Designing Sound

Sound Design Essentials: Websites

By Miguel Isaza

Everything have a start point. Here is the first part of a series of essential resources, sites, tutorials, and tools related with this funny thing called sound design. I begin with 30 websites for learning sound design for games, film and interactive media.

General purpose

• KVR Audio – The Internet’s number one news and information resource for open standard audio plug-ins. There you can find new releases, product announcements and product updates for audio software, huge user forums, and useful plugin database.
• Create Digital Music – Wonderful webzine and community site for musicians using technology.
• Sound On Sound – Maybe the best music technology magazine.
• Hispasonic - The number one Spanish music community. There you will find a huge user forum, videos, articles and daily news about the world of sound and music production in Spanish.
• Mix Online – Professional Audio and Music Production website.
• Synthopia – Synths and electronic music news.
• Matrixsynth – The amazing “everything synth” site.

For Games

• Music 4 Games – All music and sound design world related with games. You can find Soundtrack reviews, interviews with sound designers and game developers.
• IAsig - Supporting the audio community since 1994.
• G.A.N.G. - The largest game audio community in the world.
• Video Game Audio - Video Game Audio Articles by Leonard J. Paul
• Gamasutra – One of the best websites about videogames. They also have an useful Sound & Music Section.
• GamesSound - Learning resources and publications about Sound Design for games.
• IGDA – International Game Developers Association
• Sonify – Interactive sound for the web and wireless

For Film

• Filmsound – Music composition and sound design for films. Really interesting articles, interviews and resources.
• FilmsoundDaily – Very nice blog with videos and articles about film sound.
• Score Notes – Soundtrack reviews, composer interviews, audio clips, movie reviews and more.
• The Cinema Audio Society - Over 550 Sound Mixers and Associates from the Film and Television Industries.
• MPSE – Motion Picture Sound Editors.
• Sound Film Wiki – A Wiki page with all the info about films with sounds.

Community & Forums

• Sound Design Yahoo Group
• Game Audio Pro Yahoo Group
• Game Audio Forum
• KVR Forums – Sound Design
• Create Digital Noise
  

Learning & Tutorials

• AudioTuts+ – Music, Sound and Audio tutorials
• Audio Tutorials – Jay Rose’s tutorials and audio data
• Berklee Music – Learn music online
• Sound Design Tutorials – Videos and Tutorials by Nick Maxwell

If I forgot one and you think that is important, just let me know!

Second part coming soon.