Martin O'Donnell - Behind the Games: Meet the Composers

We talk with Bungie games composer Martin O'Donnell about his work on Halo, Myth, Riven, and more. gamespot.com/62...

[@JaySomething]

Martin O'Donnell's music can exist without Halo. Halo can't exist without Martin O'Donnell's music.

[@zzKirus]

Well said.

[@greggeverman5578]

Well said again!

[@Idpancakethat]

The music you did for Halo 1 made the game what it is today.

[@2-bh]

He made the entire series what it is.

[@ShootingMapleStarz]

He seems like a pretty nice, chill guy. Still can't believe Bungie treated him like that and then fired him

[@tartarold]

it was activision same reason joe staten went back to microsoft

[@Official2RST]

He referred to Destiny. wow. I did not expect the development of that to have been so incredibly long.

[@BombHead]

There's a poster in Halo 3: ODST with a picture of the Earth and what we THOUGHT was the moon (actually the traveler) with the text "Destiny Awaits" which is clearly referencing Destiny. Of course no one realised until after Destiny was announced. From what I've heard, Joe Staten came up with the idea back in late 2007, early 2008.

[@noopthenoop]

@@BombHead i thought bungie came up with the idea waaay back up in 2000, bit Microsoft forced them to do Halo

[@Haloforus]

This mans work is inspirational, unforgettable and timeless. Some of my absolute favourite pieces of music in the history of the art form comes from Marty, he's so passionate and so powerful with his composing it's almost inhuman. May your career continue to reach the impossible heights that you are truly capable of Martin, we all adore your work, without your music, Halo and Destiny would not of been the same.

[@Sapheiorus]

0:30 I literally stopped the video to say "WHAT!?" out loud because I grew up in Wheaton, IL! I lived a stone's throw away from Wheaton College for my whole childhood and yet I didn't know Marty had anything to do with my hometown!

[@ImOutsideTheBox]

he looks slightly like josh homme XD what a musician though, I love how they played that tribal drumming when you went into battles, gave a sci-fi game such an edge

[@losaface4]

So far, Odst has had the best music. Marty is AWESOME!

[@fuflang]

Martin in my ears you're right behind John Williams on the best composers list. Thanks for your extremely inspiring work.

[@ZackAschliman]

Everyone listen to the "Halo soundtrack" The piano at the end is Marty :D

[@addemufc]

The guy is a musical genius!

[@ScytheCA]

Uploaded on September 23, 2009. "I don't think that we have been too secretive about the fact that we have more things that we're working on than the Halo games, currently."-Martin O' Donnell D E S T I N Y

[@joshuasanchez5145]

martin you are the GREATEST COMPOSER EVER!!!!!! (at least for me)

[@Zaffyx]

This man is awesome!!

[@serahbay8864]

i love him. he deserved so much better from the industry.

[@elidoubleday8080]

love this guy

[@alexmun133]

then bungie announces a new cereal called "MARTY 'O's" that would be awesome

[@SPARTAN2114]

We miss you Marty!

[@Marblez3]

Good luck hiring a better composer, Bungie...

[@kryshtmor6709]

+Marblez3 why 343 don't ask him for back to halo?

[@a_ndy2837]

+Kryshtmor cuz The Music for halo 5 was actually really good as well no need.

[@RetrovexOfficial]

+Marblez3 they're not getting anyone new, they're staying with what they have

[@BiggaMyMan]

At least they still have Micheal Salvatori, Martin's right hand man

[@silvy3047]

Like Marty's partner in crime that made plenty of iconic music for halo?

[@maladjustedtv]

This man is one of my musical heroes...along with trent reznor...

[@AliceInPantera]

I listen to A LOT of music, and his songs "Another Rain" and "Unforgotten" are some of the best pieces I've ever heard. Can anyone recommend anything else by Marty?

[@ianblair8515]

alot of his work isnt lived up to its full potental or arnt that interesting ... without playing halo

[@tubarbapica..susana.7862]

Heavy price paid, Orbit of glass, Peril...

