The Video Game Composer Podcast

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...

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.

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!

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.

One role of music in media is to enhance the aesthetic appeal and goals of the project it is attached to. Our job as video game composers is to understand what the aesthetic of the game is and work to support it, as opposed to undermining or supplanting it.   Reach out with episode ideas, comments, questions and so on at thevideogamecomposerpodcast@gmail.com

One fundamental role that music plays in video games as well as other media is through providing context.  This is a very important role to understand and for composers to effectively use.  This discussion comes out of chapter one of Chance Thomas' Composing Music For Games book, as a part of our CMFG study series.   thevideogamecomposerpodcast@gmail.com

One of the six most common roles of music in media is for music to propel the action forward.  Understanding the essential role of music can inform a composer's craft and improve their ability to create effective and artful music for the media.  Send an email with your ideas for future episodes to thevideogamecomposerpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode I share some of the things I learned at my first year going to the Game Developers Conference, GDC, in San Francisco.  I got to meet a lot of artists, designers, programmers and fellow game audio folks. I made a lot of friends and it was a really valuable experience and I hope to share a little of that value with you.  Please reach out to me with any suggestions for futur...

Music has a powerful ability to heighten our emotions.  Experienced directors and game producers take advantage of this by creating great relationships with composers and getting the right kind of music in their media.  Knowing about this important characteristic of music can help you when you speak with potential clients and can also help you pay more attention as you work on and develo...

In this interview, music business and networking master Akash Thakkar shares powerful tools on how to cut through the noise and build genuine relationships and connections.  Use these strategies to prepare for big conferences like Game Developers Conference, GDC, or even local meetups or zoom conversations.  Learn How to ask the right questions, give better answers, have better mindsets...

In this episode, we are talking with solo dev Jack Breen of Hybrid Studios who is the creator of Gigasword. Not only has Jack done all of the art, design, and coding but he is also the composer for Gigasword.  In this interview, Jack gets into his influences, workflow, and philosophy on music and games.  He also talks about what he does to cut through the noise in a crowded market. &nbsp...

There are 6 important roles that music can fill in media.  The first of these six, setting the mood, is what we will be discussing today. Knowing the purpose of your music within a game will help immensely when digging into the planning and composition processes and help you to be a much better composer and asset to the game team.

Quick episode defining the term "Diegetic."  Knowing the lingo in an industry is important, especially when you are new and you don't know as much.

In this episode Tyson Cazier gives 5 exercises you can practice to improve your effectiveness at using the scoring language. These exercises can help you to understand harmony on an emotional level and use chords with more sophistication, write melodies that can better express complex emotions, and know how to write music that directly speaks to the emotions of others.  Send examples of your...

Imagine being able to captivate audiences' imaginations and emotions with your music just like a great novelist can do with their words. Mastery of the rules and grammar of the scoring language can help you achieve those ends.  

Music scoring is a language that you are already fluent in, this episode explains how.  This is a very exciting and freeing concept for those of us that are struggling to become full-time video game music composers and sometimes wonder if we have what it takes.  I love to hear if this message resonates with you or not, if you have questions, or requests for episodes.  Shoot me an em...

Introducing a new study series! When I first got started composing for games, and knew basically nothing, I had the great opportunity to meet game composer icon Chance Thomas.  He told me about the text book he wrote to help young composers like me and recommended I study as if I were getting a Master's Degree in game composition.  I read through the book back then and it was very helpfu...

Writers block is super frustrating!!! In this episode I share one strategy I use to get my ideas flowing.

I share 3 production tips to start doing (if you're not) to immediately improve your music production quality. Layering samples, automation curves, and recording live instruments are three no excuses techniques that can really improve your sound.

In this episode I share four tips on how to stay organized and on top of your business.  It is far too easy to get unbalanced and give to much focus on one are of your business at the expense of other areas.  This episode offers some ideas to help get your composition business back in balance while maximizing productivity.

The monthly report! This is my first monthly report episode.  In my monthly reports I report on how my business is performing and progressing in the four core areas of my business: Learning, Producing, Networking, and Visibility.  Starting in June 2021 the monthly report will happen the first episode of each month and report on the previous months efforts.  These reports are a great way to take a...

In this episode I had a great conversation with Chance Thomas. Chance has been entrusted with prestigious titles and high-value entertainment properties again and again in his career - The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Warhammer, Marvel, King Kong, Dungeons & Dragons, DOTA 2, Star Wars, Monopoly, Heroes of Might & Magic, Left Behind, Jumanji and many more.  Follow chance by visiting his website https...

It is very important to value your work as a video game composer. This episode talks about how you can do that by discussing how much to charge and why you should charge your clients.

The two common shortages are money and time.  Most of us are often looking for more of these two things.  In this episode I talk about how to find more of both of those.  This is one of the small and simple principles, that most people don't take the time to do, that can be a big game changer in your personal life and career path.  I would love to hear your experience trying this challenge, shoot...

Getting your first gig is so important!  It's your initial 'foot in the door' experience to the game industry.  Once you get your first video game composition gig you can officially call yourself a video game composer.  Use these 3 suggestions to make it happen and get your start in the industry.  If you have tried these and haven't gotten your first gig yet, feel free to reach out to me and I wou...