Game Audio Sound Design Role Hiring Asbjoern Andersen


Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Sound Designers - what sorts of skills and qualifications can reasonably be expected and required for each of those roles?

That often depends on whether you're looking to be hired - or you're the one doing the hiring.

Here, seasoned senior sound designer Glenn Gullskjegg Goa shares their personal opinions, expectations, recommendations and lessons learned from both sides of the game audio industry:


Written by Glenn Gullskjegg Goa
Please share:
Animal Hyperrealism IV Is Here!

When it comes down to hiring in the audio industry, there are probably a dozen or more articles that meander about what you need to be hired. As someone who worked in the audio industry, from the movie business to video games, I thought I would put my own two cents in that slot, especially in the video game industry machine—both from the side that was hired and did the hiring. I hope something new can be gleaned from my ramblings rather than just adding to the white noise.

I should add that these are my own opinions and don’t represent the industry as a whole; you’ll find some game studios tackling this differently. However, these are things I’ve noticed in the 10+ years to be the most common and what I personally look for and expect.
 

Junior Sound Designers:

Sound Reel:


30 seconds to 1 minute long; Can be sound redesigns of other games (gameplay is a bonus); Can be a scene from a student film; Start with your best work; No music; No long introductions or logos.
 

I don’t expect:

  • A junior to have worked in the industry. (So an intern then? No, not everyone has the luck to gain a foot in the door that way, so I apply this to both.)
  • A junior to understand audio middleware the same way as a senior would, but I expect them to have messed around in there in their free time.
  • A junior to have any recording experience. (I mean, it requires you to have money even to try)
  • A junior to understand mastering or mixing.
  • A junior to have fantastic jaw-dropping audio skills. Just passable.

 

I expect:

  • A junior to have a passion for games, to the point they mod games and hone their skills through modding. Why? Because that is how I learned game audio and would eventually end up getting me a job. Through modding, you learn limitations and the importance of variations. You learn to let go of things beyond your control, which becomes essential when you work in the industry.
  • A junior wanting to learn things and take feedback.
  • A junior to have a passion for iteration.
  • A junior to not be afraid to ask questions from their seniors.
  • A junior to have a basic understanding of what makes good audio.
  • A junior to have a good attitude.

My recommendations to Junior Sound Designers:

 

Don’t expect to master things in the next 10+ years; Don’t worry about doing mistakes; Don’t worry about finding your style yet, that will come naturally; Play lots of games and try to decipher what the sound designers are doing; Start networking with people at your skill level; Don’t worship seniors or say to yourself, “When I can make sounds like them, I am good.”

 


 

Intermediate Sound Designers:

Sound Reel:


1 – 2 minutes; Start with your best work; Should contain versions of foley, whooshes, drones, stingers; Should contain gameplay (treated video or actual in-game capture); Can contain a small section in the middle toward the end from a scene in a movie you worked on or redesigned (preferably from a game); No music; No long introductions or logos.
 

I don’t expect:

  • An intermediate to understand complex creature sound design, but knows how to make general creature sounds.
  • An intermediate to have mastered dynamics, but to have a basic understanding.
  • An intermediate to have a lot of recording experience, but I do expect some.

 

I expect:

  • An intermediate to have a huge passion for learning; they listen to podcasts, watch YouTube tutorials, read books about audio, etc.
  • An intermediate to have a good understanding of audio middleware, not master-level, but good enough to understand and implement things like side-chaining.
  • An intermediate to want originally recorded assets and campaigns for recording sessions. Also, in their spare time, life permitting, they record as much as they can to further hone their craft.
  • An intermediate to not be stubborn about plugins, DAWs, or audio middleware.
  • An intermediate to have a general understanding of mastering and mixing.
  • An intermediate to have a passion for sharing their work and gaining feedback. Being vulnerable is how you learn.
  • An intermediate to have a good attitude.

My recommendations to Intermediate Sound Designers:

 
Listen to podcast; Watch YouTube tutorials; Read books by people that work\worked in the audio industry; Play games and put on movies to listen to and not just watch; Network and talk to other sound designers at your level and higher.


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


Trending right now:

  • Strident and Demonic

    Expand the timbre of your horror violins and cellos with CIRCUS, a sinister sample pack featuring 180 WAV sounds of screeching or high-pitched string noises, perfect for horror music and dark sound design.

