Video game music is an art in itself. Whether you're a fan of the relaxing soundtrack of games like Animal Crossing or opt for more adventurous soundscapes through games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild , gaming simply wouldn't be the same without the magic of music.

Musical elements in video games often take on a more immersive role than traditional musical elements, with interactive music and adaptive music serving as a key component of the overall game experience. Below, we'll detail what adaptive music is, showcase some of its history, and take a look at what's to come.

What is Adaptive Music?

Adaptive music is dynamic audio that shifts in response to specific conditions within a particular context. In most cases, this is explored through video game music, but you can see this concept across many types of interactive audio or experiences. Typically, adaptive music works through the combination of precomposed layers or mixing that can be triggered in response to a rule, algorithm, or a player's actions.

The History of Adaptive Music

Let's take a brief look back into the history of adaptive music to understand how this technique has shaped video game classics and some of the most beloved soundtracks to this day:

Space Invaders

The first recorded example of adaptive music was cataloged in 1978 with the release of Space Invaders . As enemies became a more imminent threat over the course of the game, the soundtrack sped up:

Super Mario Bros

Super Mario Bros undoubtedly shook the world of video games for many reasons - one of those can be traced back to the iconic soundtrack and innovative use of adaptive music at the time. Music could change from one location to the next or in response to the main character's actions. For instance, the music that comes on whenever you clear a level:

Monkey Island 2

Monkey Island 2 in 1991 saw a step up in adaptive music technology through the creation of IMUSE, or the interactive music streaming engine. This made it considerably easier for music to loop and readily adapt to the changes in any particular scene.

Banjo-Kazooie

The game Banjo Kazooie ushered in a new era of adaptive music in 1998 with vertical re orchestration or remixing. This way, when a player moved to a new location or engaged in a linked action, the soundtrack could shift smoothly and instantaneously:

The Modern Era of Adaptive Music

Today, adaptive music is more or less built into the landscape of video game creation. Here are a couple of examples of games with excellent adaptive music or sonic elements that come to mind:

Journey

Indie game Journey is known for its amazing landscapes and soundtrack. So much so that Inside the Score created an entire video essay on the game's interactive elements:

Sneaky Sasquatch

Sneaky Sasquatch is full of dynamic music. Whether you're playing tunes on the in-game radio, or taking a drive in a camper's car, you can count on the soundtrack keeping you immersed in the campsite:

Untitled Goose Game

Put yourself in a treacherous situation as a Goose in the eponymous Untitled Goose Game , such as stealing a picnic basket from the farmer, and you'll notice that the music shifts or becomes faster as you're engaged in a wild goose chase. See YouTuber Ayden explain the adaptive tempo system behind the game:

How Adaptive Music and Background Music for Video Games Works

Adaptive music is unique in that it responds to video game and interactive music environments in real-time. This is how an adaptive or dynamic music system operates:

Utilizing Audio Middleware or An Interactive Music Streaming Engine

In all cases listed below, audio is synced using audio middleware, dynamic music system, interactive music streaming engine to sync player's actions or interactions with audio. Some common examples of audio middleware include Criware CRI-ADX, Fireflight's FMOD, or AudioKinetic's Wwise. One of the earliest iterations of this sort of software includes IMUSE, which built the likes of Star Wars: X-Wing and other related games.

Horizontal re-sequencing

Horizontal re sequencing is a method in which music software is playhead synced from similar portions of two or more tracks that have the same length and potentially similar, tying elements. This way, whenever a character runs into a new scene or action, the musical composition can jump to the other parallel playhead without skipping a beat, creating a different musical experience without being disruptive:

Vertical re-orchestration

In this technique, a complete composition is broken down into layers, with subsequent layers becoming activated or deactivated based on a player's in-game actions or experiences. Some examples of this can be found in titles like Age of Empires IV , with the basic premise demonstrated by Blips:

Dynamic mixing

In this technique, the base audio track stays more or less the same. Instead, mixing parameters are tweaked based on the actions or conditions of the game. This could be adjustments in equalization, volume, or other effects applied to the base soundtrack or composition.

Adaptive Music FAQ

Learn more about adaptive music systems through these commonly asked questions and answers:

What is the meaning of adaptive music?

Adaptive music refers to interactive audio middleware or songs that adapt in response to a preprogrammed action or stimulus. We usually think of adaptive music in the context of video games or other immersive experiences.

How does adaptive audio work?

Since the development of the interactive music streaming engine (otherwise known as the IMUSE system), developers and engineers can collaborate, aligning certain game cues with various in-game music or sonic elements. Adaptive audio essentially responds to a pre-programmed cue in a game, triggering a change in sound design or music.

How adaptive music in video games impacts player satisfaction?

Some studies have shown that adaptive music increases immersion and a general sense of player satisfaction while playing video games. Adding memorable audio makes for a more lasting experience.

What is the effect of dynamic music in video games?

Dynamic music can make a video game experience more memorable by immersing the user further into the video game environment. Most players enjoy dynamic music, as it can enhance the weight of the player's actions in-game.

What is the difference between adaptive and interactive audio?

Adaptive audio is music that reacts to stimuli or changes in an environment, such as a user reaching a certain speed threshold. Interactive audio is much more active, in which a user engages with an audio-specific feature, for instance, playing with the radio in the video game Sassy Sasquatch .

What is an example of adaptive music?

Whenever you play any variation of Super Mario Bros, you might notice that the music shifts whenever Mario gets powered up, or earns a coin. Any music that adapts to stimulus in an environment could be considered adaptive music.

What is adaptive music composition for games?

Adaptive music composition involves creating dynamic changes in the score for a game that are triggered in response to a character's in-game actions. These particular compositions are processed through an interactive music streaming engine.

In short, adaptive music makes for a more enjoyable gaming experience. Enjoy your newfound appreciation that comes with understanding the ins and outs behind this often overlooked but universally appreciated feature.