Welcome to Northwave!
Who We Are
Northwave is a game audio production company, founded in 2023 by BAFTA-winning, multi award-nominated audio directors Jay Waters and Oli Wood.
We have close to 20 years experience and an unbridled passion for our craft, having produced music, sound design and dialogue for countless titles, from indie to AAA and across practically all major platforms.
What We Do
We provide the full suite of audio services, from high-level audio direction to design and implementation of sound effects.
We have extensive experience in both in-house and remote environments, so can integrate into your dev team as closely as required. Whether you need an entire audio team or just an additional resource you can depend on, we have you covered.
Why Choose Us?
We love what we do, we have an intimate knowledge of development, and we know what it takes to deliver the best audio experience.
We’re agile, flexible and scalable, so can adapt to your requirements effortlessly. With a diverse portfolio of genres and project scopes, we have the experience to bring out the best in your game.
And we’re a friendly bunch too!
Winner: Best British Game
2021
Winner: Best Family & Social Game
2021
Winner: Best Family Game
2018
Nominee: Best British Game
2019
Nominee: Best Family Game
2019
Nominee: Best Family & Social Game
2019
Nominee: Best Multiplayer Game
2019
Nominee: Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
2021
Nominee: Creative & Technical Achievement in Music
2021
Nominee: Best Original Soundtrack Album
2021
Nominee: Audio Innovation of the Year
2022
Nominee: Best Music
2021
Nominee: Best Audio
2021
Nominee: Outstanding Song Collection
2020
Our Services
Audio Direction
We can provide a unique, innovative and memorable audio direction for your project. Working closely with your key stakeholders during pre-production, we will deliver presentation materials and supporting documentation to define the right audio pillars to best elevate your game’s core vision.
We oversee the audio team throughout production, reviewing work and providing critical feedback to ensure the vision is realised to the highest standard.
We also offer a consultation service, helping you to better understand the processes, systems and tools required to deliver the audio in line with your project’s scope and budget.
Sound Design
We take care of all aspects of the sound design process, including asset design, foley, recording, post-production and final mixing.
We have a wealth of experience across contemporary game engines and middleware, including Unreal, Unity, Wwise and FMOD, so can also manage implementation, meaning one less thing for you to worry about.
We can work closely with your code team, providing technical briefs for the development of core audio systems.
And best of all, we’re completely scalable, meaning we can adapt the audio team to meet your project’s requirements throughout development.
Music
We cut our industry teeth composing game music, so you can rely on us to define and deliver a killer soundtrack for your project.
We have an experienced in-house team, a diverse network of external composers, and a strong background in music licensing, for which we’ve won numerous industry accolades.
We believe music is key to driving emotional response – not to mention pivotal when it comes to those water cooler moments – which is why we pride ourselves in our ability to design and develop innovative dynamic systems that can elevate your game’s soundtrack above the competition.
Dialogue
We provide the entire dialogue production pipeline, from casting and session scheduling to implementation and overseeing localisation. We’ve directed and collaborated with some of the world’s biggest stars and brightest talents, so we’re well versed in what it takes to yield the perfect balance of emotion, nuance and character your script deserves.
With a strong background in audiobook production, we have access to a large number of studios and service providers, as well as an extensive international network of remote-based voice actors, which can be a great option for projects on a less generous budget.
Our Work
Our Clients
We have been working with Northwave and could not recommend them more highly. Red Rover Interactive went from zero audio to hugely compelling vertical slice in little over one month. Northwave provide industry leading experience in audio direction, content creation and technical development making them the ideal partner to deliver a complete audio solution.
I had the pleasure of working with Northwave on the development of a new gaming title over the course of a year. Their ability to use music and sounds to create an emotion and immerse a gamer in the virtual world is unparalleled. I learned a great deal about the audio production process through Jay and Oli and their informative shares with the team.
… and it’s [the music] so joyous. So pure. So utterly wholesome. You’ve a stonier heart than me if you can sit through Beat the Heat’s Jungle Boogie and not crack a smile.
A huge part of their charm comes from Sackboy’s incredible music. That includes its original score, clever remixes and reworkings of recognizable classics
I rarely take a moment to stop and just listen to game music, but I frequently found myself wanting to take these tracks in, either because they were songs I recognized or because they simply had me bouncing my head along.
The soundtrack is exceptional, with tunes that span the works of indie artists (several of which you may recognize from past LittleBigPlanet games) to some of the biggest names in music.
Contact Us
+44 (0) 7771 605502
+44 (0) 7738 515279