IS IT OKAY TO USE MUSIC FROM OTHER GAMES?

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By which I mean music from games released on other systems such as PS2.

Is it frowned upon? Will I get blacklisted for doing this?

Sorry if the answer is obvious or if this is something that's been discussed a thousand times. I'm completely new to the ring and I just figured I should get this question out of the way before I plop down the $70 for VX Ace. The answer to this thread will definitely factor into my decision whether to get RPG Maker or not.
Magi
Resident Terrapin
1028
What's your stance on ripped graphics from other games? If you don't agree with using them, then you can't use music from other games without looking like a hypocrite. I don't think there is an actual 'blacklist' though, buddy, so you're safe there..

The good news is, there's a ton of free music on the internet for RPG Maker projects dating all the way back to 2002. You have to dig around for it, but the Japanese RM community has its share of composers that produce music for you to use. Be certain to understand the terms before using though. Rule of thumb: If you don't know your content is legal for commercial projects, don't use it!

If anybody actually wants to use MIDIs and people request it, I have an archive of around 5,000 free to use original songs for game projects that I can upload. I built it up myself over the past decade so I wouldn't have to rely on RTP music or FF6 MagiTek.ogg. Songs are credited with links to the composer made to the best of my ability, and some are archived from sites and artists that have since been lost to the internet.

My only disclaimer is I just can't guarantee they are acceptable for commercial projects.

Edit: p.s., I realize that most projects are not commercial, but it's important to make the distinction gomen ^^;;;
...I'd like that if only for listening purposes.

I might even hear something I haven't heard in ten centuries.
CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
I wonder why you'll only buy RPG Maker if you can use music from other games... why should it be such a deal breaker? I mean, it's the easiest mildly flexible engine for making games... I'm sure you'll still have whatever problems you have here making a game in something similar like Game Maker. Generally this site is more tolerant of rips than most sites.
What's your stance on ripped graphics from other games?

My personal stance is rather lax. I plan not to encrypt any game I make. I no longer demand others to ask me permission to use my content, so long as they credit me. (or hell, so long as they don't claim to have made it)

That said, I treat user-made content differently from content in officially released games. User made content (regardless whether it's graphics or music) should almost always be credited, and if someone objects to me using their content then I ought to oblige. Using assets from PS2 games is okay in my book since the creators were already reimbursed for their work, and on some level the work is already famous and part of the general culture. It shouldn't be a problem so long as my project is free.

A good example is someone making a Sonic sprite comic. It is okay to use the sprites from a game this way, but if they start making T-shirts and mugs and selling them on their website, then they're asking for trouble. Another example is photomosiac Magic the Gathering placemats someone made, and tried selling them. They were pretty cool and at least had the originality of being photomosiacs of MtG art that he had to have arranged himself somehow. So while he created something cool and deserving of praise, it's a little less cool when you try to sell it since the artwork technically wasn't his to sell.

Basically I guess what I believe is, so long as you're not out for profit or reimbursement, anything is fair game.

author=CashmereCat
I wonder why you'll only buy RPG Maker if you can use music from other games... why should it be such a deal breaker?

I don't know. It's just something I was looking forward to being able to do I guess.
I wasn't saying I wouldn't get RPG Maker over it, but it would be disappointing.

I mean, it's the easiest mildly flexible engine for making games... I'm sure you'll still have whatever problems you have here making a game in something similar like Game Maker. Generally this site is more tolerant of rips than most sites.

Well, if I really wasn't allowed to use ripped music in RPG Maker then I figure the same is true of all game makers, so getting another game maker wouldn't necessarily solve anything.
Anyway, you seem to be mistaken on one point, I had no plans of getting another game maker other than RPG maker. It was RPG maker or bust. Maybe someday I might consider other game makers, but RPG Maker always seemed like by far the best place to start. (especially now that I downloaded the Lite version and made an RPG, so I sort of know how it works)
SunflowerGames
The most beautiful user on RMN!
13323

Are you going to sell your game?
Well if your not, then you can practically do whatever you want.
Though RMN does draw the line from ripping from other indie developers
in the RPG Maker community.

CashmereCat
Self-proclaimed Puzzle Snob
11638
OK then well I'll just clarify what others have said.

You cannot sell your game if you have rips, but you can host the game on this site if it has rips. I would be careful posting it on other sites, because some such as RPGMakerWeb.com frown upon using ripped music, but there is no such considerable stigma for it here.

So yeah, sure, use your Final Fantasy music.
Craze
why would i heal when i could equip a morningstar
15150
It's theft. Like others have said, we don't really care... but it's still theft.

My argument against it is that it can ruin immersion in a game. If you use "Blinded by Light" as your battle theme, Lightning better start cartwheeling onto the battlefield... then again if nobody notices, nobody notices ;V


use this instead of one-winged angel okay

(also magi i'd love to poke around that midi set)
author=Craze
It's theft. Like others have said, we don't really care... but it's still theft.

