7 Best Game Music Composition Courses

Published: October 18, 2023

If you’re interested in getting into this exciting field, then be sure to check out these best game music composition courses offered online. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the top ones out there.

There is no question that video games are a popular form of entertainment. In fact, video game industry revenues now exceed those of traditional movie and music industries combined. And with this level of popularity comes an ever-growing demand for talented composers to score the music for these games.

So whether you’re a beginner just starting out, or an experienced composer looking to broaden your skill set, there’s sure to be something here for you.

Let’s get started!

Each of these top game music composing classes has been reviewed based on the following factors:

  • Who can take this course? Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Level
  • Details of the course
  • Course duration
  • Price
  • What the students have to say about the course
  • Numbers of students who enrolled in this course

List of the Best 7 Online Game Music Composition Courses for 2023

  1. Top Notch Music Composition Course – Udemy
  2. Most Popular Video Game Music Theory Class – Udemy
  3. Complete A-Z Game Music Composition Course – Udemy
  4. High-Quality Game Music Composing Class for Beginners – Udemy
  5. Online Video Game Music Composition Course – Udemy
  6. Self Paces Video Game Soundtrack Course – Domestika
  7. Soundtrack Game Music Composer Masterclass – Alison

These courses have not been listed in any particular order. But we do have our top picks. Course numbers 1 and 7 are amazing for beginners. They’re also affordable and are great to explore game music composition in depth.

1. Top Notch Game Music Composition Course – Udemy

Video Game Music Composing courses

If you want to learn how to compose game music from scratch then this is the perfect course for you.

The online game music composing course will take you 20 hours and 12 minutes to complete. Moreover, it consists of 29 downloadable resources, 20 hours of on-demand videos, and 13 articles. This is a good enough time to grasp all the concepts.

The course will surely teach you a lot.

The course is priced at USD 29.99 which is pretty decent considering how much you will learn.

We went through student reviews and noticed that the students were very happy with it. This is what one student had to say:

“Each and every section of this course is well structured and thanks to Karleen for smooth explanation throughout the course.”

This is a highly recommended music composing course which is rated at 4.6 out of 5.0. This is a pretty great rating.

Even better, the course is a bestseller on Udemy.

The course has 25,810 students already enrolled in it which show how popular it is.

If you like composing game music, this course is for you.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Video game music and composing basics
  • Introduction to FL Studio
  • Project 1: Town Theme
  • Project 2: game character music
  • Project 3: 8-Bit chiptune music
  • Project 4: Adaptive music with FMOD and unity
  • Project 5: Casual, social and mobile game music
  • Project 6: RPG battle and boss battle music
  • Course Challange

Considering how great this course is, our rating for it is 9.0/9.0.

2. Most Popular Video Game Music Theory Class – Udemy

online game music course

This next Udemy course is pretty great for every level. It teaches you everything from scratch, transcending into higher levels.

The total course duration is 12 hours and 18 minutes and consists of 12.5 hours of on-demand video along with 18 downloadable resources.

The game music composing class is currently available for USD 16.99 which is pretty great considering how much there is to learn.

This lesson is amazing and very well-liked by students. It has a rating of 4.6 out of 5.0 which shows how great the course is.

The reviews are also mostly positive for this course. Here is what most students had to say about it:

“Absolutely amazing. I can now make music I never thought I could before!”

The total enrolled students in this course are 10,060 which is a lot and clearly shows the popularity of the course among fellow learners.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Receiving the project
  • Orchestra
  • Game music compositional guidelines
  • psychological music theory tricks
  • Assignment 1
  • Game composing effeciency
  • Scoring for emotions
  • Scoring for setting
  • Scoring for atmosphare
  • Assignment 2
  • Stringers
  • Assignment 3
  • Other general game music
  • Ensuring music is comprehensive
  • Adaptive music
  • Cutsscenes
  • Assignment 4
  • Game genres and their music
  • Essenial mixing for Orchestra

Overall, we are rating this lesson as 8.5/9.0. Because it provides learning from scratch and is affordable in price

3. Complete A-Z Game Music Composition Course – Udemy

video game music courses

The third game music composition course we have for you is from Udemy. This course is ideal for people looking to explore at any level.

