound logo - it’s better when it’s your own and it’s instantly recognisable as its own thing.
edit: also here’s a great rule of thumb: if it’s a legal grey area, avoid. Works well every time!
Making a cover does not mean you have the rights to the composition itself. If someone else came up with the melody and chords, and you didn’t, it doesn’t matter if you recorded everything yourself and made a cover of it. That’s drastically oversimplified, and there are grey areas, but the bottom line is you should be making your own original compositions from the ground up if you want to be safe.
ill make this the solution. and Ill go ahead and do my own then. I was just a bit confused on if i was able to or not. Thank you!
I semi-agree. You totally should make your own music, but it sure as heck isn’t going to sound as good as a professionally orchestrated melody. Us devs and artists steal all the time. By taking various things others have made we essentially create something new.
If you don’t wish to copy a song in it’s entirety, take a list of songs and look for tunes that would fit well together. Neil Cicierega used that practice to create some very unique songs of ones that essentially already existed.