Landing a Job in Game Audio: Analysis of Game Sound Design Job Listings
In 2020, we published an analysis of game sound design job postings, which looked at what specific skills or software requirements were listed within the job postings. The jobs we looked at were for full-time, salaried positions at game companies or game audio outsourcing companies, and reflected any job in game music or sound design.
The video game industry has had a rough 2023 and early 2024, with layoffs and slowdowns affecting tens of thousands of game industry employees. So we thought would be a good time to update our analysis and see what the job market is like specifically for music and sound design jobs in the game industry.
In this article, we will update our findings with a similar analysis of jobs we have studied over the past 3 months, discussing the types of game audio jobs we found along with what their typical roles and responsibilities are. We’ll also cover the tools and technologies specifically mentioned in the job descriptions, including both ‘required’ skills as well as ‘nice to have’ skills. We looked at 98 job postings over an approximate 3 month period from mid-April through mid-July 2024. In this analysis, we made note of what skills and tools were asked in the job postings, whether required or recommended, as well as salary ranges and required experience.
Here are some key highlights:
The number of game audio jobs we found during a 3-month period was about 8% more than when we did the study in 2020. So despite recent layoffs, there is still a robust, although competitive, market for jobs in game audio.
Technical Sound Design is a growing discipline in game audio. Job listings for Technical Sound Designers (21%) are more than double that of 2020 (9%)
More game companies expect applicants to be familiar with game audio tools and game engines. The terms Wwise, Unreal, Unity, and/or FMOD occur much more frequently in game audio job descriptions than they did in 2020
Soft skills and a passion for game audio was present in virtually every job listing
Salary ranges vary widely from $20/hour (USD) to over $200,000/year.
Although tools are often listed, most postings do not require expertise in specific tool, but do expect applicants to know at least one or more of them.
We did not look at freelancing positions, which almost by definition don't typically have formal job postings. Information on freelance game audio jobs are covered in the bi-annual game audio industry survey.
We did not look at jobs that are primarily programming jobs, such as audio programmer, and focused instead on jobs where creating sound is a core part of the job.
It should be noted that this analysis may be biased towards larger game companies which tend to more prominently post their job listings, and have salaried audio teams. As a result, some tools and technologies that are more popular among smaller or independent game companies may be underrepresented, such as FMOD Studio or Unity.
Game Audio Salary Information
One big addition this year is the inclusion of salary ranges. Since we performed our last analysis in 2020, several states in the U.S. have enacted laws requiring the posting of salary ranges along with the job listings. Among those are California and Washington State, the two largest employers of people in the video game industry in the U.S. We also go deeper into the individual job descriptions themselves than we did in 2020, summarizing the key roles, experience requirements and skills listed in the game audio job descriptions.
What are the Most Popular Game Audio Jobs?
Below is the distribution of game audio job listings for each job title. As noted in the Appendix, jobs with similar titles or descriptions were placed into one of the 9 job titles below.
Sound Designer 33%
Lead Sound Designer 21%
Senior Sound Designer 14%
Technical Sound Designer 13%
Senior Technical Sound Designer 8%
Audio Director 7%
Composer/Music Producer* 3%
Sound Design Intern 1%
Technical Music Designer 1%
Junior Sound Designer** 0%
Note: sum exceeds 100% due to rounding
*Although only 3% of job titles had the title of composer or music producer, several jobs with the title of 'sound designer' stated that some music composition was part of the job. Including those would increase this number to 7%
"Composer" includes the 2% of jobs with the title "Composer/Sound Designer"
** This year, we did not see any jobs posted for a "Junior Sound Designer." In 2020, Junior Sound Designer represented just under 5% of job postings
What every game sound designer is expected to know
Virtually every job listing regardless of title lists very similar core audio skills. These include an understanding of DAWs and recording software, as well as basic audio production, mixing/mastering, audio plugins, audio editors, etc. When general audio development tools such as ProTools, Reaper, RX or SoundForge, are listed, they are usually listed as examples of tools an applicant should be familiar with, rather than as a specific requirement. For example:
Solid Experience in audio tools such as Reaper, ProTools, Cubase, Logic, Izotope RX and Audio Plugins
Must be proficient in Reaper, ProTools or Nuendo
A note on this article: every "bullet point" in this article is taken verbatim or near verbatim from one of the job listing we analyzed.
