A video game composer is the musician who records, arranges, and produces music specifically for video games. Become a video game composer by building a foundational knowledge of music theory, learning to use a digital audio workstation (DAW) with virtual instrument plugins (VSTs), and developing an understanding of game design. Studying music theory, watching YouTube DAW tutorials, and playing games critically, paying particular attention to the effect of music on gameplay, are the best ways to quickly level up these skills without paying for tuition. Specific courses also exist to help learners gain experience and create game music portfolios.
Games differ from other visual media in that the player retains a modicum of control over the events onscreen. Film and television are linear experiences, with the story, visuals, and audio elements progressing from point A to point B according to the director’s vision. Becoming a game composer involves understanding these differences and how they alter the workflow and deliverables. Games loop, repeat, and transition in accordance with player action, requiring a different approach to scoring than more traditional visual media. Read on to learn how to become a game composer and what tools industry professionals use to create game music.
What is a video game music composer?
A video game composer is the person who creates the music for games. Game composers create arrangements to transport players on a game’s intended journey, using sprawling arrangements for exploration, rousing pieces for battles, and resonant melodies for emotional moments. Games differ from media like film and TV where the director retains total control. Player agency makes games unique and places unique requirements on game composers.
Game composers must create music that reacts dynamically to player action, shifting mood according to location, action, or scenario. Game soundtracks include memorable theme songs and bombastic battle music, but also deliberately unobtrusive pieces for menu screens and down time. Effective game composers collaborate often and early with other members of development teams. This collaboration with designers, artists, and animators inspires composers and ensures their output maintains an appropriate, consistent tone.
My own journey towards game composition started early. When I was a kid, I was given piano lessons and a Game Boy Advance with Pokemon Fire Red to keep me busy during my brother’s soccer games. My passion for music in games grew out of that union of interests as a child. An enthusiasm for both music, and how it enhances interactive experiences, is a cornerstone of effective video game composition.
How much does a video game music composer make?
How much a video game music composer makes depends on location, the composer’s level of experience, and the size of the company. The most up-to-date figures come from the 2025 survey at Game Sound Con, the largest industry event for game sound professionals. Note, Game Sound Con’s data includes professionals working as both composers and sound designers, roles which frequently overlap at smaller to mid-sized companies.
Video game composers in the USA earn the highest average salary globally, with a pre-tax salary of $155K for those with an average of 10 or more years’ experience and a median pre-tax salary of $127K for those with an average of 8 years’ experience. The average game composer salary for the EU and UK is lower. EU and UK composers earn a pre-tax average of $71K for those with ten years’ of experience and a median salary of $62K for those with an average of eight years’ experience.
Freelancers often charge per minute of finished music rather than hourly rates. In the AAA space, this rate averages at $1,871 per minute, but rises as high as $5K per minute based on composer reputation and project scope. Freelancers in the AA space charge an average of $998 per minute of finished music, rising to $2100 at the top end of the scale (puns intended!). Indie composers tend to work on a freelance basis for an average of $618 per minute of finished music, with a few more prominent composers charging as much as $2100.
How to become a video game music composer?
Become a video game music composer by building a strong musical foundation, learning to use a DAW and VSTs, and developing an understanding of game design principles. Playing games critically, making a bank of what works and what doesn’t helps learners develop composition skills. Technical skills with middleware for integrating audio elements with game engines are a valuable secondary skillset for budding game composers.
Gaining a musical foundation for video games means understanding how scales, harmonies, chords, progressions, melody, and rhythm affect human emotion. Music for visual media must match onscreen action in terms of tone, tempo, and flow. Game scores borrow heavily from the language of film. Like with film, game composers use their understanding of music theory to create music that evokes emotions that feel appropriate to the visuals.
A DAW is the software used to record, edit, and mix sound and music. Learning to use a DAW gives you a digital recreation of a recording studio, mixing desk, instrument selection, effects rack, tape recording reels, and other previously analog equipment. A DAW like Reaper, Logic, FLStudio, or Ableton allows you to record input, arrange MIDI for virtual instruments, layer sounds, add effects, and mix and master the results. VST plugins are the virtual instruments, effects, processors, and mastering tools that help composers shape unique sounds. They’re called “plugins” because they natively plug into a DAW, showing up as options in its menus.
Critically engage with games to learn composition technique, making a note of when the music in a game adds to the experience and when it detracts. Listen to the way Sekiro’s music guides players during combat. Understanding the fundamentals of game design, and specifically how those fundamentals intersect with game music is a crucial step for game composers. Games, unlike film and TV, aren’t linear experiences. Like the branching, looping, repeating, and dynamic structures of video games, game scores employ branching, looping, repeating, and dynamic patterns.
