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@@monkeyking10192003 I personally have a classical music composition degree. But most others have some sort of recording degree or engineering. But I did a lot of things on my own, especially learning software and recording, and some minor programming. Much more common in the industry is an audio generalist (sound design etc) rather than 100% composer.
My schooling had almost no correlation with my career :) I was a Piano Performance undergrad & “Music Composition for the Screen” (film music) for Masters
I'm probably at Step 1. I mainly play JRPGs, so becoming a composer for that style of game would be the dream for me. They don't have to be developed in Japan in order to be JRPGs the way I see it, as long as they match what I would expect from a JRPG (think games like Final Fantasy, Persona, the Trails-series and so on).
Step -1, I feel pretty confident about making music, but just starting baby steps on this path.. just learn how to put adaptative music in Unity. Love ur channel!
@@StevenMelin I would say still somewhere in the beginning. I have the theoretical/harmonic knowledge but still have a long way to go with for instance orchestration and usage of my Vsts and so on. I am thinking of opening up a Fiverr or Upwork account (hopefully) soon though. Do you have any experience with online gigs ?
@@tindzaferovic7384 I was referring to this vid: ua-cam.com/video/AI9SRLZaa7Q/v-deo.html It sounds like you’re on step 1! Oh definitely - my entire career is based online and yours can be too :)
I am 42 years old, at a crossroad in my life.. I love playing live, our own songs or throwing parties with cool hits, but it is getting harder and harder, plus the money is not there :/ So I just googled up could I make maybe music for games? And here I am! I hope I will learn enough so I can push myself doing things the right way. Someone said that it is not well paid - is that true, could anyone explain this? Thanks for the video, helped a LOT! Greetings from Europe
On the topic of sticking to one lane, what if I also want to do serious composition on the side? This feels like a field where I should diversify income from more than one industry, and I also have a passion for writing complicated music and getting it performed. I want to go down that route AND video game composing, but it's not like you see miazaki writing for something other than video games, so I absolutely see your point. It just seems like such a risk to put all your eggs in one basket, especially to force yourself to stick to one genre. I would get so bored with writing the same music over and over again for decades. I just cant see myself getting much work if I brand myself into one specific niche/genre of games/music, especially if I happen to pick one that is either unpopular now, or will be unpopular a few years from now. So many things to worry about 😭😅
Start with one genre publicly and do the others privately until the public picks up steam. At some point you’ll have the option to branch off into other genres as desired!
Future game dev here- I'm actually interested in learning at what point of my process I should be looking into hiring a composer. It's been tricky getting that question answered, and as silly as it sounds, I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the person I would potentially be wanting to, you know, ask to work for/ with me
There isn't a definitive answer to that question. Just hire whenever you feel ready. The only thing that I can say is the more stuff you already have the easier it is to write music for your game. Btw, if you're looking for a metal/chiptune composer, feel free to contact me :p
The huge thing about cold messaging is that it's an incredibly common tactic by scammers, so if you cold message someone offering your services, they're going to assume it's a scam 90% of the time.
Watching this on my lunch break. Don't think I'll have time to finish it right now but will finish it later. Loved everything you've said so far (as someone who's tried the cold approach method and been rejected many times hahha)
The only thing holding me back from wanting to throw myself into becoming a composer is money and time. I REALLY want to do music composition for video games for a living (preferably, horror games) but I feel like it will take me some time to build the client base necessary to start getting paid enough to pay my bills. I try my hardest to find time to work on my music comp stuff after my 9-5 (currently working on a music pack which should be out by the end of the year) but it is taking me sooooo much longer to make progress than I would like so that I can turn this dream into a reality. Does anyone have any tips on how to juggle a 9-5 so that I can survive in this economy while also making meaningful progress towards becoming a VGM composer?
I hear you! Sounds like multiple income streams will be your way forward: ua-cam.com/video/By_Y4GsHF4w/v-deo.htmlsi=6RhHkt0om7o6Xgzy You may want to check out my book Family-First Composer :) I talk a ton about your situation of juggling family life and building a career. I hope these resources are helpful!
Massively respect where you're coming from choosing a specific genre as this probably does describe a lot of the more successful VGM composers. One problem with pinning yourself to one genre is you've got to consider what the genre is and how flooded the market is for it. If you're doing synthwave for example, there's so much competition in that genre that you're really going to struggle. I don't necessarily thinks its a binary choice between being a master of one or an unspecialised generalist either. It's perfectly possibly to become extremely good at a few genres with how good online music tutorial videos are, and with how good the existing plug-ins are for creating different styles of music too. You might surprise yourself with the quality of your work dipping outside of your preferred genre aswell. If If I'd stuck with my original genre (techno) without being open minded about composing classical music, I'd have not ended up on my first game. In 2024, I think maybe the industry has changed for the worse and it's probably worth cutting your teeth on tiny one person project indie games and if they can't afford to pay you, atleast owning the rights to the music so you can profit off it independently. Just some thoughts shooting from the hip, massive respect on the video too and best wishes :)
Great thoughts! The game music landscape has definitely changed in recent years. I encourage new composers to focus first on creating game music packs to sell on marketplaces.
