Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

(Berklee Guide). Videogames, web sites, and other new media are creating more opportunities for contemporary music writers than have ever existed before. In this book, you will learn to write effectively for these new forms, mastering the devices, sounds, and techniques for supporting stories and responding to user actions. It details the technical and dramatic requirements necessary for each type of new media. In engaging language, illustrated by countless real-world examples and practical workshops, writers at all levels will find ways to create music for new markets, and find new opportunities for creative expression. Guided hands-on projects will help you create music in all these forms. A CD of examples and practice files illustrates all concepts and lets you practice the techniques. Readers will learn to: * Score videogames, developing music for different characters, addressing the standard types of scenes and cues, and the formats required by game publishers * Develop music for web sites, including HTML and Flash code * Use sound technologies within mobile devices to create distinctive ringtones and other sounds * Create demos and portfolios for getting clients.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• CD Directory (p. x)
• Introduction (p. xiii)
• Part I The Basics
• Chapter 1 Interactive Media (p. 3)
• Communicating with Music (p. 4)
• Media, Messages, and Content (p. 4)
• Linear Content and Media (p. 5)
• Interactive Content and Media (p. 6)
• Presentations (p. 6)
• Games (p. 7)
• The World Wide Web (p. 7)
• Mobile Media (p. 8)
• Composing Interactive Soundtracks (p. 8)
• Linear versus Interactive Content (p. 9)
• Running Time versus Total Scene Time (p. 11)
• How Does Interactivity Affect Music Composition? (p. 15)
• Exercise 1.1 Start a Log (p. 16)
• What's Next? (p. 16)
• Chapter 2 Sequences and Loops (p. 19)
• Sequences (p. 20)
• Sequencers (p. 21)
• MIDI Acoustic Instruments (p. 22)
• MIDI Synthesizers (p. 23)
• MIDI Samplers (p. 24)
• Music File Formats (p. 25)
• Sequences for Interactive Media (p. 25)
• Loops (p. 26)
• Exercise 2.1 Make a Looped Sequence (p. 27)
• Loop Programs (p. 31)
• Loop Transitions (p. 32)
• Controlling Transitions (p. 33)
• 1 Volume Transition (p. 35)
• 2 Tempo Transition (p. 36)
• 3 Rhythm Transition (p. 37)
• 4 Key Transition (p. 38)
• 5 Harmony Transition (p. 39)
• 6 Texture Transition (p. 41)
• 7 Style Transition (p. 41)
• Overall Transition Change (p. 42)
• Exercise 2.2 Loop Transitions (p. 43)
• Avoid Monotony (p. 43)
• Exercise 2.3 Make a Drum Groove (p. 44)
• Variations in Loops and Sequence Repetition (p. 44)
• Variations in Orchestration (p. 45)
• What's Next? (p. 45)
• Chapter 3 Musical Identities (p. 47)
• Marriage of Music and Visual Images (p. 48)
• IDs: Logos, Earcons, Themes, Leitmotifs (p. 49)
• Identities (p. 49)
• Logos (p. 50)
• Exercise 3.1 Compose a Musical Logo (p. 51)
• Earcons (p. 52)
• Exercise 3.2 Compose a Set of Earcons (p. 52)
• Themes (p. 52)
• Exercise 3.3 Compose a Theme (p. 54)
• Leitmotifs (p. 54)
• Exercise 3.4 Compose Two Videogame Leitmotifs (p. 55)
• Music as a Navigation Aid (p. 56)
• What's Next? (p. 59)
• Chapter 4 Functional Music (p. 61)
• Composing Techniques (p. 62)
• What Is the Objective of the Scene? (p. 62)
• How Can Music Help Achieve That Objective? (p. 62)
• What Are the Strengths of the Scene? (p. 62)
• What Are the Weaknesses of the Scene? (p. 63)
• Steps to Composing (p. 63)
• Functional Music Helps Tell a Story (p. 63)
• Previewing Music and Images Together (p. 64)
• Drama (p. 65)
• Exercise 4.1 Score a Dramatic Scene (p. 66)
• Action (p. 66)
• Exercise 4.2 Score an Action Scene (p. 68)
• Humor (p. 69)
• Exercise 4.3 Score a Humorous Scene (p. 71)
• Characterization (p. 72)
• Exercise 4.4 Compose a Character Theme (p. 74)
• Narrative (p. 74)
• Exercise 4.5 Compose a Narrative Song (p. 76)
• Setting: Place, Time, and Culture (p. 76)
• Exercise 4.6 Evoke a Setting (p. 77)
• Atmosphere (p. 77)
• Exercise 4.7 Compose an Ambient Track (p. 78)
• Using Functional Categories (p. 78)
• What's Next? (p. 79)
• Part II The Media
• Chapter 5 Presentations (p. 83)
• Business Presentations (p. 84)
• Stripfilms and Slideshows (p. 85)
• Presentation Programs (p. 86)
• PowerPoint Music (p. 87)
