Seattle, WA (August 28, 2026)—GameSoundCon will return to the Marriott Burbank Convention Center in Burbank, CA, on October 20-21 as a hybrid event, offering both in person or online access.
As in past years, the conference tracks, sessions, and panels will span a wide range of focus areas including Music, Sound Design, Technology, Dialogue, Business & Career, Game Audio Education, Game Audio Studies, Game Audio Research and VR.
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As AI is making its way into virtually all industries, this year’s GameSoundCon will tackle questions around the use of AI technologies in game sound with talks like “AI in the Audio Department: What’s Actually Useful” and “A Frank Discussion About AI for Sound Designers” and “Games Music, AI and Human Connection” from game audio icon, Guy Whitmore, as well as “Practical Advice for Game Developers Working with AI Under the SAG-AFTRA Agreement.”
This years’ speakers and presenters include a panel featuring composers Wilbert Roget II, Garry Schyman, Inon Zur, Jason Graves and Jesper Kyd titled “Creating Iconic Themes for Franchises.” Tom Salta will present “Thinking Interactively: Designing Music That Plays with the Game.” Garrett Montogomery, MPSE and Jeff Wilson will team up to present their field recording work on Battlefield 6, and Sonia Coronado (Sony) will be discussing the use of Adaptive Music featured in Ghost of Yotei.
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Brian Schmidt, executive director and founder of what is said to be the largest professional conference for video game music and sound design, notes, “We are aware of the economic challenges everyone is facing, so we lowered our online ticket price to $99—down from $125—this year, giving more people a chance to attend online in real-time. Most sessions and panels are recorded, and ticket holders can enjoy all conference content for up to 12 months after the show.”
There will also be a panel on current topics on the business side of game audio, including information on what skills are in demand and how to maximize income potential. As part of his periodic survey of the industry, Schmidt recently prepared a report about what employers are currently looking for when they hire for game audio jobs.