    Creative Tension

    This collection offers a curated selection of screeches, high-tension tremolo, heavy jeté strokes, dark demonic textures, finger patterns, chaotic string elements, clock loops and bow accents.

    Haunting and Experimental

    Create haunting atmospheres, perfect for horror, thriller or experimental soundtracks. Every element has been designed to unsettle and disturb, blurring the line between music and noise.

  • ⏰ For a very limited time:
    Add this library to the cart and enter ah4launch in the cart coupon field – to sprinkle an extra launch discount, on top of the current discount!

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV is a sound library containing animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 2000 individual sounds in 294 files. The sounds were recorded in zoos, and wildlife centers.

    The asset list includes but is not limited to: hippos, hyenas, vultures, dwarf mongooses, elephants, African cranes, parrots, tigers, pigmy hippos, rhea ostriches, brown bears, pheasants, wildebeests, African wild dogs and many more. The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, an Avisoft CMPA and a Sennheiser 8050 for center plus two Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.

    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

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  • Destruction & Impact Sounds Cataclysm Play Track 1482 sounds included $195

    Cataclysm is a vast collection of recorded, synthesized and designed sounds created to support important destructive moments and add a stronger sense of extreme consequence to any sound.

    The recorded section of library features elements such as flash powder explosions, propane cannon blasts and artillery cannons recorded in unique natural environments with violent transients and lush, long and varied tails. It also features falling trees, forge burners, large trebuchet wood groans, rock smashes as well as more ordinary items recorded and designed to feel like an over the top version of themselves such as vacuum cleaner suctions, metal vase holders, ground pounders and more.

    The synthesized section of the library features equally rich textures in the form of explosion sweeteners, other-worldly environmental reflections, scorching energy risers and more.

    Finally, recorded and synthesized content was employed to develop the designed section, where the hyperrealism of the recordings meets the clean yet aggressive textures of the synthesized section in catastrophic assets themed around the library’s title.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.
  • Animal Sound Effects Animal Hyperrealism Vol III Play Track 1711 sounds included $180

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol III is a library containing sounds themed animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 1700 individual sounds in 279 files.

    The sounds were recorded in zoos and wildlife centers. The asset list includes but is not limited to: european red deers, monkeys, reindeers, hornbills camels, crickets, tamarins, boars, frogs, red ruffed lemurs, parrots, and many more.

    The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K plus a Sennheiser 8050 for center image and a couple of Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.
    Part of the cheats section of the library features samples recorded at 384KHz. For these sounds an additional microphone was employed, specifically the CMPA by Avisoft-Bioacoustics which records up to 200 KHz. This microphone was used to record most of the library but the 384KHz format was preserved only where energy was found beyond 96KHz not to occupy unnecessary disk space.
    All files are delivered as stereo bounce of these for mics, though in some instances an additional couple of CO100K was added to the sides.
    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.

Latest releases:

  • Car Sound Effects Compact Cars 3 Play Track 2385 sounds included, 412 mins total $250

    Compilation of 10 different compact cars. Sounds are recorded with RØDE NTG1, RØDELink Lav, Line Audio Omni1, Shure KSM137, Shure VP88, Sonorous Objects SO.3 FEL Pluggy XLR EM272 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II, Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is only available in UCS.

  • Hum, Buzz & Glitch Sound Effects Massive Soldering Play Track 426 sounds included, 15 mins total $29.99

    MASSIVE SOLDERING – 426 files of solder sound effects, from several component repair sessions. From quick zips and zaps, to burning, sizzling and melting sears. Massive Soldering comes in at over 15 minutes, of metallic hisses and harsh bubbling. Bring the power of metallic vapors to your next project. Recorded at 192kHz and 32bit, using microphones capable of recording ultrasonic frequencies. Massive Soldering filenames are in the Universal Category System format with additional Metadata baked-in.
    Don’t need a Massive amount of Solder sound effects? We offer ‘Mini’ sound effect libraries as companions for all of our ‘Massive’ sound effect libraries. All recordings are unique to each library with no overlap. Go Mini today, and upgrade to the corresponding Massive library later, when you need more of that particular sound effect.

