From Assassin’s Creed Shadows to Mario Kart World, DOOM: The Dark Ages to Elden Ring Nightreign, the last six months has proved the video game market is in rude health, offering up a host of viral moments from established IPs. Throw exciting new titles like Dogubomb’s Blue Prince and Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight into the mix, and 2025 is rapidly shaping up to be a vintage year for gamers.
Whether a debut or a sequel, every successful video game has a meticulously realised marketing plan behind it, taking in trailers and promos, launch campaigns and influencer content. And, of course, at the heart of these campaigns you’ll find music. In this blog, we explain why music for games marketing matters, and how you can harness the power of music to take your product launch to the next level.
Video Games & Branded Content
In marketing terms, there’s a huge amount of crossover between video games and branded content. Firstly, both rely on audience-first storytelling to create an emotional connection, whether that’s via in-game lore and character intros, or through articles and podcasts. By creating these memorable moments, marketing managers help build affinity with the title/brand, fostering audience loyalty and helping to secure longevity for brands/gaming franchises.
Secondly, both mediums understand the importance of devising a multi-platform strategy tailored to a specific audience, be that by targeting gamers of genre niches or consumers from a certain demographic. Part of this approach includes setting up influencer/creator collaborations to leverage trusted voices within the community. Speaking of which, community engagement is a non-negotiable, helping marketing teams deepen engagement via initiatives like branded challenges or beta previews.
Music in Video Games
- Cyberpunk 2077
- The Last of Us 2
- Roblox
As we explained in a previous blog, music plays a pivotal role within video games, assisting storytelling and building emotional connections, be that via main themes or leitmotifs. The same goes for music in video games marketing, as proven by some of the most successful games in recent memory.
Cyberpunk 2077
Released in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 was previewed with a gameplay reveal featuring Keanu Reeves, whose likeness was used for the character Johnny Silverhand. In the background was Billie Eilish’s 2019 electro-pop smash ‘Bad Guy’, its ominous bass riff helping create momentum and tension that accurately reflected what fans could expect from the action role-playing game.
The Last of Us 2
The second instalment of, what is shaping up to be, one of Sony’s most successful franchises, the cinematic trailer for The Last of Us 2 serves as the gold standard for how to use music in game trailers, eschewing the energetic electronic/rock tracks you’d usually associate with the action genre.
Following eerie tracking shots of a forest soundtracked by hauntingly sparse atmospherics, the camera enters a ruined house littered with corpses, where protagonist Ellie is revealed in a bedroom playing guitar. Singing a bluesy folk song, the fragility of their voice contrasts powerfully with their steely resolve to enact revenge on the infected.
Roblox
In 2022, Samsung promoted their Galaxy Z Flip3 phone by securing Charli XCX to play a metaverse convert hosted on Roblox. The result was a cultural crossover that engaged two dedicated fan bases: pop fans and gamers.
Using Music in Video Game Marketing
When it comes to finding the best music for gaming content marketing, you’re faced with the choice of whether to acquire the rights to a commercial track, shell out on an original piece of music or enjoy the cost-saving benefits of library music. Luckily, the latter doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality.
Here at Audio Network, we offer a wide selection of licensed music for game developers, from retro gaming to sports gaming and epic gaming. Boasting more than 280,000 high quality tracks created by leading artists, musicians and producers from all over the globe, our catalogue spans every genre, mood and style imaginable, from epic cinematic pieces to edgy electronic soundscapes, designed for everything from trailers to socials.
Even better, our catalogue and also includes cut-downs and stems on selected tracks, so that you can tailor music to suit your project. And with lightning-fast, AI-powered search tools and hand-picked collections and playlists, we make it easier than ever for marketers to find the right track.
Need epic cinematic music for game promos? You’ve got it. Looking for high‑quality music for game ads? Look no further. Plus, if you’re after a world-leading game marketing sound effects library, you can take advantage of our partnership with industry leaders Pro Sound Effects.
If you need more help finding music for games, check out our dedicated blog.
Need Music for Your Project?
At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!
