Salaried Game Composers and Sound Designers Earn $10,000 More Than in 2014, According to Game Audio Industry Survey

Los Angeles – Sept. 22 – Salaried employees in game audio and sound design earn an average of $10,000 more annually than was reported in 2014. Freelancers earn an average of $1,000 less per project while the average number of projects for freelancers has risen from 4.6 in 2014 to 5.2 in 2015, according to the Game Audio Industry Survey by GameSoundCon with 591 respondents.

The percentage of salaried workers in game sound design increased from 37% in 2014 to 46% in 2015. Freelance designers now make up 46% of the game audio industry versus 60% in 2014, demonstrating a previously unseen even split between salaried employees and freelance composers and designers.

Other changes include:

• 80% of game composers reported they also provide sound effects, in comparison to 65% of composers who reported providing sound effects in 2014.

• 23% of indie game projects now offer soundtrack clauses allowing composers to profit from soundtrack sales, rising from 18% in 2014. The percentage of AAA games offering payment for soundtracks remained constant at 5%.

• While game audio and sound design remains a primarily male industry, the percentage of respondents identifying as female doubled from 3.5% in 2014 to 7% today.

The Game Audio Industry Survey, conducted by GameSoundCon, tracks compensation, working conditions, contract terms and production information for the game music and sound industry.

GameSoundCon, taking place Nov. 3 – 4 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, offers attendees hands-on training sessions and networking events with audio industry luminaries.

“The changes we observed in game sound design compensation over just one year demonstrate the value of collecting this information,” said Brian Schmidt, executive director, GameSoundCon. “Our inaugural 2014 survey was meant to illuminate aspects of the game audio industry that Gamasutra’s annual salary survey didn’t focus on. I’m very pleased to see our efforts continue to bring new findings to light about this group of talented professionals.”

The full compilation of results from the 2015 Game Audio Industry Survey from GameSoundCon can be found here.

More information about GameSoundCon is available at www.GameSoundCon.com.

About SoundCon:

SoundCon LLC organizes GameSoundCon, an intimate event that provides sessions dedicated to game audio tools and technology, business, creative and other challenges.