Exploring the World of Music for Video Games with Lindsey Kohon

This month on our SAS Speaker Series, we are joined by the one-and-only Lindsey Kohon, Head of Music at gnet agency! In this episode, Lindsey gives us a deep dive into the intricacies of selecting music for video games, the best approach for composing music for video games, and the importance of sound design.

Exploring the World of Music for Video Games with Lindsey Kohon

Jordan Passman: Tell us about your creative process for selecting video game music.

Lindsey Kohon: At gnet, it varies depending on the project and client. Sometimes, a client will come in with a very specific idea, but that is pretty rare. What usually happens is a client comes to us for our creative input. We have a very strong and talented creative team and that is where the ideas start. It will be either myself or another creative director who sits down with the creative team and we just start bouncing ideas around.

Jordan Passman: What sort of trends are you seeing in music for video games? Have some of them come and gone and then come back again? I'm curious what your predictions are of where the trends are going for video game music.

Lindsey Kohon: We haven't seen the end of mashups yet. The same goes for covers and remixes. Two years ago, we did a really cool mashup for Call of Duty with "Eye of the Tiger" featuring Missy Elliott and Lizzo. That was so much fun. For me personally, I am really big on sound design. I always love a trailer that is heavy in sound design and I'd love to see more of that.

Jordan Passman: The gaming industry fans are probably some of the most dedicated fans in the world. So every time you're putting out new content, it feels like millions of people are going to be looking at it and scrutinizing it. How do you incorporate that feedback into future decision-making when it comes to music selection and creative? Is that something you weigh out personally or is it the company?

Lindsey Kohon: I think fans have a lot to say and rightfully so. We want them to think what we're creating is cool and exciting. Take Call of Duty, for instance. Going into every season of Call of Duty, you try to do something fresh and something that they haven't seen before. I think that's always the take. Juxtaposition for each new season is so important. Oftentimes, you're in a different era. Maybe it's the Cold War or maybe it's the '80s. That aspect can be indicative of where our music selection and creative goes.

Jordan Passman: What advice do you have for composers trying to get into the game?

Lindsey Kohon: I have a lot of young composers reach out to me and what I tell them is to build up their own library. Go onto other sites and go onto YouTube because a lot of libraries post their work on YouTube as well. While doing that research make sure to listen. Listen to what's out there and start building up your own albums. Also, network. Start on LinkedIn and just keep on connecting with people in the industry.

That's a Wrap on Music for Video Games with Lindsey Kohon!

We want to send another big thank you to Lindsey Kohon for sharing her insights about the process of selecting music for video games. Make sure to stay tuned for upcoming episodes by following us on LinkedIn or Instagram. Until next time!