Most jobs also listed a passion for the industry and a knowledge of the latest audio technologies and trends. In other words, a game company wants to hire people who understand the industry as it is today, and who keep on top of new tools, technologies, and the overall landscape and trends in game audio.
Game Audio Soft Skills
In addition to many of the specific hard skills, most game music and sound job applications list soft skills as well. These typically include:
Work collaboratively with members of all disciplines
Write and maintain documentation
Collaborate with outsourced audio content and implementation teams
Participate in brainstorming sessions
Communication and presentation skills
Passion for gaming and staying updated with industry advancements
Role-specific Skills and Requirements
For each of the job categories, we counted keywords and skills, and have provided examples from the job postings that summarize the duties and requirements typically associated with that job. We also list salary information, as well as ‘required’ experience listed. As previously noted, all bullet points are directly from job postings, and reflect items common to the job title described.
Sound Designer Skills and Requirements
Thirty-three percent of the job postings we analyzed were for “Sound Designer,” which was the most common job title. For jobs listed as Sound Designer the focus is generally on individual contributions. That is, creating sound effects. Most sound designers are also expected to integrate audio into middleware such as Wwise or FMOD Studio with at least basic competence.
Example roles and skills:
Design and implement high-quality in-game sound effects
Participate in playtests and feedback on the (sound) experience
Sound designers for games are also frequently expected to be proficient in game audio techniques and software. Although many postings did list software tools such as Wwise and FMOD, where it was listed it was frequently presented without a specific preference such as:
Basic understanding of audio middleware tools such as FMOD and Wwise
Proficient using audio development tools (eg Wwise/FMOD/Unreal/Unity)
That said, some job listings were very specific regarding their game audio tool experience requirements such as:
Knowledge of Wwise Audio Middleware and Unreal Engine
Skills Breakdown for Game Sound Designer:
Percentage of job listings that included the term:
Wwise 73%
FMOD 45%
Scripting 34%
Unreal 48%
Unity 38%
Salary Ranges for Game Sound Designer
$41,000 – $100,000, with the median midpoint of $69,000
Experience Requirements for Game Sound Designer
Most job postings for a game sound designer listed at least some experience, ranging from 1 to 5 years, with the average being 2.7 years of experience.
Senior Sound Designer Skills and Requirements
Fourteen percent of the job postings we analyzed were for “Senior Sound Designer,” which was the third most common job title. A senior sound designer performs many of the same duties as a sound designer, although terms like “Expert” and “highly proficient are likely to appear in the job description. A senior sound designer listing is also much more likely to list tools such as Wwise, FMOD, Unreal and Unity, and their top salaries are much higher than that of a non-senior sound designer
For example:
“.. be a creative and technical expert who can elevate the auditory experience of our projects”
Highly skilled at crafting audio assets
Extensive knowledge of sound design principles and best practices within the gaming industry
Experience with game editors, scripting languages and Wwise
Senior sound designers are also expected to be able to solve complex problems, and assist in debugging issues and work with team members both inside and outside the audio team, and in some cases, provide leadership:
“..be the creative leader for the game’s audio”
Lead sound design for in-house and outsourced content
Lead and guide outsourcing partners
Skills Breakdown for Senior Sound Designer:
Percentage of job listings that included the term:
Wwise 86%
FMOD 50%
Scripting 36%
Unreal 71%
Unity 43%
Salary Ranges for Senior Sound Designer
$75,000 – $250,000, with the median midpoint of $149,000
Experience Requirements for Senior Sound Designer
Virtually every job posting for a senior game sound designer required at least some experience, ranging from 5 to 7 years, with the average being 5.1 years of experience
Lead Sound Designer Skills and Requirements
Twenty-one percent of the job postings we looked at were for a Lead Sound Designer. Lead sound designers and senior sound designers have similar job descriptions and we considered grouping them together for this report. However, one trait that distinguishes a ‘lead’ sound designer from a ‘senior’ sound designer is how they interact with other team members, particularly mentoring and managing. Lead sound designers were more likely than senior sound designers discuss high-level direction, and do project planning than most Senior Sound designers. Lead Sound Designers were also less likely to require specific tool experience such as using Wwise or FMOD than Senior Sound Designers.
