How to Find Game Audio Work (Even When the Industry is Imploding)

You've probably noticed that the tech and game industries are in an... interesting position right now.

Mass layoffs are the norm, it feels like no one is hiring, and even though all of the networking events that you know you should go to are still going on, it's getting harder and harder to show up.

After all, why show up when all you hear are horror stories about people losing their jobs and you're competing against a recently-laid-off army of AAA sound designers and composers?

And this is all on top of the fact that game audio is hard to break into in the best of times!

Because of this volatility we're all dealing with, I've been putting together an in-depth talk for my Game Industry Professional online course students on what to do moving forward, and I figure it would be helpful to shoot over some of that advice to you as well.

While I'm no prophet, and I don't claim to know everything, hopefully this is of some help to you!

Full-time in-house game audio jobs are becoming less and less common

I've been harping on this since 2012, but the idea of relying on a giant faceless publicly-traded corporation to have your best career interests at heart is a bit silly.

Still, people have begged me for career advice that centers entirely around working in AAA with absolutely zero interest in freelancing, making friends in the industry, or starting their own business where they have more control.

"AAA is a safer and more secure path" they'd tell me, not realizing that there is no perfectly safe path in a creative career.

Yes, there are plenty of benefits to working in a AAA company: You learn a lot, you may get to work on some cool projects, and if you live internationally, there's even a small chance they'll help you get a work visa. Safety, though, is not one of those benefits.

So, if that's the path you want to go down, then great. But now more than ever, you have to build yourself first. You'll have to build your own network, work on projects on your own to start with, and learn as you go before you have the skills that a AAA company is looking for.

But why would your network matter so much, especially if you already have a job? Well...

Your network is what will keep your career going

If a project gets cancelled, or we get laid off, or any other unforeseen nonsense happens, the quality of our network will determine how easy it is to keep our careers going.

If we leave a project or a large company knowing nobody in the field, then even our previous projects and prestige can only help us so much.

But if we kept making friends, even when we're working? Then we're far more likely to pick up work in the industry, even during a down turn. After all, many of the most competitive jobs (especially audio-related ones) are never posted publicly. They're just given to people that the studios know, like, and trust.

Now, when it comes to building up your career, you're going to notice a bit of a change in terms of how games are funded...

Prototypes are king, and people need your help to make them

Even up to just a couple years ago, a game could get funding from a publisher just with a slide deck and a charismatic presenter. The game barely needed to exist at all.

If show up to a big event like GDC now, though, and you'll see countless talented game developers having their pitches turned down left and right.

Publishers are playing things super safe, so they want to see as much of the game as possible before they're interested in funding it. That doesn't mean the game has to be done or even good in its current state, but it does need to show off its potential and exist in some meaningful capacity.

This means that you, as a game audio designer, are likely going to be asked to work on more and more prototypes. Prototypes help get money, and you can help get that money! Hooray!

But, prototypes are tricky in that they often don't have a ton of money behind them

Should you work on these prototypes for free? Should you secure a profit share deal and hope you get some money later?

Without being able to talk to you directly, I can't give you a perfect answer on what to do - there are just too many variables to consider. That being said, I always guide my online course students to ask good questions to whoever they're working with. The better the questions you ask, the better direction and answers you'll get.

Now, working on prototypes doesn't mean just you get to work on the game earlier in the process. It also means understanding game developer's problems on a deeper level.

You need to understand game developer's real problems and how you can help them

This is the biggest blindspot of pretty much every up and coming (and even advanced) person in game audio. It's something I need to consistently remind myself of, too.

It's easy to get into the trap of thinking "well, I make sound, and this team is asking for sound, so that must be what they need."

Sure, they might have some audio needs, but it's likely their actual problems go far beyond just what they're asking for. A good sound designer/composer is easy to find, but a good one who can do the following is rare indeed:

1. Actually ask questions to understand the team, their goals, and their vision for their company

2. Understand the basics of the entire game development process, both from a business and technical level

3. Be someone people actually want to talk to

4. Not disappear randomly like most creatives and freelancers do

5. Constantly improve their skills and practicing regularly

6. Be able to create good documentation

7. Write out ideas for systems on how audio should work within projects to set the team up for future ease and success

8. Talk to other members of the team and know their lingo

9. Be sane

10. And about a million other invisible skills that go well beyond "making good audio"

So, if you're able to understand that game developers don't just need good audio people, but good audio people who understand their problems, or ask enough questions to find out what those problems are, then you'll be asked to help out on a lot more projects.

There's a lot more to this than just what we've talked about here today

But ultimately, if you come at this from a human perspective - trying to understand what other people actually need beyond just your sound skills, you can still find plenty of work. Much of that work isn't posted on LinkedIn or any job site, however. It's given directly to people that developers know, like, and trust.

A big part of getting those jobs by networking, making friends, and existing in the industry.

No one can hire you if they don't know you exist.

Considering the industry is in such a weird place right now, and loads of people in game audio need help, I'm going to be opening up my Game Industry Pro course very soon

This is the course that is 100% focused on boosting your career, which is crucial to do right now while things shift and change. This course features live calls with me, as well as a lovely Slack community where I can answer your questions directly, as well as getting feedback, ideas, and thoughts from your fellow students - many of which have now gone on to make full-time careers in game audio all over the world.

The last time I opened this course was in 2022. Once a student joins, they're in the community for as long as they like. No subscriptions, no extra fees, no catches. Just endless support from me and everyone else whenever you need it.

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