Anyone know a site/store where I can download/buy MODERN video game scores?

I am not talking about a site where I can get midi files of retro 80s or 90s computer game music (I have seen a couple of such sites). I would like to study music of games such as you find in World of Warcraft or The Elder Scrolls Oblivion (ie - Jeremy Soule). If anyone knows a site where I can download scores or midis of games FROM THIS DECADE (2000s) I would be extremely grateful. Thanks.

have you tried communicating with the composers themselves? perhaps they can let you know where to obtain the scores, or maybe they'll let you have a copy? it seems the direct route would be best, because I doubt there is a viable market for video game scores.

have you tried communicating with the composers themselves? perhaps they can let you know where to obtain the scores, or maybe they'll let you have a copy? it seems the direct route would be best, because I doubt there is a viable market for video game scores.

Actually I wouldn't mind getting hold of a few Final Fantasy ones :blush:

Sometimes you can be lucky - a couple of times I have typed in Final Fantasy sheet music into Google and found some free ones but they usually don't stay up long :(

Weeeell...you've got some options here.

For all those Jeremy Soule scores you mentioned, there's the wonderful DirectSong which will be your new best friend. This is assuming you're looking for the actual audio files. You're not going to find any actual sheet music for the games no matter how hard you try, so I'd get transcribing if that's what you're after.

Alternately, if you happen to have a particular score that tickles your fancy (audio), you could ask me for it -- chances are very very good that I've got it/can get it immediately, and I'd be more than happy to help you out. I also have a ridiculous collection of Final Fantasy scores, but not much for other games because they aren't really available. Don't bother asking me how I have any of this because I'm not going to answer.

Good luck and take care! :)

Weeeell...you've got some options here.

For all those Jeremy Soule scores you mentioned, there's the wonderful DirectSong which will be your new best friend. This is assuming you're looking for the actual audio files. You're not going to find any actual sheet music for the games no matter how hard you try, so I'd get transcribing if that's what you're after.

Alternately, if you happen to have a particular score that tickles your fancy (audio), you could ask me for it -- chances are very very good that I've got it/can get it immediately, and I'd be more than happy to help you out. I also have a ridiculous collection of Final Fantasy scores, but not much for other games because they aren't really available. Don't bother asking me how I have any of this because I'm not going to answer.

Good luck and take care! :)

Marius, out of curiosity, WHY is it impossible to get the sheet music? I should think that there would be some form of the music out, don't you?

Talk about no decent response.

Here's a good site finrod.

And if you don't find your score tracks, try the neighboring sites.

As for midis, try here. Then you can convert them and print sheet music.

That's how you do it in the video game industry. Been composing for games for years.

Mori, to answer your question, it's because a) the market for people interested in the actual full scores for any game is very very small (comparatively) and b) a lot of scores are composed and produced entirely in a sequencer so there is no score to speak of, and the production of one would take extra effort on the part of the composers.

Your best bet is, therefore, a place like VGMusic (which RK's linked to above) which has a fairly good collection of MIDIs which you can get some workable scores from. All the MIDIs are produced by fans of the games who transcribe the original audio files though, so you may be better off just trying to do that yourself -- it's good practise and ear training.

And the audio isn't that hard to find. Not for older games, anyway; you can pretty much get any classic video game scores from sites like the first one RK suggested, but the issue is that the more modern scores don't tend to be on there.

Good luck with the hunting :)

Midis are always unreliable. You can never tell for sure if someone did it right, and furthermore, the conversion can easily be messed up. I'd just transcribe if I couldn't find something (and I have).

Thanks for the responses and links guys... maybe I should have made it clear that I was looking for SCORES and not mp3s. But anyhow, from the sounds of it not many such scores exists (I did find a couple of decent midis at vgmusic.com). I could try my hand at transcribing, although I haven't really tried it in the past for anything other than pop/rock songs. Much more difficult with orchestral stuff, although I have occasionally been able to play along with a piano and work out chord structures. Other than that I might do what wrzawa suggested and try emailing the actual composers...

Thanks