I'm just curious: isn't being proficient in specific style/format more important than game genre? In my experience there are a lot of games of same genre with a very different types of music. Thanks for the vid btw, very thoughtful.
@@kuzei6648 I have an undergraduate degree in music, but they didn't tell me so much more about metal nor videogame music at music school, it was more the usual ear training, music history and score analysis...
You may want to look more into Cyberpunk or similar genres if you want to focus 100% on electronic music. The good news is that EVERY style of music is welcome in the game industry, but you do have to be willing to modify it to better fit the context (ex. boss battles will almost always need high-tempo intense music)
Hey Steven, do clients ever ask or expect you to do their audio beyond the actual musical tracks? Like implementation or even sound effects? I ask because I don’t know the first thing about fmod or wise or anything like that, and I know there are some people who do all game audio. I personally want to stick to just music composition because that’s what I’m interested in.
I’ll have a deeper episode on this topic on Aug 26, but in short I believe that there’s always a point in your career where you must choose between music & SFX if you want to work on higher profile games. If you do want to do both, you’ll be “stuck” with indie games (unless of course that’s what you want). If you’re curious about sound design, go explore, but make a choice and stick with it for at least 6 months to build some traction as one or the other. TBH there are way more sound design jobs than composition, but that shouldn’t be THE reason you choose one over the other. Choose the one you can’t live without; the one that gets you up in the morning.
Become A Game Composer Thank you! That’s helpful. I’m hoping that even in the indie games scene that it would be possible for me to strictly do music, without sound design or implementation. Looking forward to the video
Nice video very informative just, when you send the finished loop or full song to the game developer what file type do you send them? .wav , ogg, aiff, mp3?
@@StevenMelin Okay thanks for the info. And you also send the audio separate right? for example if they want to use one section of audio for the games intro,or the games demo,one section of audio for when you are playing the game etc. So you basically send the full loop and separate files correct?
I really want to make music for videogames but when i think in all the legal things, making contracts and all of that i just feel like this isn't gonna work for me. I can't afford an attorney or things like that just to get paid 20$ for a small project.
What I don't understand is... I get that it makes sense to specialize (and that's something I definitely learned from this video), what I don't get is why it makes a difference if I specialize for example on 2D or 3D games, as you explained it on yourself. Does it make a real difference? Wouldn't it make more sense to specialize on for example "orchestral, "futuristic" or "ambient" music? I mean, when I'm capable of making music for a high-fantasy adventure game in 2D, I don't see why I shouldn't be capable to do the same for a 3D game in the same genre. And when I'm capable of doing music for a fantasy adventure game, I could do the same for fantasy RPG. Or is this strictly about marketing yourself to a specific audience and less about your own skillset?
I just wanna point out that the advice in step one is a bit paradoxical, where a game dev wants a range or styles, but only for one game genre. Also marketing yourself for one genre can be kind of a gamble and isn't as sure-fire as you make it out to be. For example: Hideki Naganuma makes music for Jet Set Radio styled games but games like that only get released once every like 5 years.... You won't be seeing much work for that let alone will the market size be good. If you want to assess risk, approach it like the stock market. Have a diverse portfolio. However Steven is right about honing in on one style/genre the best, but you should remain flexible. Being a specialist and master of one in music is a recipe for disaster. Otherwise most musicians/artists wouldn't have 12 different streams of income lol
Now that’s it been a few years since the vid released, I can definitely see both sides of the equation. My current thought is that it’s critical at the beginning of our journeys to be open to anything (wide) and over time get more specialized & niched (narrow) so that we can go deep vs. wide. Generalists tend to get more work, but the Specialists are those that get the more prominent / awarded / more fulfilling work. Neither is right or wrong, but they each have fundamentally different paths (especially in regards to branding & marketing yourself online and with potential clients). We’re all built differently, so it’s not wise to claim one is the only path 😉
Hey Steven! I think that you have your referral link on Convert Kit wrong! I clicked on it, but the actual link doesn't have your "referral name" on it. Telling you in case that the link didn't worked. The video was Super inspiring btw, thank you so so so much
Hi Steven, I am wondering what happened to the price calculator. The service seems to be removed(?) Are there alternatives out there? Should I program a new one? xD
I still recommend using a rate calculator until your rates are up to $1000+/min; at that point, it’s better to negotiate with a game dev than stick to a flat rate.