My argument against it is that it can ruin immersion in a game. If you use "Blinded by Light" as your battle theme, Lightning better start cartwheeling onto the battlefield... then again if nobody notices, nobody notices ;V
Oh, I agree. I had anticipated such a problem if the music is too hard to disassociate from the source material.

Granted, by letting me use the music at all it lets everyone else do it too and they might not take these precautions. But if it's just about what I personally would do or think should be done, I would try to pick music that would work even if the player has played the source game and knows exactly what its from. Also, if the player hasn't played the source game, that player should still be able to enjoy the source game if he she goes on to play it afterwards because of me. Also, no bad games. It technically shouldn't matter since many bad games have AMAZING music, but thinking about the source game becomes unavoidable and ends up being depressing to me.

One example is Gravity Rush. The game is sort of a masterpiece, so using the music from it would just feel... wrong! I dont even know how to explain it.
Magi
Resident Terrapin
1028
author=Skie Fortress
...I'd like that if only for listening purposes.

I might even hear something I haven't heard in ten centuries.

author=Craze
(also magi i'd love to poke around that midi set)

Bad news guys... I poked around my external HD and the archive wasn't there. It's sitting on a completely different hard drive that is currently baking in a mini storage 6,000 miles away from me. (i have moved halfway across the world since 2011)
Well, as long as you at least give credit to the musician or where you got the song from originally either on your gamepage or somewhere in your game’s contents, like in an ending credit sequence or a readme file, then you shouldn’t have any problems. But yeah, like everybody else has already mentioned already, you can’t commercially sell your game if you’re using any rips without the original author’s permission or consent, and that goes along with using any ripped music too. In other words, no dice. I mean, it’s okay to use rips if it’s your first project or you just wanna make something but don’t wanna go through all the hassle of doing any custom artwork or anything like that - that’s okay. Just make you give credit where credit is due and you’ll be fine.

But yeah, just another tip: if you’re going to use any ripped music from any video game series, try and pick something that’s not very well known or very familiar to a lot of people, like any Japanese exclusive games or anything else along those lines. Using songs from familiar sources like from Final Fantasy will definitely ruffle some feathers with some users that play your game. Maybe not everybody, but it will.
I'd consider using free to use / music specifically made for people to use in rpg maker. At least if I had to. However there's one downside to that which is worth pointing out, it's that I'd have to spend practically forever browsing/downloading/listening to music to find the ones best for my game.
You shouldn't really have to worry about getting in trouble for using music from other games on yours. It's been a thing that people were doing since the early days or RPG Maker, and even the big, top-rated games do it, and I haven't heard of anyone actually getting sued for it.

So as long as you don't plan on selling your game, feel free to go for it.

However, you should try to not use music from really big and famous games like Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger (unless you are making a fan game), and mention in the credits where the music came from.
http://rpgmaker.net/musicpack/

There are also a ton released in the RMW yearly packs. Oh, not to mention the ones you can purchase at the store. Oh, and there are literally a billion sites where you can get free music to use that are usually royalty free or have free-to-use terms.

There is no need for anyone to use ripped music unless they're making a fan-game and even then there are a ton of remixed songs out there too, so...
author=Magi
Bad news guys... I poked around my external HD and the archive wasn't there. It's sitting on a completely different hard drive that is currently baking in a mini storage 6,000 miles away from me. (i have moved halfway across the world since 2011)

That entire paragraph is a roller coaster.

But it's all good. Thanks for trying anyway.
Using music and sprites from commercial games is generally a bad practice. Audio and graphics are an important part of a game's unique identity and generally tends to be a large part of what we remember from playing them. To me people shouldn't use resources from other games for the same reason aspiring film-makers shouldn't use props like Jason's Mask or script lines from other movies.
As Liberty said, fan-games are the only place I feel would be appropriate for ripped music. Especially since we live in the digital world where artists are literally giving out free music for commercial and non-commercial uses.
Search "royalty free music" on google. Search "material midi" on google.
Stuff's everywhere. Not to mention the stuff they sell in the DLC store and music from any of the other RPG Maker games. These aren't the early years where everybody pirated RPG Maker 2k after all. If you're looking to buy RPG Maker VX Ace at full price and make an original product, it's best to leave such bad habits at the door.
There are many free game music that I have experienced.
The game has lots of good sounds and songs. I have found the address to provide free phone ringtones at: LET ME SING YOU THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE
pianotm
The TM is for Totally Magical.
32347
There are law firms who's soul reason to exist is to find people they can bully with copyright laws, even if they don't actually have a legal foot to stand on. They wouldn't go after you. You're an individual. They'd go after the website you released your game on.

I don't want to tell you not to do it. There's nothing actually morally wrong with it, in and of itself. But don't. There are some really awful people who are literally destroying the entire indie movement by abusing some really fucking fascist copyright laws. Don't invite them here.
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
Man remember when vx ace cost 70 dollars?
pianotm
The TM is for Totally Magical.
32347
I bought it for 12.
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