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Game composer, sound designer, and audio engineer Robbie Dolan talks about the top handful of skills that are essential for composers in order to carve out a career in today's marketplace. Robbie wasted no time establishing a strong career in the game industry and the knowledge and experience he shares are invaluable.
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Michael Sweet is a video game composer, sound designer, audio director, and all around audio pro. He has also been teaching game audio at two of the top music programs in the world.
He has worked on over 100 award-winning games and has basically done it all in the world of game audio.
In our conversation, we talk in-depth about what interactive or adaptive music is, the fundamental building blocks of interactive music, how and when to use it, and how to compose it. This conversation is a masterclass on how to plan and create adaptive scores. Sweet also mentions different resources for improving as an adaptive music composer.
Youtube channels to check out:
Michael Sweet - https://www.youtube.com/@michaelsweet5043/videos Olivier Deriviere - https://www.youtube.com/@oderiviere Austin Wintory - https://www.youtube.com/@awintoryGames that are good examples of adaptive audio:
Peggle 2 Red Dead Redemption 2 Ghost of Tsushima Mass Effect The Batman Arkham Series God of War (every recent version after the reboot) Almost any Sony Product has terrific adaptive music systemsBooks
Interactive Music for Video Games: A Composer's Guide - Michael Sweet Composing Music for Games - Chance Thomas A Composer's Guide to Game Music - Winifred Phillips -
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Today's episode is taken from module 3 of the START course. Module 3 is all about how to write demos that can help you find video game scoring work. This episode discusses the how and why of creating targeted demo music, and how targeted music is different than making music as an artist in general.
If you are interested in taking the START course head to thevideogamecomposerhq.com/start and join the waitlist. The course is completely free and you will be given access as soon as the course is launched.
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Today’s Guest, Ryan Ike, is a very accomplished indie game composer and an all-around awesome dude. You can hear his music in indie game hits like Wizard With a Gun, Shadows Over Loathing, Where The Water Tastes Like Wine, Gunpoint, and more. We had a great conversation about Ryan's diligent method for becoming a strong game composer. I learned a lot from this conversation and had a lot of fun.
To follow or reach out to Ryan Ike:
Instagram: @ryanikeaudio
Website: https://www.ryanike.com
Ryan’s Microjams project that he speaks about: https://soundcloud.com/ryanike/sets/microjams
Want hands-on training to get your composer career off the ground, and off to a strong start? I am creating a new course called the START course. Through seven modules you be walked through setting up shop and getting started as a game composer. The course is completely free. Pre-register for the course to get automatic access as soon as the course is live.
https://thevideogamecomposerhq.com/start
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Jeff Broadbent is an award-winning game composer who has worked on many of the industry's largest franchises, including Diablo, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, and many more. Not only is Jeff a talented composer but he is an effective networker and strategic business person. He has so much great information to share. I hope you are ready to take notes and implement some ideas.
We talk about how to improve the quality of your music, the importance of networking, and why you should study freelance business strategies as much as you can.
If you are looking for more guidance to get your video game composing career off the ground, I am creating a free START course. It is all about how to Start your career as a game composer. Many podcast listeners have had a lot of success applying the principles that will be covered in the START course. If this free resource is interesting to you click the link below to automatically be added to the course as soon as it is live!
https://thevideogamecomposerhq.com/start
If you are a mid level composer in your career, you have already been paid to write for games, tv or film and you are looking to reach the next level here is a great opportunity from Grammy composer/orchestrator Penka Kouneva.
Emerging and Mid-career composers for film and games: check out this Masterclass in Soundtrack Analysis and Media scoring. The class is presented by the Hollywood studio composer and orchestrator Penka Kouneva. 10 weeks of intense study (weekly composing & feedback, analysis lectures, private mentoring sessions, independent score study & tons of curated reading). The objective of this experience is to give you a competitive edge and to propel you forward on your artist and career path.www.penkamasterclasses.com
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This episode discusses three areas of focus that can help you make great progress in your video game composing career. Having a system and goals for music creation, building up a team of people around you, and tracking your progress are all powerful tools to help you achieve and succeed in this competitive and exciting journey.
For even more detailed and hands-on help to kickstart your composing career and land your first gigs, sign up for my FREE Start Course (Start Your Composer Career). The course is expected to be released in late February or March 2024. Use the link below to get instant access to the course as soon as it is out:https://thevideogamecomposerhq.com/start
For more advanced composers:Emerging and mid-career composers for film and games, check out this Masterclass in Soundtrack Analysis and Media Scoring. The class is presented by Hollywood studio composer and orchestrator Penka Kouneva. The 10-week program includes intense study with weekly composing and feedback, analysis lectures, private mentoring sessions, independent score study, and tons of curated reading. The objective of this experience is to give you a competitive edge and propel you forward on your artist and career path. Visit www.penkamasterclasses.com for more information.
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Today’s guest is Jeff Kurtenacker, an amazing composer and sound designer for AAA games. He is currently the audio director for Deck Nine Games, and has also worked as a senior composer for Blizzard and worked on a ton of projects as a freelancer before that. Jeff wrote over 14 hours of absolutely killer music for a game called WildStar that got canceled before it ever saw the light of day. Check out that music.
Jeff has a great depth of musical knowledge, a mastery over expressing complex emotions through music and also teaches private composition students on the side.
