Advanced Audio with Unreal Engine

James Morrell

Authored by James Morrell

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Course Code: OMPRD-445

Build dynamic, interactive audio systems for video games using Unreal Engine and Wwise. You’ll create adaptive music, dialogue, environmental sound, and spatial audio while learning optimization techniques, visual scripting with Blueprints, and real-time audio workflows that culminate in a polished portfolio project.

Level 4
Advanced
Modality
Online
Duration
12 Weeks
3-Credit Tuition
$1,575
Semester Starts
Sept 28 Sept 28
Accreditation
NECHE

Key Learning Outcomes

  • Build adaptive music and sound systems that respond dynamically to gameplay, player actions, and changing game environments
  • Create immersive interactive audio experiences using Unreal Engine, Wwise, and Blueprints
  • Optimize real-time audio performance while balancing technical efficiency with creative design goals
  • Produce a professional portfolio project that demonstrates advanced game audio implementation and interactive sound design
Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors Related Music Career Roles
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Course Description

Advanced Audio with Unreal Engine immerses you in the world of interactive audio design and implementation using Epic Games' Unreal Engine. Building on your foundation in audio production and basic programming, you'll learn to create responsive, dynamic sound environments that adapt in real time to gameplay, environment changes, and player interaction.

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Through hands-on projects, you'll use Unreal's Blueprints visual scripting system alongside Wwise integration to build modular, efficient audio systems that bring virtual worlds to life. You'll also design immersive soundscapes, dialogue and voice systems, spatialized effects, and adaptive music that evolves as the game unfolds.

By the end of the course, you'll have developed a polished, portfolio-ready demo that showcases both your creative artistry and technical fluency in interactive audio. This course is ideal for sound designers, composers, and producers ready to expand their skills into game audio and real-time media.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain core programming concepts such as abstraction and how they support scalable audio systems in Unreal Engine
  • Apply modular design strategies with Wwise and Blueprints to build adaptive and interactive music and sound systems
  • Design real-time responsive audio features such as dialogue, physics-based sound, spatial audio, and generative music
  • Implement resource-efficient architecture and audio optimization techniques in Unreal projects
  • Develop immersive audio environments using Unreal Engine's advanced toolset and workflows
  • Evaluate the creative and technical effectiveness of sound systems in interactive media
  • Create a polished, portfolio-ready demo showcasing fluency in interactive audio implementation and design
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Syllabus

Lesson 1: Intro to Unreal Engine and Programming Logic

  • Programming Logic
  • Unreal Engine Logic
  • Unreal Engine Layout
  • Introduction to Audio Programming
  • Breaking It Down—Big Picture
  • Assignment 1: Analogize Unreal Engine Workflow

Lesson 2: Blueprints and Wwise Integration

  • Introduction to Blueprints
  • Wwise Integration
  • Basic Emitters
  • Controlling Parameters with Variables
  • Using Blueprint Functions and Macros
  • Assignment 2: Create a 2D Emitter

Lesson 3: Environmental Audio

  • Attenuation
  • Transmission
  • 3D Emitter Types
  • Sound Sources in Real Life
  • Assignment 3: Environmental Attenuation

Lesson 4: Environmental Audio Part 2

  • Reverb
  • Reverb Rooms and Portals
  • Mixing 2D and 3D Ambience
  • Randomization of Ambient Environments
  • Using Global Parameters to Make Reactive Ambience
  • Assignment 4: Two Region Specific Ambiences

Lesson 5: Dialogue and Voice Systems

  • Linear Dialogue Paths
  • Skippable Dialogue
  • Creating Branching with Blueprints
  • Using 'Barking' Systems
  • Syncing Dialogue with Metahumans
  • Assignment 5: NPC That Utilizes a 'Barking' System

Lesson 6: Physicalized Audio

  • Other Uses of Branching
  • Different Methods of Input—Raycasting
  • Turning Raycast Data into Branching Input
  • Different Methods of Input—Velocity
  • Assignment 6: Footsteps Using Raycasting

Lesson 7: Music Systems—Part 1

  • The Similarities of Dialogue and Music
  • Conditional Layering
  • 'Barking' Music
  • Interacting with 3D Music
  • Audio Callbacks
  • Assignment 7: Scene using 2D and 3D Music

Lesson 8: Generative Music Systems—Part 2

  • Wwise Audiolink
  • MetaSounds
  • Generative Music
  • Wwise Callbacks
  • Assignment 8: Music Using MetaSounds For Realtime Audio

Lesson 9: Optimization and Performance

  • Optimization and Performance
  • Wwise Virtual Voices
  • Category Specific Optimization
  • The Unreal Engine and Wwise Audio Profilers
  • Assignment 9: Virtual Voices and Voice Limiting

Lesson 10: Final Project Planning and Pitch

  • The Final Project
  • Design Documents
  • Sprints and Scrum
  • Creative Design Doc
  • Assignment 10: Creative Design Doc

Lesson 11: Final Project Rough Draft—Breaking It Down

  • Breaking It Down: Big Picture
  • Breaking It Down: Content
  • Breaking It Down: Instruction
  • Breaking It Down: Action
  • Breaking It Down: Input
  • Assignment 11: Final Project, Part 1 Progress

Lesson 12: Final Project Presentation and Next Steps

  • Portfolios
  • Translating Audio Concepts
  • Game Industry Structure
  • Presenting a Final Project
  • Assignment 12: Final Project Due and Presentation

Requirements

Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements 

Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
Completion of one of the following courses Pro Tools 101, Accelerated Pro Tools, Pro Tools 110, Producing Music with Logic, Producing Music with Cubase, or Ableton Live Fundamentals,  and Game Audio Production with Wwise, or equivalent knowledge and experience is required.
Students must be able to create musical and SFX assets in a DAW, feel comfortable installing and troubleshooting software, and be able to screen record using video capture software. Basic editing, file transfer, and file management skills are also required.

Software

  • Full-featured Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), such as Pro Tools (Studio or Ultimate), Logic Pro, Cubase Pro, Ableton Live (Suite or Standard), Reaper, Reason, or FL Studio (Producer or Signature). Note that GarageBand is not acceptable.
  • Audiokinetic Wwise. Exact version will be specified within the course.
  • Unreal Engine 5.8
  • Software to record computer screen and audio, such as OBS

Hardware

Important Technical/System Considerations

  • Minimum System Requirements:
    • Windows Users: Windows 11 or Windows 10 (1909+)**, **16GB RAM, 2.5+Ghz Quad Core processor. Users will also need Visual Studio installed. 
    • Mac Users: MacOS 26.2 or higher, Apple Silicon chip with minimum 16GB Unified Memory. Users will also need Xcode installed.

Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

Mac Users

  • macOS Monterey 12.0 or later

PC Users

All Users

  • Latest version of Google Chrome
  • Zoom meeting software
  • Webcam
  • Speakers or headphones
  • External or internal microphone
  • Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

James Morrell
James Morrell

Author & Instructor

James Morrell is a composer who is passionate about creating highly intuitive music to elevate storytelling and emotional amplitude. Working across, film, game, and advertising he brings a wealth of current industry knowledge and a unique approach to creative problem solving in software.

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Advanced Audio with Unreal Engine can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Composer (Video Games)

Production Sound Mixer

Questions?

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.

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