Uploaded October 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Austin Wintory has been banging out some of the most acclaimed soundtracks in video games over the last 10 years: Journey, Abzu, and The Banner Saga trilogy just to name a few. I took a look at these and a couple other of Wintory's past soundtracks to try and break down how he constructs what is arguably the most important part of a soundtrack: the main theme.

Austin Wintory's channel: youtube.com/user/awintory/featured
'As Noted' series, featuring the scores for a bunch of Wintory's pieces: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT0fv21DRJaUg1CXXf03JqKOTu_chz2Xx

Other Youtube videos about Wintory's writing that you might enjoy:
'The Story Hidden in Journey's Soundtrack': youtu.be/KeKnkaB0MBE
'Theme Breakdown with Austin Wintory' (about Erica's theme): youtu.be/u_WV8RNPPkU
Austin Wintory BAFTA interview: youtu.be/WcuMLbKTgwc
Crafting the Ocean in the Music of ABZU (ft. Austin Wintory): youtu.be/0S8WGtbYvSg

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#Composition #videogamemusic #musictheory