Tag: IASIG

GameSOUNDCon 2024

Written by The MIDI Association on November 2, 2024. Posted in Interactive Audio Special Interest Group, MIDI Association Event List.

2 Days of Video Game Music, Sound, Dialogue and More

Game Music and Sound Design Conference

GameSoundCon 2024- October 29-30- Burbank Convention Center- Burbank, CA & Online

GameSoundCon 2024 is hybrid!

We attended GameSoundCon and got to catch up with composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, researchers, educators and others who want to keep up with the cutting edge in video game sound, music, dialogue and technology.

Topics included:

Video Game Music Composition
Game Sound Design
Technology
Business/Career
Virtual/Mixed Reality Audio
Dialogue/Performance
Interactive Audio Research
Ludomusicology and the study of game music and sound
Tutorials
Game Music and Sound Design Education

The composers we tlaked to were very excited about the developments in MIDI 2.0 in particular the Orchestral Articulation Profile which will solve many problems with the way articulations are currently handled.

The MIDI Association and IASG Team at Game Sound Con

Three men at a conference booth. Two are seated at a table with laptops, drinks, and brochures, smiling at the camera. One stands in front, sipping a drink. A sign with various company logos is visible on the left.

The MIDI Association was the booth the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) as Steve Horowitz, IASIG chair is also the executive director of the Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program at SCFM.

Pictures above form left to right are Pat Scandalis and Austin Smith from the IASIG and George Sanger (The Fat Man).

A yellow star with FAT inside sits on a red spiked circle. Surrounding text reads: MUSIC FOR GAMES at the top and THE FAT MAN at the bottom. Two small black shapes flank either side.

George Alistair Sanger (The Fat Man) is often described as a “Legendary Game Audio Guru,” and has been creating music and other audio for games since Thin Ice for Intellivision in 1983.

The Fat Man hosted the annual Texas Interactive Music Conference and BBQ (Project Bar-B-Q), the computer/music industry’s most prestigious and influential conference. The IASIG is contemplating a reboot of Project BBQ perhaps even at a different location.

Most recently George was the Audio Director (and the first audio hire) at billion-dollar tech startup Magic Leap.

Steve Horowitz

Chair of the Interactive Audio Special Interest group
Executive director of the Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program at SCFM.

Athan Billias

Former President of The MIDI Association
MIDI Association Executive Board Member
Chair of the Orchestral Articulation Working Group

Pat Scandalis

CEO at moForte
Chair of the MPE Working Group

Austin Smith

IASIG Steering Committee
Content Manager Game Audio Institute

Other articles about the IASIG

IASIG Launches New Audio Education Working Group to Strengthen Pathways Into Game Audio

Athan Billias

June 23, 2026

The MIDI Association welcomes the launch of the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group’s new Audio Education Working Group and encourages educators, students, and industry professionals to participate in the growing conversation around music technology, game audio, and interactive sound education. The IASIG Audio Education Working Group is a new initiative designed to connect educators, students,…

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The MIDI Association at Berklee’s AIMS: AI Music Summit

Athan Billias

May 27, 2026

The MIDI Association will participate in Berklee’s AIMS: AI Music Summit in Boston, June 3–5, 2026, with a demo booth open to attendees on June 4 and 5 from 3:00–5:00 PM. AIMS brings together musicians, educators, developers, researchers, students, and industry leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is changing music creation, production, performance, education, rights,…

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The Interactive Audio Special Interest Group Launches the AI WIKI

The MIDI Association

March 9, 2026

IASIG Announces Launch of the AIWG Wiki: A New Public Resource for Understanding AI in Audio The Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IASIG) today announced the public release of the AIWG Wiki, a new, freely accessible knowledge base created by the AI for Audio Working Group (AIWG). The announcement will be highlighted at the 32nd…

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Roles and Specializations for Game Audio Professionals

The MIDI Association

March 30, 2025

The Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IASIG) was formed in 1994 as a special interest group of The MIDI Association to allow developers of audio software, hardware, and content to exchange ideas about improving the state of the art in interactive audio. In the beginning, IASIG activities focused primarily on influencing hardware and software design,…