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    MINI SOLDERING – 50 files of solder sound effects, from several component repair sessions. From quick zips and zaps, to burning, sizzling and melting sears. Mini Soldering comes in at over 2 minutes, of metallic hisses and harsh bubbling. Bring the power of metallic vapors to your next project. Recorded at 192kHz and 32bit, using microphones capable of recording ultrasonic frequencies. Mini Soldering filenames are in the Universal Category System format with additional Metadata baked-in.
    Looking for a Massive amount of Solder sound effects? We offer ‘Massive’ sound effect libraries as companions for all of our ‘Mini’ sound effect libraries. All recordings are unique to each library with no overlap. Go Mini today, and upgrade to the corresponding Massive library later, when you need more of that particular sound effect.

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    Cards and Dice is a winning collection of tactile tabletop sounds. Shuffle, riffle, deal, flip and fold through two distinct decks — one old and soft, one crisp and snappy.

    Roll D20s, D6s and mini D6s by hand or with a dice tumbler across felt, wood and cork tabletops.

    Stack, slide and scatter poker chips with satisfying weight and precision.

    Perfect for games, animations and interface feedback.

    Includes 930 files recorded in 24bit / 96khz.

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Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


Senior Sound Designers:

Sound Reel:


1 minute and 30 seconds max; Start with your best creature sound design work; Should contain versions of foley, whooshes, drones, stingers; Must have gameplay sections (actual in-game captures you worked on); If you apply for cinematic work, must contain a in-game cinematic or CGI for a game that you worked on; No Sound Redesign (if you have to use that, you are no senior in the game industry); No music; No long introductions or logos.

 

I expect:

  • A senior to come in with a can-do attitude.
  • A senior to debate, but not be argumentative when they don’t get their way, because they have learned to let go.
  • A senior to have a great desire to teach when someone asks to learn.
  • A senior to not think of themselves as better than their peers just because they have more experience.
  • A senior to have mastered dynamics.
  • A senior to have a great understanding of mixing and mastering.
  • A senior to have a wide knowledge of audio middleware, to the point they can implement new ideas and have good organization skills.
  • A senior to have a DAW of choice but willing to learn others.
  • A senior to have plugins that are always in their sessions.
  • A senior to have favorite microphones and know how to use them.
  • A senior to work together with the audio lead as an extension of them and not being a hindrance.
  • A senior to represent the best in the audio team.
  • A senior to put others before themselves.
  • A senior to not point fingers at others when something goes wrong.
  • A senior to not care about awards.
  • A senior to communicate well within the audio team and other departments.
  • A senior to have mastered creature sounds to the point that breathing sounds are more important than anything else, and can explain why.
  • A senior to accept that to work in audio means you are always learning.
  • A senior to have a favorite video game or movie because of the audio (Why? To show you are paying attention to what others are doing).
  • A senior to show their work in progress even when it is ugly.
  • A senior to fight against crunch and overtime.
  • A senior always to be happy to help, even outside of their department.
  • A senior to be strict about themselves and forgiving of others.

My recommendations to Senior Sound Designers:

 

Listen to sound design/audio podcasts; Read books about game design and other departments outside of audio; Read things like philosophy as it can help center yourself to become a better person because you represent the pinnacle of the audio workforce; Keep a network of people that are not just sound designers, but work in the industry.

 


 

Final thoughts:

As you can probably glean, the expectations of a senior are massive, but not so much in the area of audio creation. You can teach a person to create sound and direct them when the creative part is lacking, but you cannot teach a person attitude or good demeanor. That requires self-realization on their part and the willingness to improve their character. I guess this is why I hardly ever hired seniors because most of the people I talked to wanted to be seniors because they thought they deserved to be.

Ego and general narcissism with a dash of nepotism are found everywhere in the game industry, and when it comes from a senior, it can cause an entire department to break. I’ve witnessed juniors and intermediate sound designers misbehaving because the seniors put a bad foot forward.
Like a rotten apple placed within a bushel of good ones, they’ll start to rot.
But you know what I have never seen? A senior with excellent creative skills cause others in the team to have the same design skills by just creating things. Again, a senior is more about their demeanor and attitude and less about that trick they learned.

I don’t consider a sound designer a senior until they have proven they are more interested in building a suitable environment for the intermediates and juniors to thrive in, putting their work before their own.
One could argue that it smells more like an audio lead, which is not entirely wrong. I believe a senior is an extension to the audio lead, except the senior get their hands dirty in the craft.

These were my thoughts.

 

A big thanks to Glenn Gullskjegg Goa for letting us share their insights on sound design roles and expectations!

