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Good article. For my part, I've never been able to survive on game work alone, from 2013 to now. It's always been the side thing. Everyone I work with is great and we're trying to do the best for each other. I often rely on people wanting to repeat work with me cuz new opps are slim.

Peterline6@nowplaying.cool

EXCLUSIVE: 2026 is shaping up to become one of the most nefarious years for video game layoffs. I spent the last couple of months asking game music composers a very simple question: how are you holding up? nowplaying.cool/how-indie-ga...

I think you would have to be doing a couple full soundtracks a year to survive off game music alone, and besides that opportunity only existing for very few composers, that's also a brutal hustle. I have to switch it up and have a few lanes. Bottom line is most of us virtually have at least 3 jobs.

I think it's great that devs can go with different musicians across their development careers and introduce new colors to the work. But boy, it sure would be great for composer morale and institutional knowledge if there was such a thing as in-house sound teams again.

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I've been wondering how that side of the industry has been going lately, where it feels like everyone has to go freelance and work from their apartments to accomplish anything creative these days...