I enjoy composing all kinds of styles and Im interested in pursuing game composition, but I'm struggling with the first step! There's 2 game genres which are my favourite, and they are extremely different. Maybe I just need to be bold
Steven, I'm glad I found your channel because you have some absolutely super material here and are very good at getting it out there! As for what step am I on? None of them yet. I program databases (my bread and butter job) and do a lot of other things but haven't looked at going into this full time. I have a very odd/unique skillset in being able to make very unique sounds with my mouth because of my degree in linguistics looking at phonetics & phonology (and all the other aspects of how communication is accomplished), plus my music background. I have a pretty good idea of what niche I might fit into (spoken/written language developer) but haven't dug into it yet. I've watched other linguists go into the field for games and have thought about doing it myself. I also do a little music which does come in handy (bassist by background but branched out), but really love all the cool things that can be done with synthesizers nowadays and how their effects can be applied to the voicestream! Anyway, I'll probably look into your system because it has more applicability than just composing music since there are other aspects to game creation that aren't necessarily taken into account but can follow your paradigm of what you're doing.
Hi Steven, silly question here. But when you say to give your best music for free via email funnel, I'm guessing this means as free downloads without actual permission to use it in their project? Thanks!
Probably late, but for anyone seeing this comment later as well: you'll probably face NDAs a lot, and as long as you're not posting your progress on social media and sharing it with everybody before their project is actually finished, you're fine. Signing NDAs is totally fine and necessary a lot of times, it is for their own protection. But of course, always carefully read the terms. They can differ from each other a lot.
I think I'm stuck on step one. Its weird because I usually play RPGs like WOW or the Witcher which tend to have more orchestral tracks, but when I write music it tends to be something with a riff and more of a beat, like ocarina of time or final fantasy music. I'm not even sure what games these days are focused more on that style of music. Any ideas on how to resolve that conflict?
There’s no rule to any of this. It makes sense to me to give away as much as possible, so I give away all my YT vid tracks + a free game music pack of 5-10 tracks.
Do what you love most! I don’t enjoy sound design, so I focus 100% on music (although to be fair I love designing instruments / synths, which is a form of sound design).
Hi Steven! Do you give every track that you post on UA-cam away for free in that you allow the devs to use them in their commercial games? Thanks for all the great work you do!
I used to, but I’ve found way more success simply giving away one free music pack (6 tracks inside) then leading those game devs to my large paid game music pack (500 tracks inside). Here’s your golden ticket for learning more like this: www.stevenmelin.com/25questions
So can it be harmful to have too many layers? Especially starting out? I see you're saying that being so general is a setup for failure. Add layers to reduce failure setup likelihood...how many layers until that likelihood starts to rise again? Certainly, geographical location (for example) can also be a setup for failure. Being in ATL, I'd probably use that as a layer too. But if I'm in Delaware (which many people always ask, "What state is that city in"), where there's no jobs here at all unless you have dreamed all of your life to be a bartender, do you think I'm biting myself in the ass adding that layer? Again, I'm also starting out, so is there a safety margin to being broad, considering the remote nature of my product?
Great question! I don’t think there’s any danger niching down deeper. I suggest starting with as many layers as possible and sticking with it for 3-6 months, then remove a layer as needed until more work happens.
Hi Steven! Just found this video after pursuing this avenue for quite some time and found it really helpful. Just wondering when it comes to giving away the free audio downloads, would it matter where you put these, for example if I were to use an existing audio database website that people often stumble across when they need quick and easy music for a project, would that make more sense?? I suppose my first step I'm stuck on is just getting people to FIND my stuff, even if it's free :)
Wouldn't exclusively writing for one genre when you're just starting out be more limiting both in terms of your progression as a musician and also in the work that you could get? Step 1 sounds like something to consider once you've done a few tracks for a few different companies/genres
I only encourage you to go the exclusive route if you’ve chosen to be a game composer. If you’re interested in other types of media, don’t take this advice :)
Im also kinda iffy about this. But he also makes a point if your exclusively a video game composer. What i dont agree with is that you can't be great at multiple genres. If someone is a great composer and practices multiple styles of music you can be great at many. Thats our job being a great COMPOSER.
@Ten O I don’t even remember what he said specifically but looking back at my comment I think he mentions you can’t be great at multiple genres and I disagree. There are many artists who dive into multiple genres. But going back to the “composer for hire” topic you are right! Thinking on it, It’s not always best to be a jack of all trades. It’s best just to focus on one style and I guess when you get the traction branch out to other genres. It’s like what composer Brian Tyler did. Throughout his career they always tried to pigeonhole him into a specific genre and the more work he got he went out of his way to show that he can be more than one genre which resulted to many diverse projects.
Hey! What a great video! I have a question, do you have any ideas on how someone would succeed as the potentially go to Horror Soundtrack Composer guy? I'm concerned that an ambient tracks and scary noises are all that is necessary for most horror video games, at least in the indie genre. I'd Imagine that ambient tracks are easy to make or find for less than hiring a composer? I suppose my question is, do you believe that there is a market for a horror/thriller focused composer?
That’s absolutely a market for that! Be above average at creating those ambience and you’ll still be very hireable. But also focus on how to write melodies / textures on top of ambience.
