GameSoundCon
GameSoundCon (SoundCon, LLC) operates the annual GameSoundCon conference for video game music and sound design professionals in Burbank, CA with online access, and publishes the annual Game Audio Industry Survey tracking game audio compensation and trends.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What GameSoundCon does
GameSoundCon (legally SoundCon, LLC) is a privately held conference and education business founded around 2008 by Brian Schmidt, a 33-year veteran of the game sound and music business, and headquartered in Bellevue, WA. The company's core offering is the annual GameSoundCon conference, a two-day professional event held at the Burbank Convention Center in Burbank, CA, with a hybrid online access option that includes real-time streaming, live text chat, and 12 months of recorded session playback. The conference covers video game music composition, sound design, dialogue, technology, business/career topics, virtual/mixed reality audio, and interactive audio research, serving composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, researchers, and educators across the game audio profession.
The business generates revenue through two primary streams: conference registration tickets (in-person and online) and corporate sponsorships. Tickets are sold on a pay-as-you-go basis, with online access providing a self-serve channel for global attendees. A complementary product is the annual Game Audio Industry Survey, published since 2014, which tracks compensation, working conditions, contract terms, and education trends in the game audio profession; the survey is conducted in partnership with the Game Audio Network Guild (GANG). The 2023 survey drew 645 responses from working professionals, up from 391 in 2019.
GameSoundCon has no disclosed funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and operates with 1–10 employees as a bootstrapped, founder-owned business. Distribution is hybrid (regional in-person + global online), marketing is content-led through a blog covering royalties, hiring, and personal finance for composers plus an email newsletter, and the company has donated over $123,000 since 2020 to Education Through Music - Los Angeles (ETM-LA), with a 2026 commitment of $20 per ticket sold to the same partner.
GameSoundCon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GameSoundCon
- Legal name
- SoundCon, LLC
- Website
- https://gamesoundcon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GameSoundCon (SoundCon, LLC) operates the annual GameSoundCon conference for video game music and sound design professionals in Burbank, CA with online access, and publishes the annual Game Audio Industry Survey tracking game audio compensation and trends.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where GameSoundCon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
GameSoundCon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Conference Registration Tickets: Revenue generated from attendees purchasing tickets to the annual GameSoundCon conference. Both in-person and online ticket options are available. The event features sessions on video game music composition, sound design, AI in game audio, dialogue, technology, business/career topics, and more.
- Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors sponsor the annual conference, providing another revenue stream. Sponsor logos appear on the website and at the event.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | In-Person Conference Ticket |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
GameSoundCon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GameSoundCon operates an annual hybrid conference dedicated to video game music and sound design, held in Burbank, CA with online streaming access for remote attendees. The two-day event delivers sessions, workshops, and networking for composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, educators, and researchers across the game audio industry. The company also publishes the annual Game Audio Industry Survey, a longitudinal research publication tracking compensation, working conditions, and production practices in the video game audio field.
Product overview
GameSoundCon operates as a single-product conference company focused on game music and sound design education and industry professional development. The core offering is the annual GameSoundCon Conference, a two-day event featuring sessions on video game music composition, sound design, dialogue, and technology. Supporting offerings include the Game Audio Industry Survey series (published annually since 2014), which provides compensation data and industry analysis for game audio professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Game Audio Industry Survey: Annual industry survey tracking compensation, working conditions, and employment data for video game music and sound design professionals. Published since 2014.
Products and services
- GameSoundCon Conference Annual hybrid conference dedicated to video game music and sound design, featuring sessions, speakers, workshops, and networking for composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, researchers, and educators across the game audio industry. Held in-person at the Burbank Convention Center with online streaming access that includes real-time session viewing, live text chat, and 12 months of recorded session playback.
- Game Audio Industry Survey Annual research publication tracking compensation, working conditions, contract terms, and production information for video game music and sound design professionals. Reports include salary data, employment statistics, education trends, and (in recent years) improved breakdowns between North America and Rest of World, as well as tracking of game audio majors and minors in education.
