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[PogueSquadron]

This might be a dumb question, but I figured I'd ask.

Let's say that an indie game uses music that sounds EXACTLY like SNES music, be it through a soundfont or some other means (for example, this music by William Kage on YouTube-

).

Let's say that the instrumentation sounds exactly like something from Chrono Trigger or Secret of Mana or what have you. Since (I think?) the SNES' soundchip was designed and manufactured by Sony, is there any weirdness (legally) in terms of emulating/copying it? I figured it would never be a problem but you never know these days.

[guitarand]

As long as you don't steal melodies or songs you can do whatever you want in regards to that. And if you steal songs, I read somewhere, when looking into Pokémon Online, that Nintendo doesn't care what you do with their stuff as long as you don't make money off it. But that conflicts with their problem with YouTube let's play videos containing their games.

In short, as long as you don't steal the songs or excerpts from songs, you can do whatever you want. As far as I know, the SNES is just bitcrushed or really lo-fi samples. And anyone is capable of doing that.

[ZackParrish]

There may be legal implications when using specific soundsets... like the ones used for FF games. Since you are illegally using ripped audio from a game that's legal disclaimer says specifically not to rip assets from it. Square-Enix owns the copyright to those samples, and using them for your own music for a game is in all technicalities illegal unless they give you permission to use said samples.

But then there is the other hand... how can they prove you ripped the audio, and how do you know where the audio samples you are using even came from?

I think you'll be safe regardless so long as you do what guitarand said... and not make direct rips of popular titles(at least intentionally...)

[WittyNotes]

On a similar note to the original poster: I've been composing my own personal music tracks and posting them to SoundCloud for quite a while, and now I'm considering doing a few cover songs. Any limitations on cover songs? Or are they no-holds-barred?

[ZackParrish]

If you aren't getting any monetary game from them, no(so long as you credit the original artist).

If you are getting monetary gain... then you need to get a license for it.