10 Essential Tips for audio freelancers Asbjoern Andersen


Planning to go freelance in game audio – or perhaps you already work as a freelancer? Rebecca Parnell is a BAFTA Award-winning Sound Designer who has worked in sound for 19 years on 50+ game titles, and has been working freelance for the past 10 years – and in this special guide, she shares her essential tips to a succesful freelance career in game audio.


Written by Rebecca Parnell, photo courtesy of Rebecca Parnell



 

Going freelance is a bold and exciting step in one’s career that can be hugely rewarding. It can also be very demanding, and despite the dream of freedom away from the office, designing sound on a beach in Thailand, the reality often requires perseverance, commitment and work infringing on personal time and home space… With that said in quiet times, there is the wonderful possibility to pack up the recording kit and go exploring!
If you are considering making the move to freelance or have just embarked on this journey, here are some top tips to making it a success!

1. Start with in-house experience


A significant part of designing audio in interactive media is the implementation. No matter how amazing your thoughtfully crafted sound is, if it is implemented badly, it can sound really bad.

Having the experience of working in-house throughout the development of a game will enable you to communicate and work more effectively remotely

You need to be equipped to know how the game developers operate, what the different roles in the team are, how your work overlaps and how you can help each other. There is so much to learn! Having the experience of working in-house throughout the development of a game will enable you to communicate and work more effectively remotely. I still very much enjoy in-house contracts from time to time.
 

2. Build your network


There is no better way to find work than to be recommended. Working in-house is a great way to build your network. If a previous colleague remembers your awesome sounds on a project and that you are thoroughly nice person to have on the team, they might recommend you in the future. If you build a good relationship with your clients, they’ll come back to you for their next project. Attending conferences, exhibitions and networking events are also great ways to meet others in the industry, share opinions, stories and meet like-minded people.
 

3. Establish your legal framework and contact the tax office


There are various ways in which you can operate as a freelancer: a sole trader or a director of a limited company, whether registered for VAT or not. Each country has their guidelines, rules and rates. It’s worth doing your research and getting this established from the start. If you are to make a limited company, you’ll need a company number on your quotes and invoices, the same with VAT if you are to register. Also consider whether you require an accountant, they might seem expensive but they might know how to best to manage accounts that frees up more cash to invest in your company.
 

4. Create a suitable space to work


This is really important as you’ll be spending a lot of time there.

Wherever possible have a room that you enter to work and close at the end of the day, making a clear division between work and personal space

Whether you hire a room at a studio, build your own home studio, or adapt a space in your home, it needs to be quiet, without distractions and comfortable. Wherever possible have a room that you enter to work and close at the end of the day, making a clear division between work and personal space.

[tweet_box]10 Essential Tips for Game Audio Freelancers[/tweet_box]  

5. Prioritise setting up expenditure


Of course we want all the wonderful toys in the shop, but what do we really need and how much can we afford? It takes time to establish a network of clients and contracts might be patchy in the earlier years, it’s good to have a financial buffer to keep you going. I would recommend starting with a decent workstation (computer and DAW), a good versatile microphone, a good listening environment (headphones or speakers with sound panels), and a handful of trusted plugins (my absolute musts are compression, EQ, reverb and delay). When new contracts come in, or invoices paid, you can slowly build on the plugins, libraries and other equipment.
 

6. Decide a visual identity


How would you like to present yourself? What is your market, who is potential clients? If you have a company what will you call it? What will the logo be like?

What’s your unique identity that makes you stand out?

Whether to be corporate or creative, broad in services or specialised, where best has your experience been and how can you expand on this? What’s your unique identity that makes you stand out? Questions, questions! All of this is worth thinking about when you design your website and branding, to represent your personality and skills. What best to present in your showreel that captures your audience before they click away. Social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook are great ways to share your latest news and gently remind people you’re available. Endorsements and recommendations are a great way to validate your services to people who come across you for the first time.
 

7. Be organised – lists and logs


There is something very satisfying about crossing off a task from the list, especially if it’s the later part of a long list! Multiple projects and fast approaching deadlines can be stressful. Know what needs to be done and when, and don’t put it off, especially the boring stuff! There are plenty of free applications you can use – Google apps are fantastic: calendars, documents, spreadsheets can help you organise and keep track of your work and progress. Also, log your work and how much time you spent on it.

Know what needs to be done and when, and don’t put it off, especially the boring stuff

This helps with reporting back to your clients and detailing work on invoices. Keeping a record is great reference for when quoting for a new project, developing a better understanding of time required.


Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Abandoned Oil Tank Play Track 327 sounds included $40

    On a recording trip to the smaller Danish port town Struer, I came across an abandoned empty oil tank. Inside I found two giant wires attached to the floor and the ceiling of the tank, almost like a huge 2 stringed double bass. I’m telling you the reverb in there was longer than the Eiffel Tower on a cloudless day !

    On the outside this was just an empty abandoned building, but it turned out it was not empty at all because it was full of sound and a few dead birds. I’m glad I was curious enough to go inside for a closer investigation and not just pass by.

    After several hours of concentrated recording, it was nice to get my ears back out in dry air. I’m happy there are no open sends to Valhalla in real life but experiencing the eternal resonance on the low frequencies from the wires was absolutely amazing.

    Abandoned Oil Tank was recorded with a LOM basic Ucho stereo pair, a Zoom H6 and the LOM Geofon. All files are in 96 kHz/24 bit and contain the original recordings.

    The result is a unique sound effect library including balloon pop impulse responses from a truly unique location that very recently became even more unique since word says that the oil tank is no more and has abandoned this world.

    327 individual sounds – all tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata.

    www.katrineamsler.com

    20 %
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    Ends 1713131999
  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

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  • Kawaii UI Trailer
  • Foley Sound Effects Pickups and Small Item Sounds Play Track 280 sounds included, 7 mins total $4.16

    Great Audio is Essential

    Essential Audio Pickups and Small Item Sounds contains 280 Foley sounds designed specifically for Video Game Sound Designers who need the usual Pick-Up sounds and SFX for common small items, including: Keys, Coins, Access Card, Pills/Health, Latches, Locks, Chains, Bags, and many many more!

    Features:

    •  280 sounds
    • Bags
    • Coins
    • Keys
    • Pill Bottle
    • Cable Ties
    • Camera
    • Lighter
    • Access Card
    • Chains
    • Locks
    • Clips and Clasps
    • Computer Mouse
    • Boxes
    • Papers
    • Clicks and Ticks
    • Tools
    • Scissors
    • Wood Game Pieces
    • Zippers

    Number of Audio Waves: 280

    Sample rate / bit rate: 44,100 Hz / 16 bit

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Latest releases:

  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.

  • The physical version of Small Rantonen Kantele is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, still playable 5-string kanteles in the world, as it was made in 1770. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. We used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument. Strumming is a crucial part of playing the small kantele, so we kept that in the middle of the development from start to finish.

    Samples were recorded using different parts of the kantele, with resonance and without resonance, to give more options for the sound of the instrument. During the sampling the strings were tuned using a diatonic scale (CDEFG). With the virtual instrument it is possible to tune every string independently, so you can achieve the traditional D-tuning and many other tunings.

    We captured long, damped, and dead notes, and harmonics. In addition we recorded percussion with the strings and the body of the instrument. Many other delicious samples are also present, including the sounds of hand damping the strings!

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • The physical version of Large Rantonen Kantele is an old, large 30-string concert kantele made in 1902. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. As both hands are on the strings when playing a physical kantele, we used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument.

    We recorded long notes, damped notes, harmonics, and mallet hits. For the virtual instrument, we expanded these notes to cover the missing sharps and flats, and even more lower and higher notes. We also added a virtual damping board, two play modes, and a large number of options to help you to create your own sound and playing style.

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Human Sound Effects Zody Play Track 1243+ sounds included, 151 mins total $55

    With abounding character and a penchant for speaking their mind, these little folk always have a lot to say. Wonder and amazement naturally follows.

    Having the honor to be able to observe these tikes in their natural habitats, it became clear how babies share a great deal across their mannerisms as the grow. A longitudinal family of vocalizations and sounds that span the first year of life and maturity, the heart of this library, centers on those personalities and mannerisms changing and taking shape over that period of time. The little ones have been recorded at infancy, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. Each of these developmental milestones mark a significant step forward for all babies and at these stages their personalities and expressiveness grow remarkably. It is the constantly evolving language of exploration and examination; always learning. Each vocalization in this library, even within the same stage of development, is unique. From giggles to shouts, questioning to cries, babbles, cooing, and inventive phrases all the way around.

    Additionally, strollers, toys, diaper bags, bottles, pumps, swings, and more have been captured as compliments to represent all of those ubiquitous items in a baby’s world. The strollers were profiled on different surfaces and from different mechanical perspectives. The toys were recorded both in-play and as Foley. Bottles and diapers were used in their normal function and fashion, while other tools and devices of the dedicated and savvy parent were selected for their sound and utility.

