Audio designers work to create the soundtrack for a game; including the music, sound effects, character voices, and spoken instructions. The audio designer will work to a brief and produce the sound design for the game, this involves composing, compiling, and recording music and character voices. They are responsible for sourcing sound effects, whether real or imaginary, and improving on them. Then they will mix, edit, and master the final scores for the finished game. Audio designers can also create and record original sounds and scores, such as character voices. They must search for and audition any actors required for voices themselves.
There are many skills required to become an audio designer – having a good ear being the first. You must have knowledge of music (rhythm and timing), must be able to compose and perform music and be able to have an understanding of the effect of music in games and subsequently the atmosphere it will create (imagine playing Outlast with the Super Mario Bros soundtrack…). You’ll need to be creative, for example if you had to design the audio for a fantasy game and needed to record and mix a sound effect for the noise a certain spell might make when casted – a sound that doesn’t exist in real life. And you’ll need to be comfortable experimenting with sound – manipulating, distorting and enhancing it. Being quick to learn and adapt and develop your skills would be a good quality as many programs are used in many different ways. An active imagination would benefit you when developing the sound concept from a brief or storyboard.
Audio designers need to be organised and good at time keeping. With so many people to meet and consult with, many different recording sessions with different people at different times, and strict deadlines, an audio designer must have a tidy schedule. You have to pay attention to detail. Lead audio designers especially need to be good at communicating. Not only do they work and discuss between their own team of designers, but they also have to work with Programmers, Game Designers, Creature Designers, Level Designers, Animators, Producers, and external Composers. The hours for an audio designer can be extremely unpredictable. They can be long and irregular and your work could be the only thing you can focus on, as some designers work 12+ hours a day close to deadlines.
There is no specific qualification for an audio designer, but a degree or HE certificate in sound engineering or a qualification in music production/recording would be beneficial, and the ability to play an instrument would be useful. Being able to read music is a must. Practical work experience in somewhere like a recording studio would be a great advantage too as it shows that you have experience in a professional setting and using professional equipment, even if it is limited. To become an audio designer in the video games industry, “having a passion and knowledge for video games” * is the most important thing as you will understand what an important asset music is to games, and you’ll know what you would personally like to see in a video game soundtrack.
Most audio designers are freelance, and companies will pay you depending on your skill and experience, for example; a development company may pay you £25 per sound effect you produce and £500 per music track. Being a freelance designer means varying income and awkward hours, whereas In-house audio designers (those employed by game companies have somewhat steady hours and a steady wage as you aren’t paid per project. Freelance audio designers also often travel to location, so on top of long working hours, you’d have to deal with constant travelling. The starting salary for a junior designer is around £18,000 and the average is roughly £50,000 – £60,000. Experienced audio designers can earn in excess of £90,000, though rates are usually higher in big cities (like London).
My appreciation for music and atmosphere would be one of the personal skills I have that would benefit me if I were to become an audio designer. I have a good concept of rhythm and flow of music and the different sounds needed to create certain atmospheres. Playing a game with sound off is a travesty to me – you can’t properly immerse yourself in a storyline if there’s no music that puts you on edge, music enhances every game. I’d have to work on learning how to read music and maybe take a proficiency test for an instrument to prove I can play to a good level. I would like to gain experience in a music related setting and I’d prefer to enter the industry through an apprenticeship or an internship. It’s a position I’d be interested in as it combines creativity/imagination and music – two of my favourite things.
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