• Exercise 5.1 Adding Music to a Presentation Slide (p. 87)
• Linear versus Interactive Presentations (p. 92)
• Slides = Chapters in a Story (p. 93)
• Using Dramatic Arc = Telling a Good Story (p. 93)
• Finding Presentation Work (p. 96)
• Temping a Project (p. 96)
• Exercise 5.2 Temp Score a Presentation (p. 97)
• What's Next? (p. 97)
• Chapter 6 Web Music (p. 99)
• The Web and the Internet (p. 100)
• Music in Web Sites (p. 101)
• Special Considerations for Web Site Music (p. 102)
• Orchestration (p. 103)
• Web Media Players (p. 104)
• MIDI through Browsers (p. 104)
• Technical Issues (p. 105)
• Web Music Categories (p. 105)
• Advertisements (p. 105)
• Photography Show Ad (p. 106)
• Exercise 6.1 Score a Web Ad (p. 106)
• Auto Ads (p. 107)
• Autobytel Web Site (p. 107)
• Presentations, Mini-Dramas, Sitcoms, etc (p. 108)
• Exercise 6.2 Score a Webisode (p. 108)
• Animations (p. 108)
• Exercise 6.3 Score Another Webisode (p. 109)
• Home Page Identities (p. 109)
• Exercise 6.4 Glenn Gould Foundation Home Page (p. 110)
• Shopping Sites (p. 110)
• Information Sites (p. 111)
• Promotional Sites (p. 111)
• Exercise 6.5 Music for Shoppings Information, and Promotional Sites (p. 111)
• Optional Advanced Exercise (p. 112)
• Browser Games (p. 112)
• HTML Web Authoring (p. 113)
• Exercise 6.6 HTML for Playing Music in Web Pages (p. 115)
• Exercise 6.7 Add Music to a Web Page (p. 117)
• Flash (p. 117)
• Example: User Controls of Flash Files (p. 119)
• Formats for Flash Authoring (p. 119)
• Exercise 6.8 Add Flash Music to a Web Page (p. 119)
• To Tech or Not to Tech, That's the Question (p. 121)
• What's Next? (p. 122)
• Chapter 7 Videogame Music (p. 123)
• Videogame Structure (p. 124)
• Attractor (p. 124)
• Startup (p. 124)
• Situation (p. 125)
• Transition (p. 125)
• Success (p. 125)
• Failure (p. 125)
• Ultimate Failure (p. 126)
• Ultimate Success (p. 126)
• Closing Credits (p. 126)
• Exercise 7.1 Temp a Game (p. 126)
• Videogame Platforms (p. 128)
• Arcade Games (p. 129)
• Exercise 7.2 Arcade Games (p. 131)
• Home Gaming Consoles (p. 131)
• Differences for Composers (p. 133)
• Console Platforms (p. 134)
• Exercise 7.3 Home Console Games (p. 136)
• Computer Gaming (p. 136)
• Differences for Composers (p. 137)
• Exercise 7.4 Computer Games (p. 138)
• Platform Target Audiences (p. 138)
• Game Music Authoring (p. 139)
• Sample Sequencers for Auditioning Soundtracks (p. 140)
• Exercise 7.5 Auditioning Music with Video (p. 142)
• Exercise 7.6 Mock Up a Game Soundtrack (p. 142)
• What's Next? (p. 142)
• Chapter 8 Game Process and Genres (p. 143)
• Process (p. 144)
• Genres (p. 145)
• Twitch (Action) Games (p. 145)
• Exercise 8.1 Compose a Twitch Game Music Score (p. 147)
• Role-Playing Games (RPGs) (p. 147)
• Exercise 8.2 Compose an RPG Game Score (p. 151)
• Strategy Games (p. 152)
• Exercise 8.3 Compose a Strategy Game Score (p. 153)
• Simulation Games (Sims) (p. 154)
• Instructional Games (p. 156)
• Music and Dance (p. 156)
• What's Next? (p. 157)
• Chapter 9 Mobile Media Music (p. 159)
• Mobile and Portable Media (p. 160)
• Composing for Mobile Media (p. 161)
• Compressed Music (p. 162)
• Meta-Music (p. 163)
• Exercise 9.1 6-Part MIDI Music (p. 163)
• MIDI for Mobiles (p. 164)
• Compressed Audio (p. 166)
• Playback Sound Quality (p. 167)
• Mobile Game Consoles (p. 167)
• PIMs (p. 169)
• Pocket PCs (p. 170)
• Smartphones (p. 171)
• What's Next? (p. 172)
• Part III Professional Tips
• Chapter 10 Resthetics (p. 175)
• More or Less? (p. 176)
• Acoustic or Synthetic Instruments (p. 176)
• Getting the Style Right (p. 177)
• Unity and Uniqueness (p. 178)
• What's Next? (p. 179)
• Chapter 11 Working Environment (p. 181)
• Sharing Creative Space (p. 182)
• Lead, Follow, and Collaborate (p. 183)
• Be a Good Listener and Interpreter (p. 184)
• Accept and Incorporate Criticism (p. 185)
• Cautionary Words About Sleep (p. 186)
• What's Next? (p. 186)
• Chapter 12 Finding Work (p. 189)
• Your Demo Disk (p. 190)
• Marketing Yourself and Your Work (p. 192)
• Finding Work (p. 193)
• Business Arrangements (p. 194)
• Appendix Technical Info (p. 197)
• Downloading and Streaming Music (p. 198)
• Audio File Formats (p. 199)
• Sample Rate (p. 201)
• Bit Depth (p. 201)
• Wet or Dry? (p. 202)
• Surround Sound (p. 202)
• Delivery and Backup Media (p. 203)
• Wrap-up (p. 205)
• About the Author (p. 207)
• Index (p. 208)