Some of the Lead Sound Designer roles included:
Ability to be an expert individual contributor on some days and a manager of internal team members and external vendors on other days
Manage a team of sound designers, providing guidance and feedback on audio standards, quality, consistency and implementation.
Engage and collaborate with other department leads to provide sound design support across the project
Skills Breakdown for Lead Sound Designer:
Percentage of job listings that included the term:
Wwise 80%
FMOD 45%
Scripting 25%
Unreal 60%
Unity 15%
Salary Ranges for Lead Sound Designer
$55,000 – $234,000, with a median midpoint of $141,000
Experience Range for Lead Sound Designer
Experience required for a Lead Sound Designer, ranged from 5 to 10 years, with the average being 6.1 years of experience, somewhat higher than a senior sound designer
Technical Sound Designer Skills and Requirements
Thirteen percent of the job postings said they were looking for a Technical Sound Designer, which included one job listing as “Technical Music Designer.” A technical sound designer straddles the disciplines of sound design and programming, and typically comes from a sound design/music, rather than a technical or computer science background. The job may entail creating sound effects, integrating sounds into interactive audio tools such as Wwise or FMOD Studio or native game audio engines (Unreal/Unity) and triggering sounds, music and dialogue from within the game code. A technical sound designer typically has skills in both the creation of sound/music as well as programming and implementation. A technical sound designer is also expected to be able to diagnose and fix audio bugs in the game.
Some of the Technical Sound Designer tasks included:
Integrate music and sound effects into the game using interactive techniques and principles
Design and implement immersive soundscapes and audio effects for the studio’s games.
Work with engineers to develop and test new engine systems and workflow improvements
Prototype audio systems using Blueprints
Troubleshoot audio issues and bugs
Design, implement and maintain interactive music systems
Skills Breakdown for Technical Sound Designer:
Percentage of job listings that included the term:
Wwise 63%
FMOD 50%
Scripting 50%
Unreal 63%
Unity 50%
Salary Ranges for Technical Sound Designer
$70,000 – $140,000, with the median midpoint of $116,000
Experience Requirements for Technical Sound Designer
Experience required for a Technical Sound Designer, ranged from 2 to 5 years, with the average being 3.75 years of experience, somewhat higher than a sound designer.
Senior/Lead Technical Sound Designer Skills and Requirements
Eight percent of the job postings said they were looking for a Senior or Lead Technical Sound Designer. We combined Senior and Lead TSD's since there was only one posting for a Lead Technical Sound Designer. A Senior Technical Sound Designer has job requirements similar to that of a Technical Sound Designer, except for experience and an assumed level of proficiency. For example, a candidate may be expected to have “Expert Proficiency” or “In depth knowledge” of game audio tools and game engines. Job postings for Senior Technical Sound Designers also more likely to include text-based programming skills such as python, C#, C++, or Lua as required or nice-to-have skills.
Some of the Senior Technical Sound Designer tasks included:
Write systems/tools to empower content creators and/or improve their workflow
Work with engineers to develop and test new engine systems and workflow improvements
Perform advanced scripting using visual scripting tools
Mentor and guide junior sound designers, fostering a collaborative work environment
Establish and document best practices for technical audio workflows for implementation across the studio.
