chiptune
what it is
Chiptune is a style of electronic music where all sounds are created using vintage computers, arcade machines, calculators or video game console sound chips. The term has also been used to describe music that sounds like genuine chip music but that is created using more advanced technology, such as software emulators. Vintage chips provide a small number of channels to work with, each creating a different sound wave.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make chiptune a playlist
turn these 32 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is chiptune?
Chiptune is a style of electronic music where all sounds are created using vintage computers, arcade machines, calculators or video game console sound chips. The term has also been used to describe music that sounds like genuine chip music but that is created using more advanced technology, such as software emulators. Vintage chips provide a small number of channels to work with, each creating a different sound wave.
What are good chiptune albums to start with?
Try Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (Original Videogame Soundtrack) by Anamanaguchi, Information Chase by Bit Shifter, KABOOM! by I Fight Dragons, and Chipbreak Wars by Sabrepulse.
Who are some women making chiptune?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/chiptune/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making chiptune, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20