Lemma Soft Forums

My visual novel has a late 90s/early 2000s feel to it. As a result, that's also the feel I want for the music in the game (Something like this or this is what I'm thinking of). How would I go about making the music for that? What programs and/or instruments would I use for the bgm?

Writing period music is easier said than done. What program is not so important as what instruments, musical idioms and how all of that is later produced. 90’s and early 00’s have a distinctive sound that originates mostly from pop and rnb of the era. Hip hop influenced a lot of it and the music industry still echoed some 80’s tradition.

So first you just listen to soft pop, rnb and hip hop from that era. Then you imitate what they do...

Based on your wording, I assume you don’t have much experience with composing or music production..?

Yeah, I haven't really done much music-wise until I started working on this vn lol. Thank you for the advice!

You probably already did since you shared a track from Kanon, but listen to all soundtracks that Key Sounds Label composed. They are great.

What said Markus is correct. Let me add some more stuff from my perspective.

The sound quality of the instruments shouldn't sound realistic. Music technology wasn't really great in that time, so the VST were really poor in fidelity. That's not something bad in this context, though. I love that PSX feel. It sounds really nostalgic.
Don't misunderstand me: I'm not talking about crap VST instruments. There are some soundfonts out there that may sound very old school like the Roland Sound Canvas but sounds like shit. I can recommend you the Arachno Soundfont if you want a free soundfont to try.
Strings and plucked instruments are very important too. Rhodes or synths like the DX7 were used a lot in those days.

That's all I can think right now. If something else comes to my mind I'll edit my post.

thank you very much!!

The creators of the 1999-set game, Hypnospace Outlaw has recently released a free (Beta) Tune Sequencer (music maker). I've used it, and they've made the interface pretty clean and simple for beginner composers (plus, there's tutorial videos and example cover songs on Y*uTube).

You would have to contact the creators, as the download page for it does not state whether they give permission to allow people to use the software to make songs outside of Hypnospace Outlaw modding (the tool was originally created to as a modding tool for Hypnospace Outlaw).