Composers Score With Video-Game Gigs

Film-like scores have taken strides with technology—and pay as much as $2K/minute
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 8, 2008 10:34 AM CST

The musical scores for video games have kept pace with the evolution of the games themselves, the Los Angeles Times reports, with composers bringing in as much as $2,000 per minute to create sweeping, film-like compositions. With sales projected to hit $50 billion this year, game developers can budget $500,000 or more for the soundtrack—which can prove musically challenging.

“With a film, you’re given a scene, and you have to follow the tempo and flow that the director has created,” says one composer who’s worked in both film and gaming. “With games, I’m told to write a 2-minute piece of music in a certain style to make players feel a certain way. I’m not given any pictures to work from, so I have to make that up in my head. It’s an interesting challenge to write without any pictures, but fun.”
(More video games stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X