What does a $44 million video game sound like?

This week on Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, game composer Tim Larkin breaks down the high-stakes world of e-sports music. From scoring Dota 2 tournaments with 100-piece orchestras to building adaptive music systems that respond to gameplay, Tim reveals what it takes to create soundtracks that elevate the gaming experience. If you’ve ever wondered how music in games works or how orchestras fit into digital worlds, this episode is a must-listen.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• How Tim Larkin scored the $44M Dota 2 International tournament
• The structure of dynamic, reactive video game music
• Why game concerts feel like rock shows
• The shift from writing jingles to scoring blockbuster games
• Real orchestras vs samples in game scoring
• How Valve supports creativity in music production
• Recording with orchestras across Seattle, Utah, Budapest
• The realities of composing for long vs short dev cycles
• Tim’s transition from live trumpet gigs to game soundtracks
• Advice for aspiring game composers in today’s flooded market
BEST MOMENTS
00:01:52. “Every year we put on what's called The International, which is kind of like the Super Bowl of e-sports.”
00:02:12. “We peaked out at a prize pool of about $44 million for a video game.”
00:03:44. “The audience knows the music. So it's like doing a rock concert in a way.”
00:04:27. “The first company that came up was Broderbund… they hired us basically on the spot.”
00:05:06. “In video games, the music is reactive. It’s dynamic.”
00:06:06. “With Dota, as the action intensifies, so does the music based on layers.”
00:07:40. “You're talking $20 to $40,000 maybe for an orchestra. It's a small part of a multimillion-dollar event.”
00:14:15. “My goal in college was to be a session player. I tried to learn every type of music possible.”
00:27:17. “You’ve got to listen to good music. If you can’t reach that bar, don’t try to approach it.”

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