Chapter 13: Creating Music and Sound Effects

Of the many components that go into making a video game, perhaps none is given less attention than music and sound effects. The addition of quality music and sound effects is one of the best ways to add production value to your games. For single developers or small teams, there is now a tremendous array of software and low-cost hardware that aid in this process. With believable sound effects and music, the game player’s emotional experience will be greatly enhanced.

Why It’s Important

There are many parallels between making a movie and the development of a game. Hollywood has long realized the benefits of music and sound effects to the moviegoer. Over the past decade, there has been tremendous time and resources spent on improving these aspects of a movie, during which time we have seen the use of surround sound in both theatrical and home movie releases.

The long and varied history of the movie industry offers us a tremendous amount of guidance. While you will find very little documentation on the creation of music and sound effects for games, there is a plethora of information available for the moviemaker, both professional and amateur. Countless books have been written over the years, and vast resources are available at Web sites, not to mention the movies themselves, which can often provide inspiration and ideas.

Beginning with the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, the video game industry has started to receive recognition for its work. The NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) approved three new categories to include music written for “Other Visual Media.” This is the term they are using to include the music from games.