@@StevenMelin thank you! I shall do my best! I actually am a musician, heavily inspired by Koji Kondo, Nabuo Umatsu (who's name I probably botched 😅😂) and many other composers and artists. I definitely will be able to write melodies and such. I have another question for you if you would be so kind as to answer! Do you believe that it is necessary for me to use real strings? I'd imagine it would be less important in my aim because of the fact that real warmth is often not a focus in horror? I might have one more question after this.
Lol, i've done all these steps since 2017, and not one gig. I mean i was greatly patient, but it did not sprang forward. Heres alternative advice; save up some money, try paying a legit service to get you in, but do your research, and do use much precaution. Also, unfortunately Money still talks, but it is what it is!
"theres no way you can be good at all those genres" i think han zimmers work would disagree as someone who can make any genre requested and have some previous success in my career, i hate that youre telling people they wont make it unless they focus on one game genre. this is not true. games composers must be able to be flexible with their music. i have had my music played at a museum and i had requests to make music by a game developer before (he didnt end up making the game). essentially, i can make any genre of music requested to me which is an essential skill as a composer. i believe that the biggest mistake with music producers and composers is that they are not flexible enough with their music creations. producers and composers dont test their skills enough and only land doing one genre or theme. u WILL run out of work this way. for example. youre a bedroom producer making beats, the biggest mistake is only learning beats, open up your doors. dont close and limit them. the more knowledge you gain, the more opportunities open up for u
Hey! My point in this vid is to focus on one genre to start with as a means to landing the first gig or two. Once you have a steady stream of work, you can shift to anything else you’d like. But starting off, game developers are looking for a specialist who can bring their unique vision to life. That’s much easier to land if you’re the guy / girl that is amazing at the desired style!
@@StevenMelin yeah. however. most game and film music will most likely end up being mostly orchestral so. u may as well tell people to focus on their orchestral skills
You're wrong about the part saying that you can't be good at every genre. Literally this man Gareth Coker has written music for many genres and all of his pieces are beyond S tier
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Composing music and making audio for games was my childhood dream and I am so happy to have a career doing it!
would you mind telling me what majors you took in college to help you become a game composer?
@@monkeyking10192003 I personally have a classical music composition degree. But most others have some sort of recording degree or engineering. But I did a lot of things on my own, especially learning software and recording, and some minor programming. Much more common in the industry is an audio generalist (sound design etc) rather than 100% composer.
My schooling had almost no correlation with my career :) I was a Piano Performance undergrad & “Music Composition for the Screen” (film music) for Masters
It's a pleasure job, but salary is to low. I work fulltime as a game music composer and sound designer about 10+ years for only $10,000 per year.
When was the last time you raised your rates??
I'm probably at Step 1. I mainly play JRPGs, so becoming a composer for that style of game would be the dream for me. They don't have to be developed in Japan in order to be JRPGs the way I see it, as long as they match what I would expect from a JRPG (think games like Final Fantasy, Persona, the Trails-series and so on).
That’s good self-awareness!!
Feels great to be in Become A Game Composer community. Thanks for all your guidance, Steven - learning new stuff every single day. Cheers!!!
Glad to have you!
Man this is invaluable! Just trying to climb that ladder right now to get in, I am sure this will help me out a lot, thanks dude.
The “Custom Game Music Rates” feature is an absolute game changer. I need to add that to my site ASAP. Thanks man!
Here’s a quick tutorial if helpful: ua-cam.com/video/IXoLo8KGqVY/v-deo.html
Step -1, I feel pretty confident about making music, but just starting baby steps on this path.. just learn how to put adaptative music in Unity. Love ur channel!
bought your book on Audible and decided to look you up on youtube as well..your videos are gold!
So glad to hear! Which of the 10 Steps are you on in your game music career?
@@StevenMelin I would say still somewhere in the beginning. I have the theoretical/harmonic knowledge but still have a long way to go with for instance orchestration and usage of my Vsts and so on.
I am thinking of opening up a Fiverr or Upwork account (hopefully) soon though. Do you have any experience with online gigs ?
@@tindzaferovic7384 I was referring to this vid: ua-cam.com/video/AI9SRLZaa7Q/v-deo.html
It sounds like you’re on step 1! Oh definitely - my entire career is based online and yours can be too :)
I am 42 years old, at a crossroad in my life.. I love playing live, our own songs or throwing parties with cool hits, but it is getting harder and harder, plus the money is not there :/
So I just googled up could I make maybe music for games? And here I am!
I hope I will learn enough so I can push myself doing things the right way.
Someone said that it is not well paid - is that true, could anyone explain this?
Thanks for the video, helped a LOT!
Greetings from Europe
Thank you for this! I'm 16 and I've been writing music for 5 years. It's my dream to write for games
Half a year later, have you made any progress?
Brilliant!
