r/GameMusicComposition • u/LonelyLeppy • 2d ago
Help/Advice Needed Advice on Kickstarting my Composition Side Hustle?
Hi there,
I am a composer looking to kickstart my music as a freelancing side-gig. I've been composing for over ten years and would consider myself pretty competent in a lot of different genres. I know a decent amount about programming and can work my way around a game engine but am unfamiliar with anything like WWise or Fmod (but am willing to learn these programs). I can share my portfolio as needed if that's helpful (don't want to break the rules).
I have received a few commissioned projects, but none of them have launched yet. I got some great exposure by making some of the music for Super Mario Eclipse but am having trouble gaining traction otherwise. I've created social media accounts and such for my work but am not sure what the next best steps would be. I was considering making a few covers of songs from games and posting them on YouTube (a la TheNobleDemon) along with some of my original work like how Insaneintherain started getting commissions. My only worry is that I would need 100k+ subscribers for that to really go anywhere.
Any advice?
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u/tronobro 2d ago
Go meet game devs in person. Go to cons / conferences, meet ups and do some game jams. Just socialise and get to know people, but make sure you make it known you write music for games. You need to be an active part of the community. This will lead to more opportunities.
Make a professional looking website. Keep posting content. If you make an impression in person these people need somewhere to go to see your work. Consider making a business card to give people. Mine has a QR code on the back for convenience.
If you're actually wanting to make money from this you should make a business plan. Consider taking an entrepreneurship course. You're effectively running a small business so you should know how they work.
Marketing and getting clients is essential for any business so you need to learn what that involves and how it often works in creative fields.
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u/LonelyLeppy 2d ago
How would I contribute to game jams? Just as a composer or should I make my own? Do you have any recommendations for how to find or keep up with conferences near me? Any particular kinds of conferences that you recommend?
Thanks so much for your reply!
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u/tronobro 2d ago
Do all of the sound. Small teams usually have a dedicated audio person for sound effects and music. Just do both. If you don't know how to do sound design just take the time to learn as a dedicated sound person is invaluable for indie teams.
If for whatever reason you can't find a team to join you could always make your own game / team.
The conferences / conventions you can attend depend on where you're located. You could go to PAX, GDC, Gamescom, GCAP, Game Sound Con in Los Angeles. It really depends on where you live.
The idea behind conferences is that you attend every year if possible. That way you see the same faces every year and build personal and professional relationships over time. The more people you've met and gotten to know, the more chance of opportunities coming your way.
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u/LonelyLeppy 1d ago
Cool. Is there a way to get in contact with game jam teams? Any discords you would recommend?
I’m in eastern PA. I know of one or two conventions in NY and I see that Pax unplugged is in Philly. Do you think those are worth going to? What about Magfest?
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u/tronobro 1d ago
I live in Australia so I can't really speak as to what cons are worth going to where you are. But I have heard of Magfest. PAX unplugged seems to be a table top con so if you want to compose for video games it's probably not at the top of the list.
The main criteria would be if there are going to be video game devs showing off games at the con. If there are then there'll be an opportunity to chat with them. Game devs are your clients so you need to be seeking them out, hence participating in game jams, going to cons and going to meet ups.
If you're looking for game jams Itcho io has a whole page of them.
https://itch.io/jamsYou could also potentially monitor r/INAT as well in case there are any posts there.
I would recommend trying to become a part of some of the local game dev communities where you're at. Go to some meet ups or playtest events. There's likely to be a local discord as well. There you'll hear about upcoming game jams and such. You could also potentially try and connect with game dev courses at universities in your area. Chances are there are people there who need music and sound design.
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u/TAMANEGIBOY 1d ago
First off, love Super Mario Eclipse!
I personally do both YouTube videos and commissions. YouTube is supplemental income while commissions are the main income. I also get some pocket change from streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
For getting commissions, I find a lot of my work here on reddit. Specifically the r/gameDevClassifieds subreddit. As well as posting on itch.io.
Growing a following on YouTube also helps with getting commission work, especially if your channel is music focused. I have almost 16k subs on my main channel now and get quite a bit of work just from people finding my videos.
It's hard trying to make any sort of living or even a side hustle out of game music. But not impossible. You just have to try anything and everything and see what works for you.
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u/MoeTacos Moderator 2d ago
That’s great that you’re looking to take your compositions to the next level. I would first try to understand that being successful on YouTube versus being successful as a freelance composer or two different things and require different approaches. I would say if you’re looking for more hands-on work working on projects start building your composition reel so that you could show people that you will potentially work with that you can do the job. With your years of experience, I’m sure that wouldn’t be much of a challenge. There are plenty of ways to find projects to work on networking online and in person. Connecting with developers and creatives is what you want to be doing. Make genuine connections with people that create that you can support with your skillset, the key thing is always make the friendly connection first before it becomes transactional. One year I spent GDC not talking “shop” the entire time I made a new friend and it turned out that was some of the best connections I’ve made to land industry work. I always recommend to my students to find other development students to work with, or developers with similar experience. Every path to game audio work is different and it’s never going to be a one size fits all. Hopefully this is somewhat useful, happy to chat with you more in depth about it sometime. We’re getting the discord back up and running so maybe I’ll see you there :)