    Joyfulness is easy to hear in this library.

Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


8. Do your research and be confident in what you charge


Think about how you would like to charge for a project, your clients may wish you to charge on a per SFX basis but if you are overseeing implementation too, how is that worked in? Most audio professionals now prefer to opt for a day rate. Be careful when working out your day rate, some “useful” on-line calculators just divide your current salary by 365 days! Think about tax, in the UK, employers part pay their employee’s tax.

Be careful when working out your day rate, some “useful” on-line calculators just divide your current salary by 365 days

Think about sick days, holidays, expenses (equipment, rent and rates), and your availability (without employment security it is a reasonable expectation for you to build a financial buffer for the quiet periods between contracts). Do your research, have a look at what agencies are offering for similar roles and compare. Once you’re comfortable with a figure – be confident! If you are in talks with potential client, they’re likely to be impressed with the examples of your work and recommendations they have seen. If they do want to work with you but find your figure too high, they’re likely to negotiate to find a compromise. If you are turned down, ask for feedback, always better than second guessing.
 

9. Build good client relationships


Unfortunately with the nature of game development, audio can be forgotten. The team is working together in an open plan office, when checking their work the in-game the sound might be off. In reviews the team might talk enthusiastically over the game audio. If there is not an in-house audio person/team present they might not know the powerful use of audio, the aesthetics approaches that can be taken to bring the experience more to life. It’s your job to show them what can be done, get them excited and on board with your ideas, ask them for feedback! You are however also reliant on them, without their help you might have difficulty getting some or all of your sounds implemented correctly. Unfortunately at times a producer or project manager has to prioritise tasks to reach a release date, and need to juggle resource with requirements across the team. Understand this and prioritise yours, think how best to work effectively and pick your battles.
 

 

10. Enjoy it.. and living life too!


It is wonderful, to establish a career doing what we love, every day something to look forward it, and even the boring tasks are satisfying because they are our own – masters of our destiny! However take heed, it’s easy for work to take priority and can become all too consuming.

However take heed, it’s easy for work to take priority and can become all too consuming

Don’t be afraid to book a holiday, it might sound daft but it can be easy to put off to a more convenient time. Take time off; spend it with family, friends, get away from the screen and to the great outdoors! Exercise, travel, read, learn, listen and enjoy the arts. All this wealth of experience and from the stuff of life makes your creative output all the richer when back at in the studio.

 

A big thanks to Rebecca Parnell for her freelancing tips!

 

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About Rebecca Parnell

Rebecca Parnell is a BAFTA Award-winning Sound Designer, having worked in sound for 19 years on 50+ titles, covering the most popular platforms of the time.

Rebecca started her career in game audio as a Sound Designer for Richard Joseph’s audio outsource company Audio Interactive at Pinewood Studios, working with many developers including Sensible Software, Codemasters and EA/Bullfrog. She moved to work in-house at VIS entertainment, Criterion Games and Outerlight before going freelance in 2007, and in 2009 launcher her company Magicbrew, working with developers NaturalMotion, Hello Games, Wonderstruck, Space Ape, Microsoft Lift and more.

Rebecca has judged for the prestigious BAFTA Game Awards and the Music and Sound Awards, and guest lectured at the National Film and Television School.

Rebecca has also branched out to work in film, having edited sounds for several shorts and a feature, most notably Babak Anvari’s BAFTA nominated short Two and Two.

When Rebecca is not working she is often out exploring with her recording kit collecting inspiring sounds. Whether that’s in the streets of her home city London, in Brazilian jungles, the markets of Marrakesh or visiting a hill top tribe in Laos to identify bird calls, she is always keen to explore the aural world.

 


 

 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Abandoned Oil Tank Play Track 327 sounds included $40

    On a recording trip to the smaller Danish port town Struer, I came across an abandoned empty oil tank. Inside I found two giant wires attached to the floor and the ceiling of the tank, almost like a huge 2 stringed double bass. I’m telling you the reverb in there was longer than the Eiffel Tower on a cloudless day !

    On the outside this was just an empty abandoned building, but it turned out it was not empty at all because it was full of sound and a few dead birds. I’m glad I was curious enough to go inside for a closer investigation and not just pass by.

    After several hours of concentrated recording, it was nice to get my ears back out in dry air. I’m happy there are no open sends to Valhalla in real life but experiencing the eternal resonance on the low frequencies from the wires was absolutely amazing.