The course will give you several valuable insights including:

  • Learn how to compose original music for video games
  • Learn how to use digital audio workstations (DAWs)
  • Learn foundational music theory practices

This is a short game music composing course but it is packed with information. The total duration is 1 hour and 44 minutes with 2 hours of on-demand videos and 25 lectures. All this, for the price of USD 16.99, which is quite cheap. The course is currently on sale so make sure to avail of it.

Students have rated the course 4.2 out of 5.0 which is pretty good. Student reviews were very positive too with comments like:

“I had trouble composing melodies for a while until I bought this course, I’m now able to compose songs daily because of him and it is very enjoyable doing so. I purchased a lot of expensive VSTs, but I didn’t know how to use them until now.”

The course certainly offers a lot of learning.

Overall, this video game music composition course has 36 students enrolled which is not a lot but we believe that the course has a lot of potential that are yet to be tapped.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Free videos game music composing tools
  • Introduction to video game music
  • Video game music compsing methods
  • Hpw to make creatie profile for your video game
  • Music theory in video games
  • Using cakewalk to improve your video game music
  • Using FMod and unity game engine

Considering how fast-paced the lesson is, our rating for it is 8.0/9.0

4. High Quality Game Music Composing Class for Beginners – Udemy

learn game music composition online

The next Udemy course is the highest-rated one and is perfect for beginners.

You can learn so much from this course if you give it a chance.

This is all that the course has in store for you:

  • Learn how to make music right from the beginning.
  • Learn about musical theory
  • Create Music to be used in games

It is a moderately long course that spans over 8 hours and 27 minutes. The course has almost 8.5 hours of on-demand video and 70 lectures.

The course is packed with learning!

Currently, the course is priced at USD 16.99 which is relatively cheap.

Based on student reviews, the course is amazing. Here is what students had to say about it:

Very good course. Gave me a much deeper understanding of and appreciation for LMMS and a lot to think about when I am making my own music.”

Overall the course has a rating of 5.0 out of 5.0 which shows how amazing it is. The total number of students enrolled in this course is 132 which is not a lot but we believe this course will soon gain traction.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Introdcution
  • Section Musical structure
  • Section Some music theory
  • Section iterative approach
  • Section modulare music

Our rating for the course is 8.5/9.0.

5. Online Video Game Music Composition Course – Udemy

music composition for games

This comprehensive course has been designed for all levels who want to learn everything there is to know about video game music.

The course certainly has a lot to offer.

Some of the key learning areas include:

  • How to compose music for various genres of games.
  • An in-depth tutorial on sound design and how to compose chip-tune music.
  • Necessary skills and mindset to work on the current video game infrastructure.

This online music composition course is currently available for USD 16.99 which is relatively cheap but considering the learning insights it has to offer, it is certainly a great one.

For this price, you will get access to 3 hours of on-demand video, and 2 downloadable resources.

We went through the course material and it is packed with useful information which will help you in becoming a video game music composer.

Overall, you will be able to complete this amazing course within 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Students really like this course based on the reviews. It has a high rating of 4.5 out of 5.0.

 We went over the reviews and saw that students were raving about it with comments such as:

“Very nicely explained. The Chiptune music section is by far the best. So many things to learn. I didn’t know about Chiptune music at all at first. Now I have some idea. Great!!”

Just like several of the 30 students recommend the course, we do too.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Basic music terms
  • General information in video games
  • Chiptune or 8-bit music composition
  • Seamless music
  • Motif and leitmotif
  • Puzzle games for mobile devices – Composition
  • Medieval and renaissance music
  • Modes in music
  • Medieval and renaissance music
  • Fantasy music
  • Orchestra music
  • Suspense music
  • General information for successful game music composer

Based on the course price and reviews, we give the course a rating of 8.0/9.0.