[@ethandemille2585]

PanteraAICtestament Unforgotten actually wasn't him, in an AMA Marty said that Unforgotten was actually made by Michael Salvatori.

[@TheMcDallionNews]

This man is a musical genius. I mean I love the Halo Reach Sound Track

[@TheKillerspartan716]

Marty thumbs up you earned it

[@Thezombieraper2000]

PLEASE BE MY SCHOOL'S MUSIC TEACHER!

[@Miiaku]

When I first played halo six years ago, I had an opinion that this game was going to be a super gory, simple, gritty, grinding shooter. My preception of this game was absolutley shattered and tossed aside as I heard the Halo 2 menu music for the first time. Ever since, Halo has been one of my favoite games, and its music is some of my favorite around.

[@windumaster14]

"Well actually, I was painting houses." I died from laughter.

[@The343freak]

Wtf why did anyone at Bungie want to fire him? Well 343i time to hire him!

[@cherylsmith6109]

The343freak didnt they hire him

[@The343freak]

Cheryl Smith I know they didn't. I didn't say they did.

[@DreableNeebal10]

I doubt Marty would want to keep making Halo music after doing it for a decade.

[@BloodShardz]

Frostbyte6686 It’s because he spoke out against Activision one too many times.

[@serahbay8864]

@@DreableNeebal10 he said he would go back in an instant if they asked him, but they haven't. he truly loves Halo.

[@Rodiec]

great job

[@InspieringEpicVideos]

I know you cant hear me, Martin. But without your music, Halo wouldnt been Halo....

[@linkinpark2380]

The best composer EVER (:

[@rocketstoat152]

why! Why bungie why!! he was such an amazing musician! why would u fire him :(

[@Cup_70]

To work on HALO.

[@rocketstoat152]

If he does join 343... then i would be so damn happy :3

[@VictronGaming]

"...And of course I'm working on whatever else Bungie is working on... There's something else out there..." Now we know he was talking about Destiny.

[@Brumakbro]

Marty's the man!

[@EJsacasa]

actually it wont be composed by Tojima, it will be composed by neil davidge. sotaro tojima is the audio director. martin odonnell is unusual in that he does both things

[@centrosus4893]

I hope he can compose something that can stand up to Never Forget, for Destiny.

[@Raiienn]

They played ODST's OST because it's best .

[@kristopherfjshm70]

Dear marty, We will miss Bungie, The makers of halo and the halo universe long live Bungie. Signed, Me and halo fans all over the world

[@kandemJV]

I'm somehow sad that he doesn't compose music for Halo series anymore. But I hope he will make something awesome on Destiny.

[@Thezombieraper2000]

Nobody can hate Mart, even if they tried. They probably missed the like button! XD

[@GeoCrockerPot]

He wants his little music story to somehow match up with the game story!😉

[@Micro230]

I want to meet you so bad!

[@kroneyt1493]

I would have laughed if Marty O'Donnell said he was into Harsh Noise.

[@BasedCowboyGun14]

I seriously miss him composing Halo.

[@EfN917]

Forgotten timestamps in the video: 12:10 What is most challenging piece of music that you composed? 13:35 If you weren't a composer, what would you be doing?

[@BombHead]

Ignore my last comment. Halo 4 will NOT be composed by Sotaro Tojima. The composer is still yet to be announced. Must be big if they're keeping him under wraps for so long.

[@ishouldgetalif3]

when i think of Genesis i start to think of Richard Hammond

[@mepizzasmangled]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I LOVE THE FLUTE HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[@masonrice97]

@haloKINGSstudios No when he heard that, it inspired him to try composing music for games.

[@TimeSplittersChimp]

TimeSplitters 2 had the best soundtracks that techno theme went so well with the game

[@fatmam48]

how can i get of hold of him so i can get a interview?

[@xSantaxWolfx]

@ffili92 No, but he'll be working on whatever new game Bungie is making. 343 is working on Halo... Without Marty....

