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Is It Okay To Use Certain Soundfonts From SNES-DS Era Video Games?

A topic by EsKei created Jul 16, 2024 Views: 289 Replies: 5
Viewing posts 1 to 5
Submitted (2 edits)

Hello! My soundtrack makes use of some instrument samples. But being broke I often just sample these instruments from old-ish (SNES-DS era) video game soundfonts (think Pokemon Mystey Dungeon, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound). I know use of soundfonts is in a legal gray area so I wanted to make sure you guys were totally cool with me using them first.

If I can't, I have another soundfont that I know is entirely copyright-free, but the samples aren't quite as good (Most notably the pan flute, which the soundtrack uses quite a bit). So it's not like its the end of the world, but it won't be quite as good sounding.

I will be proceeding with the soundfonts until I get a reply. But I will try to minimise usage of them, and try to use the other one as much as possible. But if you give me the word I will modify and re-export everything for the jam!

Submitted

As far as I know soundfonts are fair game. I used two Chrono Trigger sounds in OST Jam 6, and I've also heard soundfonts I recognize in other entries. It's even more of a non-issue of you're not exclusively using the soundfont (and just using a few instruments from it) 

Submitted

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing! Most of the instruments are actually synths I programmed myself, the other instruments are there to add flavor to the song!

Submitted (1 edit)

If it wasn't Well i'd be Done for this ost Game jam (i use Beepbox)

Submitted

The only SNES era soundfont I'm using is the Mega man X strings. I'm using the shreddage X from the megalovania library soundfont and the harpsichord from touhou soundfont but other than that, I'm working with way more default plugins than I saw myself using.

Submitted

If Undertale can use Earthbound soundfonts in a monetized game, I’m sure you can use one for a composition jam.