On the topic of sticking to one lane, what if I also want to do serious composition on the side? This feels like a field where I should diversify income from more than one industry, and I also have a passion for writing complicated music and getting it performed. I want to go down that route AND video game composing, but it's not like you see miazaki writing for something other than video games, so I absolutely see your point. It just seems like such a risk to put all your eggs in one basket, especially to force yourself to stick to one genre. I would get so bored with writing the same music over and over again for decades. I just cant see myself getting much work if I brand myself into one specific niche/genre of games/music, especially if I happen to pick one that is either unpopular now, or will be unpopular a few years from now. So many things to worry about 😭😅
Start with one genre publicly and do the others privately until the public picks up steam. At some point you’ll have the option to branch off into other genres as desired!
@@StevenMelin thank you so much! Your guidance is giving me hope to be doing this full time within the next 5-10 years 😁
Future game dev here- I'm actually interested in learning at what point of my process I should be looking into hiring a composer. It's been tricky getting that question answered, and as silly as it sounds, I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the person I would potentially be wanting to, you know, ask to work for/ with me
There isn't a definitive answer to that question. Just hire whenever you feel ready. The only thing that I can say is the more stuff you already have the easier it is to write music for your game.
Btw, if you're looking for a metal/chiptune composer, feel free to contact me :p
The huge thing about cold messaging is that it's an incredibly common tactic by scammers, so if you cold message someone offering your services, they're going to assume it's a scam 90% of the time.
True! That’s why it’s important to keep all messages human and personal.
Watching this on my lunch break. Don't think I'll have time to finish it right now but will finish it later. Loved everything you've said so far (as someone who's tried the cold approach method and been rejected many times hahha)
Then you’ll love the new email list series that launched yesterday!
My first time watching you, new sub. Great work!
This was extremely informative, I really appreciate this.
Glad to hear! Check out the full course: www.udemy.com/course/film-tv-video-game-music-composition-production/?referralCode=DA35CF723C35444FA4E0
can i specialize in for example pixel boss fights?
That sounds awesome! As a career, no way, but you could certainly make & sell a VGM pack with that niche 🤘
@@StevenMelin what about pixel adventure games?
Nice video, Steven! The link to download the guide is dead, FYI...
I just checked links - the ConvertKit link needed editing, but all others work! Thanks for the heads up.
When it comes to focusing one genre rather than trying to be a jack of all trades, do you think the same approach should apply to film composing?
I sure do!
I love what you do here. If I had more time I would completely throw money at you.
The only thing holding me back from wanting to throw myself into becoming a composer is money and time. I REALLY want to do music composition for video games for a living (preferably, horror games) but I feel like it will take me some time to build the client base necessary to start getting paid enough to pay my bills. I try my hardest to find time to work on my music comp stuff after my 9-5 (currently working on a music pack which should be out by the end of the year) but it is taking me sooooo much longer to make progress than I would like so that I can turn this dream into a reality. Does anyone have any tips on how to juggle a 9-5 so that I can survive in this economy while also making meaningful progress towards becoming a VGM composer?
I hear you! Sounds like multiple income streams will be your way forward: ua-cam.com/video/By_Y4GsHF4w/v-deo.htmlsi=6RhHkt0om7o6Xgzy
You may want to check out my book Family-First Composer :) I talk a ton about your situation of juggling family life and building a career. I hope these resources are helpful!
Massively respect where you're coming from choosing a specific genre as this probably does describe a lot of the more successful VGM composers. One problem with pinning yourself to one genre is you've got to consider what the genre is and how flooded the market is for it. If you're doing synthwave for example, there's so much competition in that genre that you're really going to struggle. I don't necessarily thinks its a binary choice between being a master of one or an unspecialised generalist either. It's perfectly possibly to become extremely good at a few genres with how good online music tutorial videos are, and with how good the existing plug-ins are for creating different styles of music too. You might surprise yourself with the quality of your work dipping outside of your preferred genre aswell. If If I'd stuck with my original genre (techno) without being open minded about composing classical music, I'd have not ended up on my first game.
In 2024, I think maybe the industry has changed for the worse and it's probably worth cutting your teeth on tiny one person project indie games and if they can't afford to pay you, atleast owning the rights to the music so you can profit off it independently. Just some thoughts shooting from the hip, massive respect on the video too and best wishes :)
Great thoughts! The game music landscape has definitely changed in recent years. I encourage new composers to focus first on creating game music packs to sell on marketplaces.
I'm just curious: isn't being proficient in specific style/format more important than game genre? In my experience there are a lot of games of same genre with a very different types of music. Thanks for the vid btw, very thoughtful.
Sure, so long as you can specialize in something!
I'll take your advice and stick to the action genre! sure it's the perfect fit for my metal background! thanks!
Go for it!
Are you working on doom yet?
@@kuzei6648 what did you mean? yes, I'm currently working on doom-type music! if that what you mean! :)
@@lerafa I meant something like that haha
Thats great! Did you go to school to learn music or are you doing it without any school?
@@kuzei6648 I have an undergraduate degree in music, but they didn't tell me so much more about metal nor videogame music at music school, it was more the usual ear training, music history and score analysis...
Thanks for the extremely valuable advice!