6. Self Paces Video Game Sountrack Course – Domestika

video game music composition: make music for games

Want to learn how to design video game soundtracks?

This course will be perfect for you!

The course has so much to offer. More precisely, this is what you will learn:

  • Learn the composition process to transform your ideas into catchy melodies
  • Discover the power of chord progressions and the emotions they can impart
  • Explore how to engage your audience through the cultural music

The course comes with 19 additional resources and extends up to 3 hours and 12 minutes with 16 lessons in total.

The price of the course is very market competitive and is currently available for USD 16.99. This is certainly a great catch!

Student reviews are pretty positive as well. They love it:

“ This course is excellent. The tutor (Antonio) explains everything very well.”

What more?

The course has 100% positive ratings. This certification is widely liked by students so you will surely love it too.

So far, the course has 504 students enrolled in it and the number is constantly growing.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Game Music 101
    • Explaining Game Music and Its Elements
    • Logic Pro X Basics
    • Virtual Instruments: First Party
    • Virtual Instruments: Third Parties
    • Music Theory: Chord Progression
    • Music Theory: Melody
  • Game Music Composition
    • Analyzing the Game and Sketching a Musical Idea
    • Music Structure
    • Arranging and Orchestrating: Strings
    • Arranging and Orchestrating: Woodwinds and Brass
  • Editing Game Music
    • Balancing
    • Creating a Perfect Loop
    • Finishing and Exporting Your Music
    • How to Start in the Industry
  • Final project
    • Designing Video Game Soundtracks for Beginners

Our rating for the course is 8.5/9.0.

7. Soundtrack Game Music Composer Masterclass – Alison

online video game music composition class

The last course is a comprehensive masterclass that covers the essentials of game music.

Such masterclasses are great for learning because they cover everything in a comprehensive way.

This is what you will cover in the course:

  • Identify how to use a digital audio workstation for a soundtrack
  • Discuss applying music theory of Themes, Motifs, Scales, and Modes.
  • Develop musical ideas from scratch.

The learning from this course will be great!

You can do this course at your own pace and will take you between 4 to 5 hours to complete.

Not just this, the course is absolutely free!

What is stopping you from enrolling in it then?

It even has a stellar rating of 5.0 out of 5.0 and has gained quite a significant level of traction. The course currently has 5,691 students enrolled in it which is quite a lot.

The Following are the topic you can expect to learn:

  • Introduction to Soundtrack Composer Masterclass
  • Music Theory: Coming Up With Musical Ideas
  • Film Music With Just Two Chords
  • Motifs, Themes, and Analysis of Time (Inception Theme song)
  • Leitmotifs
  • Major and Minor Scales
  • Using Modes
  • How To Make Scary Music

Our rating is 9.0/9.0.

Best Game Music Composition Courses - FAQs

How Do Game Composers Start?

There is no one formula for becoming a game composer. However, there are some key steps that can help you get started in this rewarding field. It is important to have a strong foundation in music. This means having a good understanding of musical theory and composition. If you do not have a formal music education, there are still many ways to develop these skills. You can take online courses, find a musical mentor, or simply listen to and analyze a lot of music.

Do You Need to Go to College to Be a Composer?

Except when applying for teaching positions, becoming a composer normally doesn’t require formal education. However, music composers need a lot of training and practice to master and refine their trade, just like musicians and vocalists do. This is where online courses can help you out immensely.

How Much Do Video Game Music Composers Make?

The average salary for video game composers in the US is $48,891, with salaries ranging from $10,193 to $268,601. With the top 86 percent earning $268,601, the middle 57% of video game composers earn between $48,891 and $121,917 annually.

Conclusion

Want to become a great game music composer?

We have the best courses through which you can jump-start your career.

If you want to step into this field, courses numbers 1 and 9 are recommended among these best game music composition courses. They have great insights and are taught by amazing instructors who teach you from scratch.

What more do you want?

If you are passionate about music production, why not learn music composition so you can create your own music? Or, if you want to learn how to play another instrument besides the harmonica, check out our list of other top music courses.