# Adaptive Music Composition for Games

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.01154 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.01154/

## Key facts

- Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Jul 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [Affective Game Computing: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.14104/) (2023)
- [AI-Based Affective Music Generation Systems: A Review of Methods, and Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.06890/) (2023)
- [WuYun: Exploring hierarchical skeleton-guided melody generation using knowledge-enhanced deep learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.04488/) (2023)
- [REMAST: Real-time Emotion-based Music Arrangement with Soft Transition](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.08029/) (2023)
- [An adaptive music generation architecture for games based on the deep learning Transformer mode](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.01698/) (2022)
- [M2M-Gen: A Multimodal Framework for Automated Background Music Generation in Japanese Manga Using Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.09928/) (2024)
- [Adaptive Background Music for a Fighting Game: A Multi-Instrument Volume Modulation Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.15734/) (2023)
- [Story2MIDI: Emotionally Aligned Music Generation from Text](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.02192/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The generation of music that adapts dynamically to content and actions has an important role in building more immersive, memorable and emotive game experiences. To date, the development of adaptive music systems for video games is limited by both the nature of algorithms used for real-time music generation and the limited modelling of player action, game world context and emotion in current games. We propose that these issues must be addressed in tandem for the quality and flexibility of adaptive game music to significantly improve. Cognitive models of knowledge organisation and emotional affect are integrated with multi-modal, multi-agent composition techniques to produce a novel Adaptive Music System (AMS). The system is integrated into two stylistically distinct games. Gamers reported an overall higher immersion and correlation of music with game-world concepts with the AMS than with the original game soundtracks in both games.