FreeGameDev

But I have real-world examples of people doing just that. I mentioned Todd in the Shadows, but there have also been countless remixes done without access to whatever files were involved in the creation of the original. Heck, anyone, even if they're not a musician can at least hum the tune of a song. It's not that hard; you're human and can hear what it sounds like. How the song is made is a minor detail, really. Can you make a perfect copy? No, but you probably couldn't do that anyway, because exactly how something sounds depends on all kinds of circumstantial and environmental factors, not the least of which is your voice.

I think there is merit to both sides of the argument...and depending on the type of asset is also differs. For example for 3D models and skeletally animations having the source files is much more important than for textures or sound effects.

Within the frame of this topic I would agree that it is not essential to have the source files for the media... but much of what makes open-source successful is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel or reimplement something from an example, but can adapt the actual source directly. And the same could be true for assets also but this advantage is rarely utilized. I blame that to a large extend on locked down file formats in the assets area, so that even if you release the source files it ends up only working with one specific obscure & expensive version of 3D Studio Max or Photoshop or Ableton etc., with no way to import it into another program.
However with very capable open-source tools like Blender3D and better exchange formats this is starting to become slowly better.

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Lyberta {l Wrote}:Publishing the source is also important because other people can learn how the asset was done. The fact that almost nobody published the source code of music really stifles my and other people's education.

What exactly do you mean by the source code of the music? Do you mean sheet music? I assume Ogg files etc. by themselves are unsatisfactory in this case, but what if the music you make is a recording (as opposed to music made with a computer program)?

I am genuinely curious because I sometimes dabble in making music and I would like anything I release to be as free and useful as possible.

That all depends on how he music track was made, I guess. e.g. if it was made with MuseScore for example, share the MuseScore file. Or share the Audacity project with the original multitrack layout for easier remixing.

For graphics, if you share the original files with layers and all, it can be adapted more easily. For example, a graphics file might have been optimized for 800x600 once, but some people have 4k screens nowadays... if you don't have the source, you completely have to redo everything.