Skills Breakdown for Senior Technical Sound Designer:
Percentage of job listings that included the term:
Wwise 100%
FMOD 0%
Scripting 100%
Unreal 100%
Unity 14%
Salary Ranges for Senior Technical Sound Designer
$90,000 – $217,000, with the median midpoint of $146,000 (note: we excluded one listed salary range from this calculation, which listed a maximum salary of $600,000, because it was such an outlier)
Experience Requirements for Senior Technical Sound Designer
Experience required for a Senior Technical Sound Designer, ranged from 5 to 10 years, with the average being 6.25 years of experience.
Audio Director Skills and Requirements
Seven percent of the job postings we found were for Audio Director, which was also the highest paying of all the job categories. The Audio Director’s role is to set the overall creative vision, and to also manage the overall audio team. Depending on the size of the game team, the Audio Director may do some creative work themselves, such as composition or sound design. The audio director also plays a crucial role in hiring outside composers, or licensing music for the game.
Some of the Audio Director’s tasks included:
Lead, create and establish the game’s audio vision, bother artistic and technical
Work with all other Directors to ensure audio direction match the game’s overall vision and needs
Define audio needs, timelines and milestones
Manage music director, coordinating with artists/composers, producing score and integrating music into the game
Collaborate with audio discipline leads to create and define the audio vision, establishing both aesthetic and technical direction
Communicate audio vision and goals to the broader game team
Oversee department’s budget and compensation decisions
Audio Directors also generally require candidates to have significant experience in creating music and sound for games as well as leading teams and managing projects, as shown in these example requirements:
8+ years in audio production at a senior level on multiple AAA games
2+ years of experience working on AAA games and managing a team in the capacity of Audio Director, Audio Lead, or equivalent role, leading an audio team through all phases of development.
8+ years in audio production at a senior level on multiple AAA games.
Team leadership and mentorship experience
One interesting note is that although the specific skills for Audio Director don’t typically include game audio sound or music skills, familiarity with the tools and processes is implied by the expectations of significant experience producing audio.
Skills Breakdown for Audio Director:
Wwise 34%
FMOD 17%
Scripting 0%
Unreal 34%
Unity 0%
Salary Ranges for Audio Director
$112,000 – $335,000, with the median midpoint of $213,000
Experience Requirements for for Audio Director
Experience required for a Lead Sound Designer, ranged from 5 to 12 years, with the average being 8.5 years of experience
Game Audio Skills Summary
Below we list the most frequently listed job skills and software across all the job listings we analyzed. We looked for terms anywhere in the text of the job posting. We did not include basic skills in the job description such as "the ability to create sound effects" or "use a DAW," since such skills are common to virtually every game audio job posting.
Wwise (75%)
Comparison to 2020: Increase of 12 percentage points (was 63)
Knowledge of Wwise was the most frequently listed skill in the game audio job postings we analyzed. Wwise is a software tool and system specifically designed to create interactive game sound effects and music. This game audio tool can be downloaded at no cost for the sound designer/composer from Audiokinetic; licensing fees, if any, are paid by the company developing the game.
Experience (66%)
Comparison to 2020: Decrease of 8 percentage points
Although not technically a 'skill,' experience was frequently listed as desired or required. The average required experience was 4.8 years, however as noted in the previous section, it varies greatly by job title. Note that we counted 'experience' only when a specific number of years was listed. We did not tally 'experience' if the only reference was related to another skill, such as "experience with FMOD or Wwise."
Unreal (61%)
Comparison to 2020: increase of 20 percentage points
Unreal is a commercial game engine, used by many developers to create video games or even movies. A sound designer or composer may be required to use Unreal to play the game they are working on while it is in development, or to trigger sounds to play in response to game actions. Unreal tends to be popular with larger game studios, but it by no means the only game engine used by the largest game developers. A sound designer with Unreal Experience is expected to know how to navigate and use Unreal’s basic features, and may be expected to know the Blueprints scripting language or Unreal Metasounds system.
ProTools/Reaper (48%)
Change from 2020:
Protools: Increase of 3 percentage points;
Reaper: Increase of 17 Percentage Points
ProTools and Reaper are digital audio workstations (DAWs) which facilitate the creation of music and sound effects. Reaper is particularly popular in game audio development, due in part to its highly scriptable and configurable nature. Most references to either Reaper or ProTools was along the lines of “fluent in at least one DAW such as Reaper or ProTools,” without necessarily requiring one over the other.
