The question is often asked, "How do I get started writing music for video games?" The quick answer is that I know of no two people who got started the same way.

Do you have computer chops? With a few exceptions, they are required. That's because it's not a simple matter of write music/record music/give music files to the game company/collect pay. Most of the time you have to keep technical game sound code requirements in mind. Sometimes you're part of figuring out just what those requirements are through experimentation. And that code is usually particular from company to company or even from game to game within one company. Usually, your music has to be "game ready."

Write, write, write. Yes, it's often difficult to write music without some particular project in mind. But, luck in this business is 99% preparation. You should write at least a song a week. It doesn't have to be something you think is good. Think of some of the junk music you've heard that's made it into the mainstream. Obviously it wasn't junk to some people :-) Keep everything you write. It will come in handy. And hopefully, your junk won't end up being the music that made you popular. This happened to Ian Whitcomb who, at the end of a recording session decided to record a novelty song he knew would never get released. That song, "You Turn Me On" became #8 on the Billboard chart in July, 1965 and earned Ian the title “Father of Irish Rock”.

Have a web presence. Even a simple website can advertise for you 24/7. What could be simpler than mine? (I know it's underwhelming -- maybe not so "one of these days when I have time." :-)

Go to the GDC (Game Developer's Conference). Notice I didn't say "attend." You do not have to pay for the conference to meet people. The conference can be very expensive to attend. Besides, people are all over the place and conference proceedings are not a particularly good time or place for introductions. You can hang out in the public section of the location for the GDC and watch for miracles. They happen every second. Another great place to hang out is the local after/during hours hangouts. Keep your eyes and ears open for an opportunity. You don't have to force an opportunity -- the best ones will come to you without effort from you. Buy an early airline ticket so you get a really cheap fare. Go with several people and share a room, or scope out a weekly rental in the area. Include an inexpensive rental car in your plans so you aren't spending all your time waiting for transportation.

If you really want to get on the show floor, look for people with Exhibitor passes. Get to know some of them. If they represent a product that you really love, let them know it. They have passes to give out so prospective customers do not have to pay ~$200 just to get on the show floor.

Introduce yourself to anyone where the situation allows it. You never know where it will lead. Back in the mid 90's a guy introduced himself to me. He was graduating from Full Sail in Orlando. He wondered if I needed help. I told him I didn't but would take his info just in case. We kept in touch while he moved back home and started working for a local software outlet. I did have an opportunity that required extra help and called on him. He had the computer chops I mentioned above and was able to provide "game ready" music. A couple of years further down the line, I received a call from a headhunter wanting to know if I wanted to work for a huge corporation that was getting into game development. I said I didn't want to move to the west coast, but I knew someone who would be perfect for the job and might be willing to relocate. Long story short, he got the job. He didn't get the job because he knew me or because I recommended him. He got it because he was a perfect candidate for the job -- he knew about luck being 99% preparation. The role I played was information sharer. Had I never met him, I could not have passed this information on to him and the headhunter.

Until it happens, you never know that someone you've introduced yourself to was your future information sharer.

Be happy for the success of others! I love it when someone else gets a great gig. The success of any one of us is a success for all of us.

Now that I have a gig, what is the expected turnaround time for delivering the music?

Any time from yesterday up to a year from now. Some game developers wait until the last minute. The larger game companies have projects planned well into the future.

What information about the game will be provided to inspire me to write appropriate music?

In the early days, I had jpeg's of the characters and some description of how they would work in the game. Nowadays, you may have an alpha or beta of the game where you can see the animations.

What about pay?

Traditionally and almost always you will be asked to sign a "work for hire" agreement. It says that you never own the copyright to your work. You can get paid many ways: salary, hourly, per minute of music, flat rate, no pay at all so you'll get your name out there, etc. (I highly recommend not doing something for nothing. Those who have done that usually never get paid for anything even though they are worth it.)

Or you can license the music for royalties. That's what I always did, and it worked out for both the developer and me. Many of the developers I worked with didn't have money to pay me anything up front. So I did the work on spec, so to speak, with a royalty percentage if the project ever made it to retail (shareware in the early days). It never hurts to ask for this.

By the way, under present law you do not sign away your writer's public performance rights under any type of agreement (work for hire, contract, etc.). Get affiliated with BMI, ASCAP or SESAC and register your works for 100% of the writer's share (if you're the sole composer). This way, if the song ever makes it to television or a movie, you'll receive royalty payments for its public performance. It's a revenue stream that doesn't cost the game company a penny. The public performance licensing fees are paid by the ones licensing the song for public performance. Note that the writer's 100% share is 50% of the total royalty since the game company owns 100% of the publisher's public performance rights. Also, the publisher will control where the song is used -- but you could find some deals and let the game company know about them :-)

How did I get into this?

Starting with the beginning of the MIDI standard, I had a day job, but stayed up most nights learning how to use MIDI to create an orchestra/band. I did backtracks, mostly for my brother who had a one man show. I'd transcribe each recording, performing one instrument at a time. It was great training for my ears. It taught me that perfection isn't required for success in music. Many times I had to play "musically incorrect" notes to accurately transcribe what was on a recording. I learned the software inside and out. First, Texture and then Cakewalk (1.0 :-) I didn't have any particular goal in mind with this except to learn and have fun.

Preparation is 99% of being "lucky.".

One Spring Saturday I was on Prodigy -- it had a Computer Music/Sound "board." I'd been on there a while and had helped (and been helped by) others. There was an open post from a Scott Miller with Apogee Software. He said his company was marketing/distributing games, but gave no other particulars except his game developers needed someone to do music/sfx for computer games. Remember, there was no "Googling" back then, so there was no way to check any of this out. I responded.

The next day, Scott called me. He said he liked my response out of the fifty or so he received.

Two weeks before this, I had downloaded "Commander Keen." I thought it was the best game I'd ever seen on any of then present day platforms. I think it's still one of the best examples of a great game.

I wasn't sure if Scott was just a "wanna be." I knew he was a lot more than that when he mentioned that he was marketing and distributing Commander Keen.

Scott "hired" me on the spot. He wasn't to hear any of my music for several months. He said he would have some developers contact me.

Several months later, I received a call from John Romero with a new little company called "id Software." We hit it off from the start.

This isn't the time or place for a book, so I'll just say "The rest is history."

What equipment do you need? Only what is required to get the job done. Particular brands? What you like to work with. Particular software? What you're comfortable with.

I'll be adding to this as other questions come in.

Warm regards,

Bobby Prince