LibGuides: Music Appreciation: Video Game Music

Featured Books

A Composer's Guide to Game Music by Winifred Phillips
ISBN: 9780262321341
Publication Date: 2014-02-14
A comprehensive, practical guide to composing video game music, from acquiring the necessary skills to finding work in the field. Music in video games is often a sophisticated, complex composition that serves to engage the player, set the pace of play, and aid interactivity. Composers of video game music must master an array of specialized skills not taught in the conservatory, including the creation of linear loops, music chunks for horizontal resequencing, and compositional fragments for use within a generative framework.
Playing Along: Digital Games, YouTube, and Virtual Performance by Kiri Miller
ISBN: 9780199753468
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Why don't Guitar Hero players just pick up real guitars? What happens when millions of people play the role of a young black gang member in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas? How are YouTube-based music lessons changing the nature of amateur musicianship? This book is about play, performance, and participatory culture in the digital age. Miller shows how video games and social media are bridging virtual and visceral experience, creating dispersed communities who forge meaningful connections by "playing along" with popular culture.

Websites Recommended by Your Instructor

The Evolution of Video Game Music - An NPR story with links to web resources at the bottom.

The Importance of Music in Video Games - A 5-minute YouTube video on the importance of music in video games.

What's the Future of Music in Video Games - A slightly longer (about 12.5 minutes) YouTube video from the BBC about developments in video game music.

Finding Books and Articles on Video Game Music

Finding Magazine and Journal Articles on Video Game Music:

The best RTC database for finding articles in video game music is ProQuest. Try some of these searches: (You'll have to log in using your RTC student email address and password.)

You can also try searching in JSTOR. RTC Library doesn't carry all of the JSTOR collection, if you find something we don't carry, ask us about Interlibrary Loaning books and articles.

Finding eBooks on Video Game Music:

Try EBSCOhost Community College eBook Collection for ebooks on video game music.

Video Game Music Online

1-Hour Music Mix | The Best Video Game Soundtracks
Music from World of Warcraft, The Witcher, Overwatch, League of Legends, and more.
Video Game Music for Studying 1
Animal Crossing, Skyward Sword, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and more.
The Legend of Zelda: Windwalker
2.5 hours.
Super Mario Galaxy
2 hours and 10 minutes.