I just Wonder, what could i do for Dark Fantasy vibe without having an Orchestra. Please tell me there's a glimmer of hope
You may want to look more into Cyberpunk or similar genres if you want to focus 100% on electronic music. The good news is that EVERY style of music is welcome in the game industry, but you do have to be willing to modify it to better fit the context (ex. boss battles will almost always need high-tempo intense music)
Hey Steven, do clients ever ask or expect you to do their audio beyond the actual musical tracks? Like implementation or even sound effects? I ask because I don’t know the first thing about fmod or wise or anything like that, and I know there are some people who do all game audio. I personally want to stick to just music composition because that’s what I’m interested in.
I’ll have a deeper episode on this topic on Aug 26, but in short I believe that there’s always a point in your career where you must choose between music & SFX if you want to work on higher profile games. If you do want to do both, you’ll be “stuck” with indie games (unless of course that’s what you want). If you’re curious about sound design, go explore, but make a choice and stick with it for at least 6 months to build some traction as one or the other. TBH there are way more sound design jobs than composition, but that shouldn’t be THE reason you choose one over the other. Choose the one you can’t live without; the one that gets you up in the morning.
Become A Game Composer Thank you! That’s helpful. I’m hoping that even in the indie games scene that it would be possible for me to strictly do music, without sound design or implementation. Looking forward to the video
Great advice! On the pre-1 steps. Thanks for sharing this!
❓ QOTD: What Step are you on?
Flying Otaku That’s awesome to hear! Keep going!
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Nice video very informative just, when you send the finished loop or full song to the game developer what file type do you send them? .wav , ogg, aiff, mp3?
I usually send WAV for highest quality. Each dev has a specific preference (usually WAV or OGG).
@@StevenMelin Okay thanks for the info. And you also send the audio separate right? for example if they want to use one section of audio for the games intro,or the games demo,one section of audio for when you are playing the game etc. So you basically send the full loop and separate files correct?
@@Bertthemovieguy separate file for every track!
@@StevenMelin thanks
I really want to make music for videogames but when i think in all the legal things, making contracts and all of that i just feel like this isn't gonna work for me. I can't afford an attorney or things like that just to get paid 20$ for a small project.
Gotta put in the work :)
What I don't understand is...
I get that it makes sense to specialize (and that's something I definitely learned from this video), what I don't get is why it makes a difference if I specialize for example on 2D or 3D games, as you explained it on yourself.
Does it make a real difference? Wouldn't it make more sense to specialize on for example "orchestral, "futuristic" or "ambient" music?
I mean, when I'm capable of making music for a high-fantasy adventure game in 2D, I don't see why I shouldn't be capable to do the same for a 3D game in the same genre.
And when I'm capable of doing music for a fantasy adventure game, I could do the same for fantasy RPG.
Or is this strictly about marketing yourself to a specific audience and less about your own skillset?
I just wanna point out that the advice in step one is a bit paradoxical, where a game dev wants a range or styles, but only for one game genre. Also marketing yourself for one genre can be kind of a gamble and isn't as sure-fire as you make it out to be.
For example: Hideki Naganuma makes music for Jet Set Radio styled games but games like that only get released once every like 5 years.... You won't be seeing much work for that let alone will the market size be good.
If you want to assess risk, approach it like the stock market. Have a diverse portfolio. However Steven is right about honing in on one style/genre the best, but you should remain flexible. Being a specialist and master of one in music is a recipe for disaster. Otherwise most musicians/artists wouldn't have 12 different streams of income lol
Now that’s it been a few years since the vid released, I can definitely see both sides of the equation. My current thought is that it’s critical at the beginning of our journeys to be open to anything (wide) and over time get more specialized & niched (narrow) so that we can go deep vs. wide. Generalists tend to get more work, but the Specialists are those that get the more prominent / awarded / more fulfilling work.
Neither is right or wrong, but they each have fundamentally different paths (especially in regards to branding & marketing yourself online and with potential clients). We’re all built differently, so it’s not wise to claim one is the only path 😉
Hey Steven! I think that you have your referral link on Convert Kit wrong! I clicked on it, but the actual link doesn't have your "referral name" on it. Telling you in case that the link didn't worked.
The video was Super inspiring btw, thank you so so so much
Thanks so much for letting me know! I just got this resolved and updated the link in the description.
Hi Steven, I am wondering what happened to the price calculator. The service seems to be removed(?) Are there alternatives out there? Should I program a new one? xD
Have you tried this one?
ua-cam.com/video/-RkSqbGBhbw/v-deo.html
I still recommend using a rate calculator until your rates are up to $1000+/min; at that point, it’s better to negotiate with a game dev than stick to a flat rate.
what do you think about upwork? i got hired for a film there right at the beginning, but i cannot trust the success rate there, too weird
Nothing wrong with trying! You can build credibility there.
@@StevenMelin i will see and tell you if i am alive
@@emanuel_soundtrack are you alive?
