🎮 How to Survive When AI Floods Asset Stores

It’s no doubt the time will come when we will start seeing AI music infiltrating game asset stores. This leaves us with a simple question: how do we compete?

Let’s dive into 3 principles that give us a strategy for navigating this landscape.

1. Quality Work

It should go without saying that everything you upload onto the asset store should represent your very best work! But how do we stand out in a marketplace that AI can saturate overnight? 

Hans Zimmer put it clearly: “The way to beat AI is to write music that is honest, deeply passionate, inventive, radical, personal and terrifyingly original. Committed and inventive. Give people an experience that is profoundly and singularly your voice.” 

Taking this quote into the context of asset stores means releasing quality products. Not only does this mean quality music tracks - it also means we have clear and concise file structures, and offer variety within each track by giving alternate mixes. Providing devs with value is a way to give our brand something that is unique and singular to us in a saturated marketplace. There’s no shortage of quantity on asset stores, but devs hunger for quality. 

Of course, a core part of selling quality products is the quality of the music. Quality music means music that is thoughtfully orchestrated, well mixed and balanced, and fits the intended genre it was written for.   

While AI may win with quantity, we will win in quality. When AI floods the marketplace with “good enough,” we stand out by raising the standard. 

I understand many of you may think your music will never be good enough to upload. But I invite you to see things from a different perspective. Treat any track you release as a “snapshot” of where you are on your journey as a composer. Much like how you wouldn’t harshly judge any regular photos of yourself, it’s simply a snapshot of where you are today. Yes, make it your best work. But bear in mind it will be today’s best work, which will be different than last year’s and next year’s.

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2. Lean Into Your Humanity

In an AI-saturated marketplace, humanity becomes a differentiator. It stands as a beacon among the crowd and connects with developers in a unique and personal way. 

One simple way of sparking that connection is by making walkthrough videos for your asset packs. 

I’ve noticed walkthrough videos are an opportunity for me to share what I’m passionate about and, more importantly, for others to see that passion. This lays the foundation of trust. It builds familiarity and humanizes the music pack by putting a friendly face behind the work. This is effective because devs want to see composers who are as dedicated to their craft as they are to their game.  

Pictured below is a comment from my Complete - Fantasy Action RPG Music bundle walkthrough video that demonstrates this point exactly: 

Above all, walkthrough videos reduce risk. They create safety and assurance of a valuable product. My favorite example of this is seen in a walkthrough video by fellow VGMA member, Andrew Goodwin, for his RPG Music Kit.

Talk about quality, Andrew delivers on all fronts with this pack - and his walkthrough video is no weak link. The video demonstrates the versatility in track variations, loops, and applications to different game settings. His file management system is explained simply and clearly. Any uncertainty about his pack is quickly resolved by watching this video. (And, to top it all off, Andrew highlights his warm, collaborative nature by leaning into authenticity!)

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3. Be Specific, Not Generic

“The riches are in the niches” - Pat Flynn

While AI will continue to saturate the market with overgeneralized key terms, you can fill in the gaps with niche music packs. 

For example, instead of compiling a “JRPG exploration pack,” you could write a PS1-era ambient dungeon pack. Instead of a generic “battles” pack, make a funky fusion battle pack intended for party games. Have a specific genre of games in mind that you’re wanting your music used in. The more specific, the better (and the more devs will celebrate being able to find a pack that fits their game perfectly). 

This is what will set you apart from the noise and will set you up as a problem-solver for game devs. You’ll be filling a unique gap in the market that people are searching for. 

Over time, this will build your brand and identity as the go-to person for this type of music. This, again, builds trust with game developers. 

Whatever the niche of your music pack, make sure there’s a need for it. Otherwise it will get lost in the noise. You can conduct simple market research to see if people are looking for the genre you have in mind. When I have an idea for a new music pack, I’ll look up that genre of games on Steam and itch.io. Sometimes I’ll see if assets in fields outside of music (such as environments, character models, etc.) are being sold frequently. Doing so will give you further insight into the market and may give you additional inspiration or direction for your pack. 

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Next Steps

Here are some things you can do today to put yourself in a strategic position ahead of AI in the marketplace: 

1️⃣ Release a music pack if you haven’t yet! There’s no better place to start than today. If the thought of AI being able to produce music much quicker than you is discouraging, remember that quality wins. Thoughtful planning and execution are a must. If you’re wanting to release old tracks sitting on your hard drive, think about which genre they best fit into and how you can advertise it effectively via your keywords and cover artwork. 

For further information on releasing your first music pack, I highly recommend checking out Steven Melin’s 7 Steps to Release Your First VGM Pack. This is what started my entire journey and I can’t recommend it more for those wanting to do the same.  

2️⃣ Ensure your keywords and tags accurately reflect your music pack. This will allow your niche audience to find you. Also ask yourself if the file naming system with your pack is logical and easy to understand. Double check by asking a game developer friend - sometimes we get stuck in our “composer language!”

3️⃣ Create a walkthrough video! There’s no way around, only through. If it’s your first time, don’t worry about flawless video quality and pristine lighting. Just start with where you are, and do the best you know how. And be authentic! In addition to walking through your thought process on the naming convention and asset organization, be sure to talk about what inspired you. Share moments you’re proud of. Lean into your authenticity by being yourself.

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At the end of the day, people will buy from those they trust.

They trust quality. They trust safety. They trust authenticity. In an over-saturated market that only continues to grow, trust becomes the ultimate distinguishing factor.

If you’d like to learn more about releasing music packs, check out the other blogs and courses from me and other VGMA coaches.

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