GDC Side Quest - Inside Austin Wintory's Collaborative Composing Process

Game Developer Podcast

August 28, 2026

From the first note on the soundtrack of ThatGamecompany's iconic indie title flOw to the thundering orchestra of Aliens Fireteam Elite 2, composer Austin Wintory has blazed a trail in the world of video game soundtracks. He's built a career not just on creating high-quality scores that elevate gameplay, but advocating for improved collaboration between the artists and engineers who bring video games to life.

Now at the annual GDC Festival of Gaming, Wintory hosts the can't-miss musical event of the week: the Developer's Concert. It's a performance unlike any other that blends monologues from Wintory and special guests and explores different genres of video game music to celebrate the hard work that goes into making video games.

This month on GDC Side Quest, content marketing manager Beth Elderkin sits down with Wintory for a conversation about curating the Developer's Concert, his career in video game composing, and how his work intersects with the art and business of video game development.

About the Game Developer Podcast

The Game Developer podcast is a bi-weekly podcast chronicling the triumphs, catastrophes, and everything in-between of game development, sharing lessons and strategies fellow developers can use to hone their craft. The Game Developer Podcast is hosted by Bryant Francis, edited by Pierre Landriau, and features music by Mike Meehan.

GDC Side Quest is hosted by GDC Festival of Gaming Marketing Manager Beth Elderkin.

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Game Developer and GDC Festival of Gaming are sibling organizations under Informa Festivals.

GDC Festival of Gaming

Mar 1, 2027 TO Mar 5, 2027

|

San Francisco, CA

GDC Festival of Gaming unites the entire games industry to learn, connect, collaborate, and celebrate. Whether you're building games, funding them, publishing them, or launching your career in the industry—if you make games happen, welcome home.

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