Designing Music NOW Podcast

This Designing Music Now Podcast features Brian Schmidt. He is the 2008 recipient of the Game Audio Network Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Brian has been creating game music, sounds and cutting edge game sound technology since 1987. With a credit list of over 130 games and a client list including Zynga, Sony, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Sega, Microsoft, Data East, Namco, SounDelux and many others Brian has used his combined expertise and experience in music composition, sound design and his deep technical knowledge to change the landscape of the game audio industry. Brian is a frequent and in-demand speaker on the creative, technical and business aspects of game audio, having given literally hundreds of educational and inspirational talks at conferences all over the world. Events such as the Game Developers Conference, GameSoundCon, Microsoft’s Gamefest, Sega Devcon, the AES Conference and esteemed institutions such as Yale University, Northwestern University, and Digipen have invited Brian to share his knowledge and insight into the industry. This interview is filled with tips and advice from one of the most influential members of the Game Audio community. He was awarded the Game Audio Network Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 and has continued to inspire a generation of game audio professionals. In this interview we start by talking about his musical upbringing, how he broke into the video game industry after receiving a Masters in Computer Music from Northwestern University, and some of the current projects he is most excited about. Then we go into detail about what you can expect from the upcoming GameSoundCon being held in Los Angeles on November 3rd and 4th. Finally, we go into detail about his recent Game Audio Survey and discuss some of the findings there, such as the rise in salaries for game audio professionals, the different areas where composers and sound designers are finding work, and some important tips about how to find your next gig!