 

Please share this:


 

About Glenn Gullskjegg Goa:

 
Glenn Gullskjegg Goa is a senior sound designer currently working on Baldur’s Gate 3 with over a decade in game audio. Before, they worked as an Audio Director at Frostburn Studios. Learn more about Glenn Gullskjegg Goa here.



 
 
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  • Strident and Demonic

    Expand the timbre of your horror violins and cellos with CIRCUS, a sinister sample pack featuring 180 WAV sounds of screeching or high-pitched string noises, perfect for horror music and dark sound design.

    Creative Tension

    This collection offers a curated selection of screeches, high-tension tremolo, heavy jeté strokes, dark demonic textures, finger patterns, chaotic string elements, clock loops and bow accents.

    Haunting and Experimental

    Create haunting atmospheres, perfect for horror, thriller or experimental soundtracks. Every element has been designed to unsettle and disturb, blurring the line between music and noise.

  • ⏰ For a very limited time:
    Add this library to the cart and enter ah4launch in the cart coupon field – to sprinkle an extra launch discount, on top of the current discount!

    Animal Hyperrealism Vol IV is a sound library containing animal vocalisations, from real to designed creatures totaling more than 2000 individual sounds in 294 files. The sounds were recorded in zoos, and wildlife centers.

    The asset list includes but is not limited to: hippos, hyenas, vultures, dwarf mongooses, elephants, African cranes, parrots, tigers, pigmy hippos, rhea ostriches, brown bears, pheasants, wildebeests, African wild dogs and many more. The content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, an Avisoft CMPA and a Sennheiser 8050 for center plus two Sennheiser MKH8040 for stereo image.

    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

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Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Car Sound Effects Compact Cars 3 Play Track 2385 sounds included, 412 mins total $250

    Compilation of 10 different compact cars. Sounds are recorded with RØDE NTG1, RØDELink Lav, Line Audio Omni1, Shure KSM137, Shure VP88, Sonorous Objects SO.3 FEL Pluggy XLR EM272 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II, Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with RØDE NTG1, Line Audio Omni1 and FEL Clippy XLR EM272 microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II recorder. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is only available in UCS.

  • Hum, Buzz & Glitch Sound Effects Massive Soldering Play Track 426 sounds included, 15 mins total $29.99

    MASSIVE SOLDERING – 426 files of solder sound effects, from several component repair sessions. From quick zips and zaps, to burning, sizzling and melting sears. Massive Soldering comes in at over 15 minutes, of metallic hisses and harsh bubbling. Bring the power of metallic vapors to your next project. Recorded at 192kHz and 32bit, using microphones capable of recording ultrasonic frequencies. Massive Soldering filenames are in the Universal Category System format with additional Metadata baked-in.
    Don’t need a Massive amount of Solder sound effects? We offer ‘Mini’ sound effect libraries as companions for all of our ‘Massive’ sound effect libraries. All recordings are unique to each library with no overlap. Go Mini today, and upgrade to the corresponding Massive library later, when you need more of that particular sound effect.

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  • Hum, Buzz & Glitch Sound Effects Mini Soldering Play Track 50 sounds included, 2 mins total $6.99

    MINI SOLDERING – 50 files of solder sound effects, from several component repair sessions. From quick zips and zaps, to burning, sizzling and melting sears. Mini Soldering comes in at over 2 minutes, of metallic hisses and harsh bubbling. Bring the power of metallic vapors to your next project. Recorded at 192kHz and 32bit, using microphones capable of recording ultrasonic frequencies. Mini Soldering filenames are in the Universal Category System format with additional Metadata baked-in.
    Looking for a Massive amount of Solder sound effects? We offer ‘Massive’ sound effect libraries as companions for all of our ‘Mini’ sound effect libraries. All recordings are unique to each library with no overlap. Go Mini today, and upgrade to the corresponding Massive library later, when you need more of that particular sound effect.

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  • Foley Sound Effects Cards and Dice Play Track 930+ sounds included $14.99

    Cards and Dice is a winning collection of tactile tabletop sounds. Shuffle, riffle, deal, flip and fold through two distinct decks — one old and soft, one crisp and snappy.

    Roll D20s, D6s and mini D6s by hand or with a dice tumbler across felt, wood and cork tabletops.

    Stack, slide and scatter poker chips with satisfying weight and precision.

    Perfect for games, animations and interface feedback.

    Includes 930 files recorded in 24bit / 96khz.

    25 %
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