Based on a Webinar Sponsored by ASMAC,
the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers

On May 8, 2021, I had the privilege of attending a video game music webinar called The World of Video Game Music that was live-streamed and hosted by the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC).

The presenters were:

Tony Manfredonia — composer — orchestrator — presenter — B.A. in Music — b. 1992 — known as “Dynamic Music.”

ZW Buckley — composer — music producer — educator — Master’s degree.

Joe Wang — former vice president of the Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra.  

Would you like to see my notes from this immensely helpful and informative webinar? 

Getting Started as A Video Game Composer

To enter the industry, follow these steps:

1. Use your portfolio — anything you’ve done — to find work.
2. Be consistently present on social media — i.e., Twitter, Instagram activity.
3. Play the long-term game.
4. Create genuine connections online.
5. Know the difference between the indie and AAA scenes. 

Your social media presence needs to feed back into your business.
Do not focus on the number of followers;
according to these guys,
that’s irrelevant.
How frequently do you want to post? 
Be consistent. Be intentional.

Video Game Music (VGM) Creation Workflow:

1. Composition.
2. Mixing/mastering.
3. Implementation.

Often all 3 for Indie, 100% for solo composers.

VGM Composition:

1. Play into a digital audio workstation (DAW) w/a MIDI keyboard. You will always need a DAW. 
2. Notation first, MIDI Information into DAW.
3. Trackers (for Chiptune music).
4. 100% recorded (No MIDI info). Create mock-ups prior to live recording, score prep, etc.…
5. All the above (and more) mixed together.
6. Like all composing, there’s no “one” right way.

VGM Mixing/Mastering

1. Like all audio production, depends on the style of music. Certain conventions for certain styles, etc.…
2. Factoring in sound effects.
3. How will the music be implemented? Dynamic vs. static or background loop.

Implementation Software:

1.  Less linear music playback.
2. i.e., no longer is music just limited to “background loops.” 
3. Music can change based on what is happening in the game.

Business Workflow:

1.  Social Media
2. #1 Direct Messaging (DM), #2 Email
3. Client Communication/Feedback 50%
4. Contracts/Invoicing — you do it all unless you have a personal assistant.
5. Use Harry Fox Agency, Inc., Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), and SoundExchange.
6. Website/Profile Upkeep
7. Find clients via giving tutorials, sending newsletters, producing podcasts.

Getting Paid — Common Types of Payment in VGM:

1. Flat fee for a project, with 50% upfront.
2. Profit/Revenue share. Be wary of this type. Get a contract up front. Combine upon game’s release. You’ll get X% of sales. 
3. Per-minute of music composed. Typical for projects with changing/growing score. A blend of all the above. Add to contract, “Either party can step out of the contract if it’s not working out.” Include “unlimited revisions to song” in contract.

How Do You Charge for Your Work?

1. There is no standard.
2. Charge for what you need in order to live, not just to survive. 
3. Tweak as needed based on negotiation and previous experience.
4. Avoid Fiverr or Upwork. Set your true value and go from there.
5. Respectable clients will honor your rates, even if they can’t afford them.

Factoring Costs:

1. Time needed for the project.
2. Make a POSTING schedule — i.e., post one video per week. Encourage your friends to share and reshare your stuff. 
3. Performance schedule: post a performance video once a week; a tutorial 1x a week, etc.…

Lean into your strengths:

1. Write, if you are a writer.
2. Perform, if you are a performer.
3. Make music for videos.

Miscellaneous:

Social Media is inherently visual in nature. Our work is inherently aural. There will be tension there. Be pragmatic. Lean into it. Think of social media as a creative practice. Make 30-second videos to share your work.

ZW spends the last week of the month creating all his video content for the next month and then shares the same content on all his social media platforms: zw buckley (@zw.buckley) • Instagram photos and videos, Twitter (@zwbuckley), etc….

Companies like Sounddrop provide mechanical licenses per listen.

Register your songs with Jasrac, BMI, or ASCAP to receive your royalties.

A lot of video game composers (VGC) do not own their own music.

Advice on ownership of your music:

1. Own (RETAIN) the rights to your music, for yourself and publicity.

2. Or triple your rate to give up your rights.

Sell your products. You can turn your video into a huge PR arm so you can retain all your music ownership.

Indie: Fight for your rights or charge triple, which is a strategic investment. Put in the contract that you will not keep them from playing your music because your music is copywritten. Check out the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. 

As a composer, if you find unauthorized use of your original music in someone else’s video, on someone’s website, your music scores, or anywhere online, then contact Digital Millennium Copyright Act Services Ltd. (DMCA) and file a DMCA claim at https://www.dmca.com/Takedowns.aspx?ad=dmcacpyrtwrd&gclid=CjwKCAjw-e2EBhAhEiwAJI5jgzErHPnuS_y6tuD2zkn3U1iYnIApWOG34Im5Fx__aPZLba7Bw2U8wBoCl9gQAvD_BwE

Sync licensing exists to ensure that your music is not synced to any video you haven’t expressly authorized to use your music. 

Always put in your contracts that you retain all rights to your music, sound recordings, live performances, and livestreaming. 

If you are a composer (whether or not you want to create VGM), I encourage you to join ASMAC. You will make good contacts for your music career and enjoy the benefits of being a member — like tuning in to these webinars for a discounted price — and other opportunities as well.