Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Scheduling Work and Activities Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

The Work

A game composer writes and arranges music which accompanies the menus, cutscenes, and gameplay of video games.

Composing for video games can come with a number of unusual constraints. For example, the music might be required to “loop” smoothly, maintain a consistent mood or pacing, or be ready to transition to a different track at short notice.The instruments might need to occupy a particular pitch range, as other pitches may be reserved for alert sounds that are important for gameplay.

Games vary enormously in scope. Some might require a handful of 1-minute looping tracks, while others will need 90+ minutes of custom soundtrack covering a range of moods.

Large game studios will sometimes hire a composer to work internally, though it is more common to see composers work on a freelance or contract basis.

Work tasks...

• Compose original music which is tailored to the mood and genre of a particular video game.
• Arrange music using digital samples for immediate inclusion in a project.
• Collaborate with sound designers to create short samples like ‘stings’, which feel consistent with the overall soundscape while drawing a player’s attention to something.
• Apply techniques to support dynamic audio that can seamlessly react to a player’s inputs.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
• Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
• Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
• Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies and melodies.
• Consider such factors as ensemble sise and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.
• Determine voices, instruments, harmonic structures, rhythms, tempos, and tone balances required to achieve the effects desired in a musical composition.
• Experiment with different sounds, and types and pieces of music, using synthesisers and computers as necessary to test and evaluate ideas.
• Transcribe ideas for musical compositions into musical notation, using instruments, pen and paper, or computers.
• Audition and select performers for musical presentations.
• Plan and schedule rehearsals and performances, and arrange details such as locations, accompanists, and instrumentalists.

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Social

The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.

Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.

Games have become an attractive opportunity for composers. This is due to their large audience, and the immersive nature of video games potentially creating a strong attachment between players and a game’s music. Scoring a successful game can lead to many future opportunities.

The ideal situation is to have a portfolio with several (commercial) games credited. Many aspiring composers offer their music to games for free to build up their portfolio, which crowds the market and can make finding paid work difficult at an entry level.

Doing a course in game development and using the opportunity to compose for multiple student projects can be a way to get started.

Alternatively, internships and work placements, or working in music composition outside games can all be useful towards building a portfolio and reputation.

It may help to specialise in a particular music genre, to help attract the notice of game studios seeking a certain mood for their game.

Further info...

• IntoGames — Game Composer

Last Updated: January, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €17k - €55k

Salries vary by employer, role, duties, location, and experience. Salaries may be sessional based on projects. 

Data Source(s):
Indeed/ Payscale/ Prosperity.ie/ DEASP

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment grew strongly between 2021 and 2022, with an additional 7,300 persons employed. As illustrated in the CSO Census data below, employment is spread across a number of roles; since 2016, the strongest growth, in absolute terms, was for graphic designers and authors, writers and translators.

New employment permits issued for this occupation in 2022 were primarily for film/TV and animation/visual effects (VFX) roles but also for linguistics experts in the ICT sector. There was also a high volume of recent job hires in line with the recent employment increase. The data does not point to overall issues with recruitment for these roles.

• Imirt Irish Game Makers

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• Ardan

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• IMRO Irish Music Rights Organization

  • Lower Baggot St, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 HW59
  • 01 661 4844
  • [email protected]
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