    Abandoned Oil Tank was recorded with a LOM basic Ucho stereo pair, a Zoom H6 and the LOM Geofon. All files are in 96 kHz/24 bit and contain the original recordings.

    The result is a unique sound effect library including balloon pop impulse responses from a truly unique location that very recently became even more unique since word says that the oil tank is no more and has abandoned this world.

    327 individual sounds – all tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata.

    www.katrineamsler.com

    20 %
    OFF
    Ends 1713131999
  • Magic & Fantasy Sound Effects Magic and Spell Sounds Play Track 682 sounds included, 29 mins total $19

    Magic and Spell Sounds is a custom designed sound library covering many types of magic and spells. From shining in the light to bringing darkness.

    Elements: electricity, energy, fireballs, ice, vines, rock, wind and water. Covering actions such as: blasts, casting, conjuring, impacts, healing and more.

    682 total sounds (422 magic and spell sounds, 260 bonus sounds from Pro Sound Collection).

    ALL sounds from this library Magic and Spell Sounds are included in our full sound library Pro Sound Collection. So if you need more sounds be sure to check it out before purchase.

    24 %
    OFF
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.

  • The physical version of Small Rantonen Kantele is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, still playable 5-string kanteles in the world, as it was made in 1770. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. We used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument. Strumming is a crucial part of playing the small kantele, so we kept that in the middle of the development from start to finish.

    Samples were recorded using different parts of the kantele, with resonance and without resonance, to give more options for the sound of the instrument. During the sampling the strings were tuned using a diatonic scale (CDEFG). With the virtual instrument it is possible to tune every string independently, so you can achieve the traditional D-tuning and many other tunings.

    We captured long, damped, and dead notes, and harmonics. In addition we recorded percussion with the strings and the body of the instrument. Many other delicious samples are also present, including the sounds of hand damping the strings!

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • The physical version of Large Rantonen Kantele is an old, large 30-string concert kantele made in 1902. The kantele was made famous by kantele player Antti Rantonen, who owned it and played it during his career.

    NOTE: FULL Kontakt 6.7.0 or higher required (NOT Kontakt Player)

    Kantele, also called kannel, is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument. Similar instruments include the Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian kanklės, and Russian gusli.

    Main idea for the virtual kantele was to create an instrument you can play live, almost like a real kantele. As both hands are on the strings when playing a physical kantele, we used pedals, velocity layers, and special keyswitches to create a playing experience closer to the real instrument.

    We recorded long notes, damped notes, harmonics, and mallet hits. For the virtual instrument, we expanded these notes to cover the missing sharps and flats, and even more lower and higher notes. We also added a virtual damping board, two play modes, and a large number of options to help you to create your own sound and playing style.

    Below you can view the walkthrough video for the instrument.

  • Door Sound Effects Noisy Doors Play Track 44 sounds included $10

    This library contains recordings of eleven different types of doors specifically chosen for their interesting sound. I performed all actions with a lot of detail covering “open/close”, “knocks”, “bangs and thuds”, “handle grab and rattle” and when possible also “crackles and squeaks” (all recorded at various intensities)

    50 %
    OFF
    Ends 1711666799
  • Human Sound Effects Zody Play Track 1243+ sounds included, 151 mins total $55

    With abounding character and a penchant for speaking their mind, these little folk always have a lot to say. Wonder and amazement naturally follows.

    Having the honor to be able to observe these tikes in their natural habitats, it became clear how babies share a great deal across their mannerisms as the grow. A longitudinal family of vocalizations and sounds that span the first year of life and maturity, the heart of this library, centers on those personalities and mannerisms changing and taking shape over that period of time. The little ones have been recorded at infancy, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year old. Each of these developmental milestones mark a significant step forward for all babies and at these stages their personalities and expressiveness grow remarkably. It is the constantly evolving language of exploration and examination; always learning. Each vocalization in this library, even within the same stage of development, is unique. From giggles to shouts, questioning to cries, babbles, cooing, and inventive phrases all the way around.

    Additionally, strollers, toys, diaper bags, bottles, pumps, swings, and more have been captured as compliments to represent all of those ubiquitous items in a baby’s world. The strollers were profiled on different surfaces and from different mechanical perspectives. The toys were recorded both in-play and as Foley. Bottles and diapers were used in their normal function and fashion, while other tools and devices of the dedicated and savvy parent were selected for their sound and utility.

    Joyfulness is easy to hear in this library.


   

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