An Introduction to Procedural Music in Video Games

This article outlines some of the procedural music techniques that have been used, are being used, and may be used in the future in video games. The author examines different approaches to procedural composition and the control logics that have been used in the past, using a distinction between transformational and generative algorithms, and discusses reasons for the adoption of these techniques in games. She then examines why procedural music has not been more widely used by game composers and sound designers, and explores potential future directions in the area.