@Ten O haha yes, i keep you all updated;)
@Ten O ua-cam.com/video/OOYuGL6LANw/v-deo.html
I enjoy composing all kinds of styles and Im interested in pursuing game composition, but I'm struggling with the first step! There's 2 game genres which are my favourite, and they are extremely different. Maybe I just need to be bold
Be bold! Choose one for 6 months exclusively. Then you can change your mind if you wish, but at least at that point you’ll have some momentum.
Steven, I'm glad I found your channel because you have some absolutely super material here and are very good at getting it out there! As for what step am I on? None of them yet. I program databases (my bread and butter job) and do a lot of other things but haven't looked at going into this full time. I have a very odd/unique skillset in being able to make very unique sounds with my mouth because of my degree in linguistics looking at phonetics & phonology (and all the other aspects of how communication is accomplished), plus my music background. I have a pretty good idea of what niche I might fit into (spoken/written language developer) but haven't dug into it yet. I've watched other linguists go into the field for games and have thought about doing it myself. I also do a little music which does come in handy (bassist by background but branched out), but really love all the cool things that can be done with synthesizers nowadays and how their effects can be applied to the voicestream! Anyway, I'll probably look into your system because it has more applicability than just composing music since there are other aspects to game creation that aren't necessarily taken into account but can follow your paradigm of what you're doing.
Now I want to hear these crazy mouth sounds you speak of... 😅💙👍
+1 to crazy mouth sounds!
Welcome to the channel! Your story is very interesting! Sounds like the makings of a UA-cam channel :)
Hi Steven, silly question here. But when you say to give your best music for free via email funnel, I'm guessing this means as free downloads without actual permission to use it in their project? Thanks!
I give them royalty-free license to use in their commercial games!
So I got a gig, and they're asking me to sign an NDA, these guys sound like a small indie company, do you have any advice?
Probably late, but for anyone seeing this comment later as well: you'll probably face NDAs a lot, and as long as you're not posting your progress on social media and sharing it with everybody before their project is actually finished, you're fine. Signing NDAs is totally fine and necessary a lot of times, it is for their own protection. But of course, always carefully read the terms. They can differ from each other a lot.
Agreed!
I think I'm stuck on step one. Its weird because I usually play RPGs like WOW or the Witcher which tend to have more orchestral tracks, but when I write music it tends to be something with a riff and more of a beat, like ocarina of time or final fantasy music. I'm not even sure what games these days are focused more on that style of music. Any ideas on how to resolve that conflict?
Okay I'm still at step two (kinda) I hope this small change in my name appear in the search soon
Writing music for games is my dream, but to be honest I’m not even sure what genre my music falls into.
That’s ok! Other game composers can help determine that.
@@StevenMelin thank you, hopefully one day I can get a chance to work on a project
Thank you, I don't know how to promote my skills
Are the free UA-cam songs the same ones in the free pack? Or are they different tracks entirely?
Also how many tracks would you put in one pack?
There’s no rule to any of this. It makes sense to me to give away as much as possible, so I give away all my YT vid tracks + a free game music pack of 5-10 tracks.
Would you recommend learning sound design as someone just breaking into the industry or just focusing on composition?
Do what you love most! I don’t enjoy sound design, so I focus 100% on music (although to be fair I love designing instruments / synths, which is a form of sound design).
Hi Steven! Do you give every track that you post on UA-cam away for free in that you allow the devs to use them in their commercial games? Thanks for all the great work you do!
I used to, but I’ve found way more success simply giving away one free music pack (6 tracks inside) then leading those game devs to my large paid game music pack (500 tracks inside). Here’s your golden ticket for learning more like this: www.stevenmelin.com/25questions
So can it be harmful to have too many layers? Especially starting out? I see you're saying that being so general is a setup for failure. Add layers to reduce failure setup likelihood...how many layers until that likelihood starts to rise again? Certainly, geographical location (for example) can also be a setup for failure. Being in ATL, I'd probably use that as a layer too. But if I'm in Delaware (which many people always ask, "What state is that city in"), where there's no jobs here at all unless you have dreamed all of your life to be a bartender, do you think I'm biting myself in the ass adding that layer? Again, I'm also starting out, so is there a safety margin to being broad, considering the remote nature of my product?
Great question! I don’t think there’s any danger niching down deeper. I suggest starting with as many layers as possible and sticking with it for 3-6 months, then remove a layer as needed until more work happens.
So in simple words you need to visible in search results in platforms like Google, youtube and other place.
Thank you!
Hi Steven! Just found this video after pursuing this avenue for quite some time and found it really helpful. Just wondering when it comes to giving away the free audio downloads, would it matter where you put these, for example if I were to use an existing audio database website that people often stumble across when they need quick and easy music for a project, would that make more sense?? I suppose my first step I'm stuck on is just getting people to FIND my stuff, even if it's free :)
Find game devs where they are!
