“You don’t need to pretend to be someone else”: Patterns breaks down his VGM debut with Kernel Hearts
Fresh off the release of Kernel Hearts, composer Patterns opens up about stepping into the VGM world, embracing creative freedom, and trusting his instincts as an artist.
How Indie Game Composers Are Surviving the Layoff Storm
As 2026 shapes up to be another record year for video game layoffs, composers find themselves on the front lines. Feeling the squeeze, they open up about how they keep their heads above water.
How composer crisp channeled Machine Girl and Y2K grit into the CICADAMATA" soundtrack
I sat down with video game composer crisp to discuss the eclectic CICADAMATA" soundtrack, wearing influences openly, and navigating the indie games landscape.
Finding Sophia’s Voice: Inside Olivier Derivière’s Score for Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
From raw Cypriot choirs to ancient war horns, composer Olivier Derivière takes me behind the scenes of his visceral, adaptive score for Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy.
August continues to make 2026 a record-breaking year for video game music
In this month's VGM roundup, August breaks records while AI music makes a concerning leap onto streaming platforms.
Here are all the songs you heard in the GTA VI extended trailer
As always in the franchise, Grand Theft Auto VI will feature a mix of original score and licensed music from high-profile artists.
Feature
September 2026 VGM recap: Monster tracklists, delays, and steady AI releases
As we wrap up the most packed September in NOWPLAYING history, massive tracklists and AI-generated soundtracks keep shaping the year's record-breaking momentum.
How Indie Game Composers Are Surviving the Layoff Storm
As 2026 shapes up to be another record year for video game layoffs, composers find themselves on the front lines. Feeling the squeeze, they open up about how they keep their heads above water.
Review: Wolverine only really shines when you put the controller down—and that's a bummer
Despite a roaring main theme and punchy cinematic direction, Logan's latest adventure is bogged down by hand-holding and repetitive combat.
How Olivier Derivière's thrilling score elevates Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy into the series' best entry yet
Four years after Amicia and Hugo's journey, Asobo returns with a stunning Aegean prequel powered by one of Olivier Derivière's best scores to date.
Sitting between Sonic, Jet Set Radio and Splatoon, Denshattack! is on track to leave its mark on video game music
Denshattack's soundtrack boasts the most impressive lineup of VGM composers I've ever seen — listen now on your favorite platform.
Why nobody can agree on what to call video game music
Despite the roughly 1,200 soundtracks released every year on streaming platforms, there doesn't seem to be a fixed convention for album naming.
Slowly but surely, AI music is carving out a place for itself in video game music
AI music is quietly infiltrating the world of VGM. From solo devs using it for efficiency to mysterious studios farming fraudulent streams with "fake" soundtracks, the line between innovation and industry-wide scamming is becoming increasingly thin