Music’s role in a video game varies depending on the type of game being played and the type of music being used. The more important music is to the game experience itself, the more important it is to focus on making the right video game music (VGM) available to gamers, even (and especially) to the point of giving them more control over the video game soundtracks they listen to.
A recent study showed that more than 60% of RPG, Sim, Lifestyle, Battle, Sports, and Racing games will play with the game sound always/sometimes on. That number drops to less than 47% for casual gamers engaged with puzzles and trivia (the exception being casino gamers, more than 60% of whom play with the game sound always/sometimes on). The younger the player, the more likely they are to use game sound, with 79% of 18-24-year-olds playing with game sound almost always on.
There is a direct correlation between video game music listening and frequency of use. With players spending more time in your game comes increased monetization opportunities through in-app purchases.
The same study showed that 75% of players who listen to in-game music will play that game 9 times or more, while players who turn game music off reach that number only 25% of the time. There is a direct correlation between video game music listening and frequency of use. With players spending more time in your mobile game comes increased monetization opportunities through in-app purchases. 58% of gamers who play with the game sound on have made at least one in-app purchase, v. 42% who play without game sound.
It’s clear that getting players to play with the sound on can be key to your game’s success. The more they listen, the more they play, the longer they play, and the easier it is to monetize their engagement.
By soundtracking your mobile game with pre-cleared popular and trending songs from major labels and indies, you give players the music they know, keeping them engaged and coming back for more. With Adaptr's music integration platform, you only pay a small fee for each stream of a song, rather than a more expensive fee for just the rights to use the song (regardless of how many times it is streamed).
Using a platform like Adaptr can make all the difference, giving you not only more music to choose from when building your game but empowering your players to choose that music themselves, from within your game app.
Adaptr offers startups a flexible music licensing model based on streams, not songs. This means you can offer your users multiple listening options. Why pick just one song when you can give players any number of in-app radio stations to choose from? Think of it like Grand Theft Auto, only with a VGM player where the player can choose between playlists like Hip Hop, Rock, Throwback, and more.
MoveWorld, for example, uses Adaptr to power the music behind its dance/fitness challenge game. which allows players to dance to trending songs of their choosing from artists like Doja Cat, Lizzo, and The Weeknd and then challenge other players to match their moves. Players can even self-select short clips of songs to make their challenges more inviting and exciting. Players get bragging rights and rewards points based on how well they position, which draws in more players creating more challenges in the dance app.
For RPG and action games, mobile game developers using Adaptr can provide pre-curated playlists where players can then select their own favorite songs. You can give players access to today’s trending hits, modern classics from artists like Katy Perry, Jet, and Radiohead, or pulse-pounding instrumentals.
Fitness apps present similar opportunities. With Adaptr, app developers can pump up a great workout by enabling users to soundtrack their routine to songs they know and love. Bangers from Juice WORLD and Tiesto have the intensity and beats-per-minute they depend on to get their blood pumping and their body moving.
A recent study by Feed Music Group showed that such music can increase the number of sessions by 28% and lengthen session times by 320%, with 170% more users still returning to the app three months later.
| Session Time | Retention |
Connect Adaptr to your mobile games and other digital experiences in as little as a day, and put the power of popular music to work in your app.
Increase engagement and revenue when you empower your users to choose the music they want to immerse themselves in.
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