Video Game Music: A Potential Frontier for Creative Mashups and Remixes

PhD Qualifying Examination


Title: "Video Game Music: A Potential Frontier for Creative Mashups and Remixes"

by

Mr. Anh Dung DINH


Abstract:

In the modern age of widespread technology access, digital streaming platforms 
like YouTube, SoundCloud, or TikTok have allowed music enjoyers to freely 
consume and create musical content. Remixes — transformative compositions 
derived from preexisting recordings — are often shared around on these 
platforms; this includes different formats from re-arrangement of the original 
melody that apply new instrumentation and compositional styles, to combination 
of multiple tracks, known as a mashup. The recognizability of source material 
strongly influences engagement: remixes of well-known works typically attract 
great attention and ratings. While certain genres like pop music or classical 
music are recognizable to most of the public, remixes involving other genres 
can enrich the diversity of derivative musical works and engage niche online 
communities. Video game music constitutes a distinct and growing repertoire 
that appeals to younger demographics and has inspired numerous 
reinterpretations of iconic themes, which are then shared on the Internet. 
This survey provides a comprehensive review of techniques and tools for 
producing such reworkings, including music extraction, source separation, and 
polyphonic pitching. Furthermore, we will discuss and evaluate how recent 
advances in signal processing and machine learning can add creative ways to 
make and utilize these remixes, as well as lower technical barriers and 
broaden access to this form of music for audio practitioners and video game 
players.


Date:                   Thursday, 4 June 2026

Time:                   12:30pm - 2:30pm

Venue:                  Room 3494
                        Lifts 25/26

Committee Members:      Prof. Andrew Brian Horner (Supervisor)
                        Prof. Gary Chan (Chairperson)
                        Dr. Arpit Narechania