Learn more about Jeff at his website https://www.jeffkurtenacker.com
If you are interested in being notified and gaining instant access to my free START Game Composing Career Course when it comes out (probably late Feb 2024) click here:
https://thevideogamecomposerhq.com/ccpstrategysession-8361
Emerging and Mid-career composers for film and games: check out this Masterclass in Soundtrack Analysis and Media scoring. The class is presented by the Hollywood studio composer and orchestrator Penka Kouneva. 10 weeks of intense study (weekly composing & feedback, analysis lectures, private mentoring sessions, independent score study & tons of curated reading). The objective of this experience is to give you a competitive edge and to propel you forward on your artist and career path.
www.penkamasterclasses.com -
Grammy-nominated composer J Scott Rakozy talks to us about his background in music, his process for creating convincing midi mach-ups, how he got to do the music for Hogwarts Legacy and much more!
Check out more about Scott at his website and Instagram:
https://www.jscottrakozy.com
https://www.instagram.com/rockinrakozy/
Emerging and Mid-career composers for film and games: check out this Masterclass in Soundtrack Analysis and Media scoring. The class is presented by the Hollywood studio composer and orchestrator Penka Kouneva. 10 weeks of intense study (weekly composing & feedback, analysis lectures, private mentoring sessions, independent score study & tons of curated reading). The objective of this experience is to give you a competitive edge and to propel you forward on your artist and career path.www.penkamasterclasses.com
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Enjoy this special edition episode celebrating my 5-year anniversary as a video game composer. I give career highlights and share the big lessons I learned each year. If this episode is helpful or inspiring please share it with another game audio person you know. If you don't know any, meet someone. You can start with me, shoot me an email at [email protected]
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Vinicius is an LA-based composer for film, tv and video games. He was nominated for an Emmy with his music editor work on Go Go Cory Carson. Vinicius reveals what he did to build connections and start working with well-established composers on major projects. There are a lot of invaluable and fresh ideas shared in this episode. Listen carefully and be ready to take notes and then take action!
Be sure to reach out with questions or episode ideas [email protected]
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Nate Madsen is a long time veteran composer in the video game industry, with extensive experience as a freelance and in-house game composer. Nate shares really great insights and personal experiences on networking, prospecting for projects, personal improvement and so much more.
Follow Nate at his website https://madsenstudios.com
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In today's episode, composer David Fairfield talks about what he calls the creator's journey. Going from hobbyist, to time liberated, to mastery. David is a Music Composer, Sound Designer, and Audio Director who has worked in the gaming industry for 15 years. He has worked with some of the world's top companies and brands including Disney, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, and the Olympics. Most notably, David has worked with the Harry Potter, Minecraft, Disney Mirrorverse, and Club Penguin franchises. You connect with David through his LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefairfield/ or visit him at his website: https://fairfieldaudio.ca
Shoot me an email at [email protected] and let me know how your composer's journey is going, what topics you would like to hear covered in the podcast, who you would like to hear from, or just say hi. Go out and make it happen!
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Today's guest is Kristofer Eng who is an award-winning composer for his work on the game It Takes Two. He is also the CEO of Elias software, which is audio middleware initially designed exclusively for video game music (sound design capabilities were added later). Kristopher talks about his musical upbringing, his entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, and how game composing led him to create his own audio middleware company. Kris is a big proponent of musical storytelling and using technology to aid, rather than get in the way of that process.
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Maclain Diemer of Guild Wars 2, Salt and Sacrifice, and other great games joins us to share his valuable perspectives and experience on being a full-time composer for games.
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Building strong relationships is crucial to any creative career, and it is especially true for game composers. A majority of the opportunities for game composers are freelance. With most of us working outside the "in-house" or company setting, having a robust network with solid relationships is essential. (It is also very essential to those wanting to work in a company setting as well). This is not an easy task; for most of us (myself included), it can feel unnatural, uncomfortable, and awkward. In this episode, I share 3 tips that have helped my networking feel more comfortable and genuine. I hope one or more of these suggestions can help you as well.
I would love to hear from you about where you are at in your career and what is and isn't working for you right now, what you'd like to hear about in future episodes, and so on. Shoot me an email at [email protected] connect with me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tysoncaziermusic/ or say hi using any of my contact info up on my website: https://tysoncaziermusic.com
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In this episode, I share where I am focusing and what I am currently doing to grow my business. As video game composers our biggest problem, and the reason we don't have more work, is visibility. If every game developer on the planet knew who you were and was familiar with your music you would have more paid work than you could ever handle. Becoming less and less obscure, and more and more known should be the top priority to any of us that are a household - or at least an industry-hold - name.
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Many good activities can be excuses that slow our progress toward great things. Forever tweaking tracks, learning more before you take the next step, doing it 'one day' after you update or buy this or that, on and on. Practicing, buying new gear, learning about the industry, and more can all be good things but sometimes we use them as crutches not to take the right actions. As you transition to doing these 'preperatory' activities AS you move forward, instead of 'before' you move forward you will make much better progress in your career. Reach out to me at [email protected] and let me know what suggestions have or haven't worked for you, or what you would like to hear about in the future.
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A great way to make more meaningful connections with video game industry leaders, add value, and have a lot of fun is by volunteering at industry events. This podcast tells a simple story of how volunteering can open doors and help boost your game composition career.
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Well-crafted testimonials build trust. Trust is essential for having a solid video game composition business. The more people trust you, the quicker you will get deals and the more money your clients will be willing to pay you. In this episode, I break down six steps you can use to get killer testimonials of your own!
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For many, networking is a word that induces stress and anxiety. A necessary evil that must be suffered through in order to find work. If only there was another way!
There isn't.
But an adjustment in how networking is approached could make all the difference. This episode will look at another way to think about networking that could turn it from foe to friend.
- Vis mere
