Scoring for Video or Games

Write to picture, not to bars — sync, emotional arc, layers and delivery formats

The picture already exists and needs music to tell its time. This path works in seconds and emotional arcs, not bars; music is a layer of the narrative, not decoration stuck on top.

Who this path is for

For anyone holding a cut, a level or a storyboard; also for composers aiming at paid work. Not for writing the song first and hunting for footage later — go to Writing a Song.

Read these three first

• Introduction to film scoring — music is the second layer of narrative; settle its relation to picture first.
• Music and picture — sync points, counterpoint and contrast decide whether music follows the image or collides with it.
• The scoring workflow — spotting, writing cues, recording and mixing; process beats waiting for inspiration.

What comes next

• Introduction to game audio — game music is a system of triggered and stitched assets, not one fixed track.
• Leitmotif — one short motive marks a character and narrates by transformation, not by new material.
• Emotional arc — tension and release, not a long crescendo.
• Temp tracks and reference strategy — a temp track reveals the brief and can trap the original.
• Score delivery and stems — delivery is more than a stereo file.
• Sync licensing in practice — using someone else's track starts with clearing rights.

What you can skip

Verse-chorus songwriting, mastering and loudness polishing, AI generation detail, deep orchestration. Write the cue with samples first; orchestration can follow.

Common detours

1. Writing three minutes first, then fitting picture. Picture decides length. 2. New music for every shot. Change that often and the audience remembers nothing. 3. Delivering one stereo file. Stem naming and loudness are part of delivery too.