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The MIDI Association and the IASIG at GDC

The MIDI Association

March 16, 2025

The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is the world’s premier event for developers who make the games we love. GDC is the destination for creativity, innovation, and excellence. It’s no wonder some of the biggest names in gaming got their start at GDC!Over the past 30 years, GDC has brought thousands of developers together to learn,…

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AES 2024

The MIDI Association

August 15, 2024

The MIDI Association will be participating in the Audio Engineering Society 2024 which happens October 8-10 at the Jacob Javits Center In New York City. While a large group of MIDI Association members will be on planes headed to Shanghai for Music China, another group of MIDI Association members will head to the Big Apple…

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Picture of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music

GameSound Con

Written by The MIDI Association on August 25, 2024.

GameSoundCon 2024 is hybrid!

You can attend in person in Burbank, CA, or remotely with our online only ticket! Online access gives you real-time access to GameSoundCon sessions, live text chat and more. Both in-person and online attendees can watch sessions they missed for up to 6 months after GameSoundCon.

Casual to AAA, big studio to indie — For composers, sound designers, dialogue specialists, researchers, educators and others who want to keep up with the cutting edge in video game sound, music, dialogue and technology.

Steve Horowitz-IASIG Chair

Written by The MIDI Association on August 1, 2024. Posted in Interactive Audio Special Interest Group, MIDI Association Event List.

The Interactive Audio Special Interest Group of the MIDI Association is the longest running SIG in the organization.

IASIG is an organization in partnership with the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the MIDI Association (TMA) that brings together experts to share their knowledge and help improve the state of the art in audio for games, websites, VR content, and other interactive mediums. Our members share tips and techniques, study trends, and create reports and recommendations that game developers, tool makers, and platform owners use to create better products.

IASIG was born out of the Audio Town Meeting at the Computer Game Developers conference in April of 1994. The group first met in June of 1994 to discuss a means for improving audio development tools and upgrading multimedia audio performance. Initially called the AIAMP (Association of Interactive Audio and Music Professionals), the MIDI Association (TMA) assumed responsibility for the group in August of 1994.

IASIG is a partner of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the MIDI Association (TMA).

IASIG operates as an official Special Interest Group of the IGDA, & under the auspices of the MIDI Association, with its own Advisory Board, Steering Committee and Working Groups. The majority of activity is in discussion of various topics of interest to the members, which is conducted via private internet mailing lists. Every participant is free to choose their own level of contribution, and all are encouraged to define issues and establish solutions with assistance from the greater community.

Working Groups are the foundation of the IASIG, which operate as explained in the IASIG Working Group Process. Working Groups are supervised by the IASIG Steering Committee. The Steering Committee ultimately serves the General Membership of the IASIG.

In addition, IASIG may convene an Advisory Board. Advisory Board members are not involved in the day to day management of the organization. As the name suggests, they serve to advise the Steering Committee in areas of specialized expertise, and as ambassadors for the IASIG to specific industry segments.

The process, in general, is geared towards gaining consensus, and the wider SIG membership is given ample opportunity to comment on the progress of each Working Group through reports given at regular physical meetings as well as via e-mail, internet chat rooms, or regular mail (as the case may be). IASIG recommendations will be forwarded to the IGDA, the MIDI Association, and all other interactive audio industry groups as needed to complete the IASIG mission to positively influence the development of interactive audio hardware and software.

Steve Horowitz-IASIG Chair

Steve Horowitz is not only a criticially acclaimed composer and the Chair of the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group, he is also the executive director of Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program at SFCM, a position he took over in January, 2024.

Horowitz comes to SFCM after 23 years as Audio Director at Nickelodeon where he worked on scoring hundreds of video games.

Horowitz is also the author of The Essential Guide to Game Audio: The Theory and Practice of Sound for Games on Focal press, and newest book The Theory And Practice Of Music For Games, published January 2024.