The music and audio elements of video games are integrated with their game engines via a type of software called middleware. Middleware acts as the bridge between the engine and the library of audio assets, telling the game when to trigger specific sounds and musical pieces. Learning middleware isn’t strictly necessary for those taking their first steps in game composition – prioritize music theory and practical DAW and VST knowledge. That said, understanding programs like FMOD and Wwise and how they’re used in games helps composers stand out as dedicated gaming professionals.
Is there a video game music composer course available?
Yes, there are many video game music composer courses available. The right one depends on your level of experience, the time you want to commit, and how much you’re willing to spend. Introductory courses from Udemy, Coursera, Skillshare and Thinkific offer affordable, practice-led courses on the fundamentals of composing game music. Course providers like ELVTR and Berklee Online offer longer programs with deeper coursework and assignments, often geared towards portfolio preparation.
Dedicated, brick and mortar colleges like Bradley University and Berklee College of Music host respected programs. Berklee offers a Bachelor of Music in Game and Interactive Media Scoring at their Boston campus. The 4-year program is dedicated to teaching the theory, practice, and relevant technology to work scoring games. Bradley University in Illinois hosts a Bachelors in Music for Video Games that teaches students techniques and skills for scoring games within the broader scope of a standard music degree.
UCLA Extension offers a Composing Music for Video Games, covering the differences between in-game and cinematic scoring, delivery formats, and negotiating contracts and business elements of composing. The UCLA course is suitable for those with musical ability and knowledge who want to specialize in games. The 2-year course helps musicians transition their existing experience into a career in game composition.
Where can I find a Discord server for video game music composers?
You can find Discord servers for video game music composers by searching for the Video Game Music Lounge (VMG Lounge), The Composers Network, and the 8-Bit Music Theory Discord. The VMG Lounge is an excellent space to interact with working composers with many levels of experience and run regular competitions that give composers something to work towards. The Composers’ Network is a general composers group that discusses scores of all kinds, especially game music. The 8-Bit Music Theory Discord has a strong community of retro music enthusiasts who regularly run competitions and challenges. While not a Discord community, the Game Audio Network Guild or G.A.N.G is a non-profit community that fosters excellence in video game music and sound design.
What is the best video game music composer software?
The best video game music composer software is the one that works for your project, you’re able to afford it, and you enjoy its workflow. That said, DAWs like Reaper, Logic (Mac users), FLStudio, Cubase, and Ableton are the most commonly used composition software in digital composition for games and other media. Learning one of these DAWs is a necessary step on your journey of becoming a game composer.
Reaper is an inexpensive, but full-featured DAW that’s lightweight and fast. Reaper works on Windows, Mac, and Linux and features the kind of layering and editing tools that make it perfect for composing for interactive media. Custom macros and automations make integration with middleware like FMOD and Wwise simple. Reaper isn’t as polished or pretty as Logic, Cubase, or Ableton, but its community of tutorials, videos, and forum discussion help composers learn the software.
Logic is the DAW specifically designed for Mac OS. It’s commonly used in cinema scoring and for music composition for games. Logic’s packaged orchestral sounds and Alchemy synth are effective for creating both classically-inspired and futuristic scores for games. Precise MIDI editing and control means composers create reactive, alive-sounding pieces with Logic. The software’s primary drawback is its lack of native integration with middleware. For composers starting their journey, this isn’t a major issue.
FLStudio is a loop-based DAW that’s renowned for its quick, efficient workflow and fun experimentation potential. Independent electronic producers love FLStudio for its fast idea generation and loop-based sequencing. Its playlist and pattern feature allows users to experiment with a variety of sounds playing the same patterns. FLStudio’s packaged VSTs are enough to achieve professional results with a single purchase. The company behind FLStudio, Image Line, have supported continuous updates with a single purchase for over 20 years.
Cubase is a long-established DAW used in film, TV, and AAA game scoring. Cubase features a top class MIDI toolset and excellent scoring to picture mapping, making it simpler to create seamless transitions from gameplay to cutscene and vice versa. Cubase’s excellent orchestral workflow is on display in AAA experiences like The Witcher 3, Assassin’s Creed, and Halo Infinite. Cubase’s built-in instruments and effects are enough to satisfy even veteran game composers with their depth and breadth.
Ableton features an intuitive workflow that allows users to experiment with loops and sounds on the fly, making it a popular choice for indie electronic producers. The software’s session view feature works for testing adaptive music, allowing producers to try different variations and instrumentations of the same patterns and melodies. An extensive package of warping, stretching, and other effects make Ableton a good choice for both SFX and music.
