Building a video game composer career is a dream for some individuals. People who played games like Doom Eternal or Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus know what good music sounds like. They want to create something similar once they get inspired with jaw-dropping soundtracks. However, is it worth writing music for games for promo and earn money for living and covering all the demands? How much can a person earn by creating music for games? Keep reading to get the answers.
A Path of a Game Composer
The job of a game composer has become more in demand over the last ten years. When platforms like Steam and Origin became popular, artists realized it was their time to shine. People cooperate with game developers to create soundtracks and even whole albums for projects. Depending on the experience and skill set, people select different career paths.
Someone joins small start-ups and projects, writes songs for small games, and has below-average income. Other creators join more significant projects as they work with mid- or high-rank companies like Bethesda or Ubisoft. However, if you expect a solid income from what you do, you should be ready to work a lot to generate high-quality content that meets the existing criteria and fits the project.
How to Become Recognizable as a Creator?
The main factor that directly impacts your presence is your portfolio. The number of songs you create, their quality, genre, and length matter. By creating diverse music for games, you show your creativity and ability to work on different projects, adapt to requirements, and improve your creative skills.
When you only start writing music, expect to get a below-average income. There are only so many places to hire people who have experience. Still, once you begin to create high-quality content and improve the quality of your content, you will see you move forward and get offers from more prominent companies. You can also use various music promotion packages to boost your products and get your first organic listeners.
How Do You Get Paid as a Game Composer?
Now, to the central part. You can get paid differently depending on the terms of the cooperation. Below are the most common payment methods you can find.
- Frontend revenue
You receive money directly in your account on PayPal or another platform at the beginning of the project. Mainly, people discuss frontend revenue and select this payment method at the beginning of their careers. Later, when you will be more recognizable in the gaming industry, consider choosing other methods and negotiate to get more comfortable paying conditions.
- Backend revenue
This method means you receive the payment after finishing the project. There is a pitfall here because backend revenue depends on the project’s success. You can even expect an extra fee if the game generates a solid income. Still, if the miracle doesn’t happen, you can get much lower than expected when you start working on the project.
- Milestone revenue
The revenue is paid when you achieve a specific goal with a project. For example, you receive a part of the payment at half the way and then get the second part at the end. For example, you receive 70% of your revenue before beginning your work on the project and then receive the other part when everything’s done.
Final Thoughts
The position of a game composer is precious in the gaming industry because good games can’t exist without high-quality music. As a beginner, you need to understand your capabilities clearly and use every opportunity for improvement. The beginning won’t be easy, and you must go through this path to improve as an artist.