Quantifiable outcome
- 18 years of annual conferences
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use GameSoundCon
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GameSoundCon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GameSoundCon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Education Through Music - Los Angeles (ETM-LA)minorGameSoundCon has donated over $123,000 to Education Through Music - Los Angeles since 2020 to support in-school music education among under-resourced Los Angeles communities. In 2026, they commit to donating $20 for each ticket sold to ETM-LA.
- Game Audio Network Guild (GANG)coreThe Game Audio Network Guild assists GameSoundCon with its annual Game Audio Industry Survey, providing industry credibility and helping promote survey participation among GANG members. This collaboration enhances the survey's reach and validates its findings within the game audio community.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GameSoundCon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- TwitchCon: TwitchCon is a major gaming and live-streaming conference with content relevant to game audio creators. It competes for gaming event sponsorship dollars and audience mindshare.
- DreamHack: DreamHack is a global gaming lifestyle festival with music and esports content. While primarily consumer-focused, it competes for gaming event sponsorships and audience attention.
- Audio Engineering Society (AES): AES runs technical conferences for audio engineers across music, broadcast, and gaming. While broader than game audio, it competes for audio professional attention and intersects with GameSoundCon's technical audio middleware topics.
- NAMM Show: NAMM is the world's largest trade event for the music products industry. It covers music technology, instruments, and pro audio relevant to GameSoundCon's sound design and audio middleware content.
- Game Developers Conference (GDC): GDC is the largest annual game industry conference, with sessions covering game audio, sound design, and music. It is a broader incumbent whose audio track competes for the same sponsors and speaker attention that GameSoundCon targets.
- Develop:Brighton: Develop:Brighton is a European game developer conference with audio sessions. It serves a similar professional audience to GameSoundCon and competes for sponsor attention in the game audio vertical.
- PAX (Penny Arcade Expo): PAX is a major gaming convention series with audio and music programming components. It serves a broader gaming audience but overlaps with GameSoundCon on sponsors, attendees, and promotional channels.
Emerging players
- Synthplex: Synthplex is an emerging conference focused on synthesizers, electronic music production, and sound design. It overlaps with GameSoundCon's music and sound creation audience but is broader in scope.
- Mondo DR: Mondo DR is a pro audio industry publication that covers music production, sound design, and audio technology. It shares GameSoundCon's professional audience and serves adjacent content marketing needs for game audio professionals.
Direct peers
- Game Audio Network Guild (GANG): GANG is the leading professional association for game audio practitioners and runs the annual GANG Awards. It shares GameSoundCon's audience of composers and sound designers and serves overlapping educational and recognition needs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GameSoundCon social profiles
Digital presenceGameSoundCon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GameSoundCon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GameSoundCon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GameSoundCon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GameSoundCon
What does GameSoundCon do?
GameSoundCon operates an annual hybrid conference dedicated to video game music and sound design, held in Burbank, CA with online streaming access for remote attendees. The two-day event delivers sessions, workshops, and networking for composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, educators, and researchers across the game audio industry. The company also publishes the annual Game Audio Industry Survey, a longitudinal research publication tracking compensation, working conditions, and production practices in the video game audio field.
Is GameSoundCon a public or private company?
GameSoundCon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was GameSoundCon founded?
GameSoundCon was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GameSoundCon based?
GameSoundCon is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
How does GameSoundCon make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Conference Registration Tickets are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships.
Who are GameSoundCon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are TwitchCon, DreamHack, Audio Engineering Society (AES), NAMM Show, Game Developers Conference (GDC), Develop:Brighton and PAX (Penny Arcade Expo). Emerging players are Synthplex and Mondo DR. Game Audio Network Guild (GANG) is listed as a direct peer.
Does GameSoundCon have an API?
No public API is recorded for GameSoundCon.