How can I get hold of a computer game soundtrack?

Factual Questions
1

First of all, this is about a legally purchased, non-piracy, fully paid computer game CD-ROM. I’m quite sure transforming the game’s soundtrack into an MP3 file for personal use doesn’t violate any copyright regulation, since I paid for the right to play the game and thus listen to the music, and therefore I guess this GQ complies with SDMB guidelines.

This computer game (Tropico, to be precise) has an exceptionally good soundtrack, and I’d love to have it as MP3. I checked the disc’s content on Windows Explorer to see if there are soundfiles, but except for various MP2 files Winamp doesn’t want to play and a few very short WAV clips, I couldn’t find anything. Is there a way to “extract” the soundtrack from the game into a standard soundfile? Any hint would be appreciated.

2

Depends. Have you tried placing the CD into a standard CD player and seeing if it played? If the game contains redbook audio, it should play, it which case, extracting the songs is simply a matter of having the right program (Your standard CD song extractor app.)

3

Well, one way to get the soundtrack would be to buy it.

But you could probably set up a sound recording program to record from your wav channel while you’re playing the game, or listening to the music.

There’s also probably a file extraction utility for the massive archive files that the music is comtained in.

I don’t own Tropico, so that’s the extent of my knowledge there :slight_smile:

4

I didn’t even think of simply trying a standard CD player, but I did yesterday, and it didn’t work out (the player just recognized one “track” of more than 70 mins, and pressing play produced crap sounds). I think I’ll try it via the WAV channel.

Thanks, guys!

5

Few games anymore use redbook audio - the last, actually, I can recall, was warcraft II.

6

:smack:
Why take the cumbersome way, if there’s a much easier one?

I just found out that on the download section of the official Tropico site, the soundtrack is downloadable for free.

7

Generally speaking, for the soundtrack of any computer game…

  1. Most PC games don’t have the habit of releasing soundtracks. It is a big thing for Japanese games but they can be quite hard to get out of Japan. I suggest you try a website and order the soundtrack from overseas.

  2. Some PC games may use the mp3 format for their game music. Check the games directory (the music folder) to see whether there are mp3 files or not. Try dragging the music files into WinAmp or some other music players. The files may be mp3 in disguise. Or WinAmp could actually play them. (This is the case for Neverwinter Nights)

  3. Die-hard fans of the game may have a way to extract music out from the resource files.

  4. Find a freeware software that allows you to record what the PC is playing. Play the game, start up the software, pause the game, and record the music. Afterwards, use a shareware wave files editor to edit the music and convert to mp3.

8

I’m seeing more and more soundtracks out on CD, actually. Dark Age of Camelot has a soundtrack out, as does Vice City and one of the Final Fantasies.