Read on Twitter
Got some "How do I get started in #GameAudio" emails again, so I thought I'd put the most common questions I get in a twitter thread for easy sharing! If you've got some comments/tips/experiences to share along with this feel free to reply! (links/resources included)
"I don't have any games on my portfolio, should I work for free to get a couple on there?"
NO! Never work for free, especially if it's to build portfolio! If you want some games to put on your portfolio, join a couple of gamejams! https://itch.io/jams (1/2)
NO! Never work for free, especially if it's to build portfolio! If you want some games to put on your portfolio, join a couple of gamejams! https://itch.io/jams (1/2)
They take a couple days, and by the end you (probably) have a perfectly shareable game that you can even enhance afterwards. You also get to meet new devs! Which rolls into my second Q&A. (2/2)
"How do I meet devs/get gigs?" First tip here is: Don't cold call/mail devs and don't go to meetups/cons with the only intention to get a job or 2 at the end of it. Devs get A LOT of mails and offers from sound designers and composers. If they are not asking for one, don't. (1/3)
Instead, either go to something like https://connect.unity.com/ , or set up a search query on tweetdeck with something like "Game audio OR sfx OR music looking OR need" to look for people that are in need of ur services RIGHT NOW, or get to know people in the scene as friends. (2/3)
You'll meet enough devs that might not need your services right now, but might start working on a new game in a year. Then they'll think back at that friendly audio designer... maybe they are free to work together now? (3/3)
"Check out my work on this dropbox and spotify link" Nope! Make it easy for potential clients/whoever to check out your work, and have it be in context. People probably won't hire you for their VR shooter because you have a synthwave album uploaded on spotify (1/3)
Make a website, make it easy for people to see your work in 1 place, and show how your sounds work IN a game. @PowerUpAudio does Reel Talk where you can learn a bunch about how to make a good demo reel video that shows your skill https://www.twitch.tv/powerupaudio/videos (2/3)
And if you're applying for a game gig, show your work in games. There's a difference between making cool music or redesigning sfx for a trailer and making those things and implementing them in games. This again goes into my next Q&A (3/3)
"Where do I start if I've never done game audio before?" There is a big difference between making sounds for linear and non-linear media, and implementation is very important to know here. There's a lot of people that know how to make a cool sfx or track... (1/4)
...but can you also implement it in a game? Do you know how to set up reverb zones in unity (for example)? If not, check out some tutorials on how to get started with using a game engine! @unity3d has some great beginner tutorials! (2/4) https://learn.unity.com/project/john-lemon-s-haunted-jaunt-3d-beginner
After that, take a look at something like @SchoolGameAudio to learn even more about audio implementation and audio middleware like Wwise or Fmod! This will even get you some demo material by the end of it! https://school.videogameaudio.com/apply/ (3/4)
Knowing how to implement your own sounds is very important! You don't have to be a coding wizard to do it, but being able to set up basic things yourself, and work inside the game is an essential skill if you want to get ahead (4/4)
"I applied to x gigs/positions and still nothing" Game audio is a very popular field, and every game only has need for a handful of audio people at most, with most small/medium indie games only having 1 or 2 people take care of it. (1/2)
Expect to be 1/x00 for popular positions. Having a good application that fits the job and gives answers to asked questions is important. Also, it's a long game, and it might take several years to really get into game audio fulltime. relevant: https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1020345/Why-You-Didn-t-Get (2/2)
"How much should I ask for my music/sfx/time?" Difficult, but it depends. Think about how long you take for 1 minute of music, and multiple the hours x your price/hour. I started out at €25/hour and ended at €50/hour. With 1 minute taking about 6 hours. (1/3)
Do the same for SFX. I charged €10 for small/very easy sfx, €20 for things I needed to design a bit, and €50 for complex stuff. (variations included in each price) Also remember that you have to do implementation/troubleshooting/etc so calculate that in your final price (2/3)
Whatever you do though, DON'T work for free/peanuts. Your time is valuable and the industry is competitive enough without you working for cents/hour. Go back to the point about building portfolio if that is what you want. (3/3)
