Anybody who has ever picked up a console controller or logged into a mobile gaming app knows that music and sound are as much a part of video games as graphics and gameplay.
Music has played a fundamental role in the gaming experience since day one; the soundtracks of games like Super Mario Bros, Street Fighter II and Pac-Man, for instance, are as iconic as the music that hit the charts during the 1980s and 1990s. Without music, games wouldn’t even be a fraction as compelling or entertaining as they are with it.
If you’re interested in learning more about music and gaming and maybe even picking up some tips on how to design sound for games, keep reading.
The Relationship Between Gameplay and Sound
Music is used to accompany and complement everything from movies to advertisements, so what’s so special about the relationship between the sounds we hear in video games and the games themselves? Well, while music is used in games to evoke emotion, it also plays a pivotal role in setting the scene and immersing a player in the full experience.
The gaming industry is composed of a number of different genres and subgenres, with each title within them transporting players to different universes and gaming experiences. That’s why the sound effects used in popular music-themed online slots differ greatly from the music you’ll hear in an open-world RPG, such as The Legend of Zelda. Incidental soundtracks of RPG games tend to evoke a sense of adventure, danger, and hopefulness, while the ones of slots, such as Bonanza Billion, induce a cheerful atmosphere through major chords and a high tempo.
You could think of the relationship between music and gaming being quite similar to that between music and the movies. In both instances, music and sound design play a role in the progression and development of the content that’s being engaged with, even giving the viewer audio cues of the direction the gameplay and storyline are moving in.
However, unlike watching movies, gamers have the option to play games with the sound on mute, making it vital for the team behind the creation of a game to use audio composition that provides an engaging atmosphere to really immerse and captivate gamers.
Creating Music and Sound for Gaming
If you’re thinking of pursuing a career in music composition and orchestration, the gaming industry is rich in possibilities. For instance, becoming a video game composer means that you’ll be able to collaborate with numerous gaming studios and video game designers to craft soundtracks that contain both thematic scores and incidental music.
There are also a wealth of opportunities in the field of sound design too, in which you can play an active role in creating the atmosphere and experience of a game.
Starting a Career in Music for Gaming
Having a background in music composition, strong music production abilities, and a talent for telling stories through music are the essential ingredients for becoming a composer for video games. A number of notable artists working in the gaming industry initially began as film and TV composers before transitioning to the industry, either due to career progressions or a personal interest in game design.
While you don’t have to be the most experienced composer or producer in the world, a passion for gaming is crucial.
Another thing you can do to start a career as a composer for games is to fully understand music theory. While there will be times when you’ll compose alone when working as part of a video game design team, you will be expected to produce a substantial amount of music, often with short turnaround times. Therefore, having a strong grasp of music theory, including concepts like orchestration, harmony and counterpoint, is crucial.
How to Compose Music for Games
The music involved in modern games has evolved significantly since the days of the 8-bit. Technological advances in sound design and creation have meant that composers have moved away from using PSGs (programmable sound generators) to create chiptune music and instead have a greater variety of tools to work with in the creation of sonic complexity.
Today’s games are multi-sensory experiences, often featuring elaborate storylines, and even the most simple of games still deliver an element of narration. Therefore, when composing music for games, you’ll need to engage in “spotting sessions” with the design team, where the plot and intention of the game are discussed, as well as where music needs to be placed and the emotions it should trigger.
One distinct difference between composing for the gaming realm and any other type of music creation is that, even though you are building a score for a game, it needs to be segmented into individual cues. Every sound effect or piece of music has to contribute to the overarching experience of the game and share space with various other elements, including visual effects, storyline, and even the tactile feedback of a controller or keyboard. It’s crucial to ensure that each cue composed aligns with the overall vision of the game.
