Questions from composer to developers Thread

Hello,

I'm a freelance composer with some experience in the game industry, but still in a starting point.

I'm in a process of professionalize myself, so I want to gather lots of information.

I have various questions to developers that could hire a composer, here I go:

1- Do you receive a lot of e-mails of composers? usually you feel they send copy/paste mails?

2- How you would like a composer to present himself on a mail?

3- Do you usually work with a composer that you've collaborated before and you have confidence with? or you don't mind hiring a new composer because his style fits in?

4- If you meet a composer in an exhibition and he gives you a pendrive with his work so you can check it out, is this a plus point (if you like his work) to hire him? in another scenario, he just give you his business card.

5- When you are working with a composer and he is doing his task on his studio (outsider), how do you keep the communication fresh and the confidence in the relationship growing.

I'm not a big developer or anything, but I've worked with composers here and there so I'll just give you my two cents.

1. I actually got a couple of mails and even private messages here on ModDB from composers, which were basically copy&paste ads. I know it's hard for composers out there, but this was a complete vibe killer for me. I didn't even check out their portfolios and I have their names remembered, not in a good way, though. It makes me wonder what the business relationship would look like, if he chooses this kind of spammy advertisement in the first place.
2. For me, I prefer an honest approach with a clear message in the mail. First of all, I'm always interested in how people found out about me, whether it was from a recruiting ad or word to mouth or a friend of someone I worked with already and so on. Second of all, it needs to be a friendly and professional tone with a simple link to their work, whether it's just a soundcloud profile or website doesn't matter.
3. Of course I prefer to work with people I already know. There's always risk involved with new people, but I'm still open to recruiting new people, if their work is fitting.
4. I've not been to exhibitions yet and only recruited online, but I think it wouldn't really matter to me. The portfolio is the most important thing. I'm hiring a composer to get a job done and if he does that well, I really don't care much, whether he gave me a pendrive or a business card.
5. I'm staying connected via facebook, skype and e-mail. Has been working fine for me.

Hope this might help you a little bit.

cheers!

Hey!

Thanks for your time and information.