A stylized illustration of a person in a suit wearing a VR headset, conducting with a baton amid floating, colorful musical notes and shapes. The book title and authors appear at the bottom.

Collective Creativity in Game Design & Music

Written by The MIDI Association on March 1, 2024.

Games and sound go together like macaroni and cheese. Sound is a large part of what makes games fun. So, what are some of the hot button issues that game designers need to know about the process of creating game sound — and what do audio folks need to know about game design and production? Good questions!

This roundtable brings together composers, sound designers, game designers, animators, programmers, producers, and anyone else involved in the production process. Organizers open up the floor and discuss the latest and greatest trends in games, as well as the most common production roadblocks. Let’s come together to develop a deeper understanding of process and pipeline.

Cooperative Design Roundtable: Collective Creativity in Game Design & Music (Presented by the IGDA)

Steve Horowitz (Audio Director, IASIG/GAI)

Location: Room 211, South Hall

Date: Wednesday, March 20

Time: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Four people in elaborate Renaissance-style clothing sit at a table using desktop computers and game controllers, blending historical fashion with modern technology.

30th Annual IASIG Town Hall

Written by The MIDI Association on February 25, 2024.

Since its inception in 1994, the IASIG has been driven by a selection of audio-focused volunteers with the goal of uniting the audio hardware and software industries with creators, researchers, and educators in order to push for the state-of-the-art for the industry.

Want to improve game audio workflow or the professional audio tools available to you?

Join fellow game audio educators, sound designers, composers, audio programmers, and other audio professionals at the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IASIG) Town Hall.

The IASIG works as a Special Interest Group in both The MIDI Association and the International Game Developers Association representing Game Audio Developers in those organizations.

Steve Horowitz (Audio Director, IASIG/Game Audio Institute)

Tom Poole (Director, JUCE / Audio Developers Conference)

Dave Berol (Audio / Voice Director, Surfaceink Product Design & Development)

Austin Smith (Content Manager, Sound Designer & Composer, Game Audio Institute/Blackwater Soundworks)

Pat Scandalis (CEO/CTO , moForte Inc, MIDI Association MPE WG Chair)

Location: Room 3002, West Hall

Date: Thursday, March 21

Time: 12:45 pm – 1:45 pm

Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass, Summits Pass, Expo Pass, Audio Pass, Indie Games Summit Pass – Get your pass now!

Game Developers Conference

Written by The MIDI Association on February 25, 2024.

The 38th annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), taking place March 18-22 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, delivers the game industry’s greatest source of content and connections—with innovative exhibitors, awe-inspiring technology, and powerful talks led by game developers who live and breathe this industry.

Game devs and industry experts who attend GDC 2024 can expect the return of many activities and events that make the Game Developers Conference the place to be for game developers. Attendees can attend a comprehensive selection of lectures, panels, and roundtable discussions, tour the GDC Expo to check out companies’ latest products and solutions, and head to the GDC Play area to try the newest indie sensations before they come out.

In addition, the Independent Games Festival and the Game Developers Choice Awards will take place live on Wednesday, March 20—with a simultaneous broadcast in the event app and on the GDC Twitch channel.

The IASIG Special Interest Group for Game Audio

Written by Athan Billias on January 13, 2024.

The IASIG is an organization in partnership with the International Game Developer’s Association (IGDA) and MIDI Association (TMA) that brings together experts to share their knowledge and help improve the state of the art in audio for games, websites, VR content, and other interactive performances. Our members share tips and techniques, study trends, and create reports and recommendations that game developers, tool makers, and platform owners use to create better products.

The IASIG was born out of the Audio Town Meeting at the Computer Game Developers conference in April of 1994.

Tag: IASIG

2 Days of Video Game Music, Sound, Dialogue and More​

Game Music and Sound Design Conference

The MIDI Association and IASG Team at Game Sound Con

Steve Horowitz

Athan Billias

Pat Scandalis

Austin Smith

Other articles about the IASIG

Steve Horowitz-IASIG Chair

Other Articles About The IASIG

2 Days of Video Game Music, Sound, Dialogue and More