If you are a composer of music, you are likely looking at multiple markets for your work. Yet, you might not have thought about selling your composition to an online casino. However, as all musicians know well, music has the capacity to influence a listener and the casino owners know this too. Therefore, designing the perfect gaming experience requires the right soundtrack. If you have thoughts of jumping on this opportunity, you might want to join us as we explore how music enhances the gambling space.
How music affects us
Before you leap to an instrument, you need to consider the impact that music should have on the gambler. Ultimately, the online casino will be looking for something that sparks your interest and appeals enough to stop you on a page with a game. A lot of what interests the listener will relate to the culture of the market. Therefore, it might be a low rasping sound of indigenous music for Aboriginal groups or it might be an inspiring score that you’d expect in a US experience.
The aim of such music is also to encourage relaxation and inspire the customer to act. Therefore, music that increases the heartbeat and results in an injection of positive hormones is essential. Brain research by advertisers has proven a direct link between the music and the chance of purchase or converted sale. Video game-makers have also noted that the music is essential for immersion into the world, as the user relates the soundtrack to the emotional reaction to the game.
The relationship between music and gambling
The music and sound within a casino game have the dual role of sparking and sustaining interest. It is essential that the soundtrack remains enjoyable after an extended period of play. Some music, especially for slots, can becoming cloying and annoy the user enough that they leave. The online casino owner needs the gambling experience to remain appealing over a long period. With the right upbeat music that rises to a crescendo at the right point can have a highly positive impact. The regenerating nature of this music can act to inspire us to keep playing.
The connection between music and gambling is also influenced by the themes of the games. If you hope to sell your music to online casinos, you need to understand the themes that are popular. For instance, the wild west is obviously one that is popular in slots and some table games. Therefore, bringing in the sound of Country into your composition would be essential. Also, a lot of games are informed by major film franchises. The online casino is likely to seek the soundtrack related to that film. However, you might find some success selling your music to an online casino if there is a clear reference to the franchise you are hoping to target. For instance, a Batman-related game could be enhanced by music that includes sound effects from the original comic book TV programme – the whoosh and the thwap.
Celebrating the win
Part of composing for an online casino is understanding the emotional journey of the user. There is obviously the background music that supports continuous play – but what happens when the player wins or loses. Higher pitched sounds when a player wins stimulate a feeling of excitement and joy in the player. The hope would be that this sound, matched with the emotional triumph, would encourage the player to have another go. The best winning tones will improve the self-esteem of the player and act as a celebration.
The best composition for that moment of winning will act as a hook. As a composer, you want to persuade the online casino that your riff will be so catchy that the player will want to play just to hear it again. The money they win might be compelling, but the music will offer a little more emotional encouragement.
Not too oddly, there is no special sound for losing. You would not want to emphasise this moment of loss. Therefore, keeping the basic hook of the song going as the player loses allows them to feel that sense of continuity that again encourages another go at the game.
More specialist tips
Research suggests that the key of C plays a significant role in the world of the casino. A study of slot machines, the most popular game for online gambling, showed that this key offered a friendlier tone for the listener. One study in Finland claimed the chord was linked to feelings of joy and nostalgia – the perfect emotions for gambling.
However, if you want to sell to an online casino, it is not as easy as banging out any old tune in the key of C. There are sounds and sirens that act as essential components to the game soundtrack. Imagine the power of that sound of the clang of coins in the metal tray. No matter how evolved online gambling comes, this sound of metal on metal still promotes a child-like excitement from our time in the arcades.
The sound of well-known voices can also be a vital element of a gaming soundscape. Receiving our instructions or encouragement from a famous voice can elevate a soundtrack. The voice will act as an endorsement, as the casino owners know well. Therefore, if you are looking to sell your composition, gaining the support of a voice actor could set you apart from others.
Opportunity knocks
Online gambling, particularly online slots, offers a wonderful opportunity to musicians who are looking to sell compositions. You may have recognised advertising as a potential market, but the online casino is in a similar category. If you can compose a soundtrack that keeps the playing spinning and hope to be winning, then you will be surprised by the wealth of work available.
Interested? Then your starting point should be some consumer research. Find out the popular themes and the sort of soundtracks that have already been selected by casino owners. Then, start composing.