Wouldn't exclusively writing for one genre when you're just starting out be more limiting both in terms of your progression as a musician and also in the work that you could get? Step 1 sounds like something to consider once you've done a few tracks for a few different companies/genres
I only encourage you to go the exclusive route if you’ve chosen to be a game composer. If you’re interested in other types of media, don’t take this advice :)
Im also kinda iffy about this. But he also makes a point if your exclusively a video game composer. What i dont agree with is that you can't be great at multiple genres. If someone is a great composer and practices multiple styles of music you can be great at many. Thats our job being a great COMPOSER.
@Ten O I don’t even remember what he said specifically but looking back at my comment I think he mentions you can’t be great at multiple genres and I disagree. There are many artists who dive into multiple genres. But going back to the “composer for hire” topic you are right! Thinking on it, It’s not always best to be a jack of all trades. It’s best just to focus on one style and I guess when you get the traction branch out to other genres. It’s like what composer Brian Tyler did. Throughout his career they always tried to pigeonhole him into a specific genre and the more work he got he went out of his way to show that he can be more than one genre which resulted to many diverse projects.
Im realy good at creating those arcade type beats games like streets of rage everything else is hard for me
Hey! What a great video! I have a question, do you have any ideas on how someone would succeed as the potentially go to Horror Soundtrack Composer guy? I'm concerned that an ambient tracks and scary noises are all that is necessary for most horror video games, at least in the indie genre. I'd Imagine that ambient tracks are easy to make or find for less than hiring a composer? I suppose my question is, do you believe that there is a market for a horror/thriller focused composer?
That’s absolutely a market for that! Be above average at creating those ambience and you’ll still be very hireable. But also focus on how to write melodies / textures on top of ambience.
@@StevenMelin thank you! I shall do my best! I actually am a musician, heavily inspired by Koji Kondo, Nabuo Umatsu (who's name I probably botched 😅😂) and many other composers and artists. I definitely will be able to write melodies and such. I have another question for you if you would be so kind as to answer! Do you believe that it is necessary for me to use real strings? I'd imagine it would be less important in my aim because of the fact that real warmth is often not a focus in horror? I might have one more question after this.
Live vs MIDI is always an aesthetic choice - depends on the context & final result desired.
@@StevenMelin Aight. Thanks! lastly, do I need a degree or some sort of credentials to be a soundtrack composer? What are the possibilities?
Brad Kolz watch this vid: m.ua-cam.com/video/sArxOiJLvWQ/v-deo.html
this is facts
why are your monitors set up like that bud
Triple monitor setup is the best 🔥
Lol, i've done all these steps since 2017, and not one gig. I mean i was greatly patient, but it did not sprang forward. Heres alternative advice; save up some money, try paying a legit service to get you in, but do your research, and do use much precaution. Also, unfortunately Money still talks, but it is what it is!
Anyone else looking to compose for Fighting Games? Ie: Tekken 7, SFV/VI, Guilty-Gear
Would you be mad if I named my channel Music for 3*D adventure games? Haha
Go for it!
2:45
Great video - thanks
"theres no way you can be good at all those genres" i think han zimmers work would disagree
as someone who can make any genre requested and have some previous success in my career, i hate that youre telling people they wont make it unless they focus on one game genre. this is not true. games composers must be able to be flexible with their music. i have had my music played at a museum and i had requests to make music by a game developer before (he didnt end up making the game). essentially, i can make any genre of music requested to me which is an essential skill as a composer. i believe that the biggest mistake with music producers and composers is that they are not flexible enough with their music creations. producers and composers dont test their skills enough and only land doing one genre or theme. u WILL run out of work this way. for example. youre a bedroom producer making beats, the biggest mistake is only learning beats, open up your doors. dont close and limit them. the more knowledge you gain, the more opportunities open up for u
yeah literally most videogame composers work on multiple genres idk what this guy is on about
Hey! My point in this vid is to focus on one genre to start with as a means to landing the first gig or two. Once you have a steady stream of work, you can shift to anything else you’d like. But starting off, game developers are looking for a specialist who can bring their unique vision to life. That’s much easier to land if you’re the guy / girl that is amazing at the desired style!
@@StevenMelin yeah. however. most game and film music will most likely end up being mostly orchestral so. u may as well tell people to focus on their orchestral skills
@@ProdChunkkz Not always true! There are a TON of video games that focus exclusively on electronic scores.
@@StevenMelin yeah. i just mean in general. even games like terraria have music with orchestra instruments in and that’s a 16bit styled game
Too many affiliate links
You're wrong about the part saying that you can't be good at every genre. Literally this man Gareth Coker has written music for many genres and all of his pieces are beyond S tier
I love Gareth! But even he has strengths & weaknesses. No one can win at all styles.
@@StevenMelin There are musical beasts everywhere. But personally I can't get into a composer if the music they write is just another job.
@@vgm_composer Agreed! As a composer, it’s important that I’m invested in every project.
Yo
👋
Great content, thank you! Are your free tracks also registered with a P.R.O?
I choose not to so I don’t muddy the waters of copyrights