FMOD: 40%
Comparison to 2020: Increase of 16 percentage points
FMOD is a specialized game audio tool that facilitates the creation of interactive music and sound effects. The tool can be downloaded for free at fmod.com, and is free for the composer/sound designer to use. Licensing fees, if any, are paid by the game developer.
Scripting: 39%
Comparison to 2020: Decrease of 9 percentage points
Scripting is the process of writing code, using either visual scripting languages such as Blueprints or text-based languages such as C# or Python to trigger appropriate sounds based on game actions or states. Scripting is also sometimes used to streamline the workflow, such as writing a custom script to perform repetitive tasks such as file renaming, batch conversions or other processes. Although the word “Scripting” or mention of specific languages such as Lua, etc was down compared to 2020, it is possible that the very large increase of the number of jobs listing Unreal or Unity as a skill may be the reason, since when a game sound designer is using Unreal, they are often ‘scripting’ using the Blueprints language, or using Unity and scripting with C#.
Unity: 31%
Comparison with 2020: Increase of 8%
Unity is a game engine and editor similar to Unreal. Unity tends to be more popular among smaller scale and indie games. A sound designer with Unity experience is expected to know how to integrate audio middleware such as FMOD Studio or Wwise into Unity, or may be expected to know how to use Unity’s built-in audio engine.
Formal Education: 24%
Comparison with 2020: Decrease of 13%
Almost one in four game audio job postings listed a formal degree as being a required or desirable qualification, with required being more common among more senior positions. Education was sometimes mentioned as an alternative to experience such as “Bachelor’s degree in Audio/Music Engineering or equivalent experience.” Although game audio is not generally a 'credentialed' job, according to the 2023 Game Audio Industry Survey, 95% of recent hires in game audio nonetheless received a degree of some sort, most commonly in music/audio or game audio specifically.
Music Composition 23%
Comparison with 2020: Unchanged
As with our 2020 study, almost one in four game audio job listings across all disciplines specifically listed musical performance or composition as a desired skill, even though only a very small fraction of jobs (7%) listed composition as part of the job description itself.
Other commonly listed terms
In addition to the specific skills listed above, several other skillsets were mentioned by many of the job applications, including experience using source control (11%), VR/Surround Sound (13%), C++ (12%). These were up significantly up from 2020
Game Audio is a specialized and competitive field, with an ever-changing landscape of tools and technologies. It is important to keep on top of the field to be able to have the skills that match what todays game companies are looking for. It’s also important to remember that although the skills listed here are important, just about every job assumes that you are able to create high quality music and/or sound effects. So make sure you put your skills into practice, with a great demo reel, in addition to keeping up with all the tools and tech.
Appendix: Game Audio Job Titles
Unfortunately, the game audio industry doesn’t have a standard lexicon or terminology for game sound and music jobs. For example, one company may list an opening for an “Audio Artist” while another may simply post a job listing for a “Sound Designer,” even though looking at the job descriptions for both make it clear they are essentially the same role.
We use the most common job titles, which are:
Sound Designer
Senior Sound Designer
Lead Sound Designer
Technical Sound Designer
Senior Technical Sound Designer
Audio Director
Composer
Intern
In our analysis this year, we are making the following “Job Title” mappings, based on their more detailed descriptions of the types of work done.
Job Title In Listing | Translated Job Title |
Game Sound Supervisor | Lead Sound Designer |
SFX Designer | Sound Designer |
Sound Artist | Sound Designer |
Audio Designer | Sound Designer |
Technical Audio Designer | Technical Sound Designer |
Read more on Brian's GameSoundCon Blog
Brian Schmidt has been creating music and sound for games since 1987. He is the Founder and Executive Director of GameSoundCon, is an active composer/sound designer and teaches game audio at DigiPen Institute of Technology