author: Bart Swiatek
Ubisoft Criticized for Outsourcing Music to Watch Dogs Legion
Ubisoft announced that the music for Watch Dogs: Legion will be created using HitRecord, a platform that allows amateurs to develop works for a given project and rewards them in proportion to their contribution if their work has been used. Many composers and developers did not like this decision.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- Music for Watch Dogs: Legion will be created by HitRecord;
- The platform allows amateurs to create works and pays only those whose work is used;
- The French company's decision has been criticised by numerous artists.
Ubisoft announced that the soundtrack to Watch Dogs: Legion will be developed by HitRecord, a creative platform created by Joseph Gordon-Levitt - an actor known for the films Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. It is worth noting that this is not a traditional label, but a portal bringing together a community whose members work together on a given work and then are paid proportionally to their contribution.
Many experts and composers who criticize HitRecord for lowering salaries and creating a situation where many people work completely free of charge (in accordance with HitRecord's principle of operation we won't get paid for a work that was created during the work on a given soundtrack but was not used ) did not like the choice of the French company.
Work for free, without any guarantees
Mike Bithell (indie developer), Danny Baranowski (composer of music for Cadence of Hyrule), Bruno Dias (working on Neo Cab), Ryan Ike (author of the soundtrack for Reigns: Game of Thrones) and one of the subsidiaries of Game Workers Unite were against the producer's decision. Many critics point out that Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself is a member of a trade union and never works for free, but enables this kind of exploitation by corporations. Below are a few selected tweets.
How about a chance to start a career?
It is worth noting that the cooperation with HitRecord is nothing new for Ubisoft - the company decided to make such a move by creating materials for Beyond Good & Evil 2. In the case of Watch Dogs: Legion each of the ten songs will be worth 2 thousand dollars (the money will be divided among composers, performers, lyricists, etc.).
According to the company, this type of work is a great opportunity for young people to enter the industry - and indeed, the opportunity to include "songwriter for Watch Dogs: Legion / Beyond Good & Evil 2" in your resume certainly has its value in the market. The problem is that the number of people involved in the project is certainly very high, which reduces the chances of earning a living and the desired professional start.