[@BombHead]

I wrote that months ago. if you went on my channel, you'd be I actually have halo 4 music with Neil Davidge noted as composer. No Halo 4 news goes past me ;)

[@dougfinnabone1905]

What song is playing at 3:43

[@mikered300]

OMG MARTIN I WHOULD GIVE YOU A HUG

[@skiddish985]

Marty O'Donnell > All

[@CalicoJackal]

#343HireMarty

[@xSantaxWolfx]

@Markuus555 Yeah, maybe. I doubt it, though, he has a contract with Bungie.

[@tycool1000]

5 people never said never while deciding to sit in the front seat or the back seat

[@SufferDYT]

@TheReilly8 nah its got a good story and an iconic character and has great gameplaay

[@pjscudder7124]

When gaming.

[@PurpleAlien73]

He Looks funny at the easter egg on ODST

[@maladjustedtv]

i need to click "like" to this more than i can...& that makes me sad :(

[@nickmax123]

halo has the third best soundtrack of all time. 1. OoT 2. MM

[@vaahtobileet]

What are those?

[@MigueLedN22]

his music is good as bethoven's music (my opinion).

[@shomosnicholas5]

odst is by far the best soundtrack

[@Wolfgang44Official]

Work of a god here. Halo 3 and Halo 3 ODST's soundtrack were the best becuase they both had roots from the other Halo games. Only a few songs in Reach's OST had those old Halo type roots, like at the end of "The Package" where Cortana appears for a split second. Those moments really give true emotion, becuase when you saw Cortana and heard that Halo 3 piece you knew what you were fighting for and how it would end. The best original piece that had no roots from earluer games was ODST's "Finale"

[@pissweed70]

6 people are COD lovers

[@greggeverman5578]

True.

[@scuffed-jays]

Incorrect, bungie wouldn't have made ODST or Reach had they not been forced under contract from microsoft. They wanted it (and have openly said it) to end at halo 3, however they left the end of halo 3 open because they knew they were under contract and had to put out two more. They ended up telling two other stories instead, and then promptly moving on to destiny. Halo wasn't meant to go on past 3.

[@jtm11995]

I want more ODST

[@klogekaj]

does it stand for "one other thing" and M&M's? :D

[@SantaFe5central]

@Luis11717 hell ya!!!!

[@BombHead]

@Grievous04 No need to be. the guy (who has yet to be announced) will do a great job. I just can feel it. if the guy is who some sources are linking to then this could be pretty EPIC ^_^ Not gonna say who it is. in case 343 come and "quiet me" ;)

[@FarthestOutpost]

@Miiaku I experienced something very similar!:)

[@ffili92]

Martin O'Donnell will make the soundtrack of Halo 4????

[@TheBymitch]

5:45 Destiny?

[@AjourChannel]

your OSSIM with siege of madrigal!!!!

[@xxxmarmasterxxx]

Tis is the new beethoven.

[@scuffed-jays]

Because that's not how contract's work, contract's are a legal obligation that once you sign you have agreed to everything written on it. Only the person who created the contract can void it, or else what would be the point?

[@Zman6258]

For you to say that means you have never heard the ODST soundtrack.

[@ihatenjoi]

0:01 to skip add.

[@Howcast26]

I wonder if Skywalker Symphony Orchestra will be better.

[@SufferDYT]

4:00 looks like a rush fan...

[@klogekaj]

OoT & MM -- I'm just wondering what the heck that could be..

[@icopypasta]

hahah nice!

[@Mr.Jason1994]

Can't wait for Destiny!!!

[@SantaFe5central]

do you think that he will move on with 343 industries?

[@poopymcsnoopy]

No

[@VictronGaming]

If Microsoft would've allowed more time for them, Bungie, to make games Halo 4 would've been made by Bungie and would've been 5x's better.

[@Gorillaz12d]

Can we not compare him to a legend like mozart? Not that he's not as good, but they are both good in their own universe. It's like comparing Pink Floyd to Led Zepplin. Both have their strengths and have succeeded in what they were trying to accomplish.

[@thepuffinater]

..... for anyone thats serious it's Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask

[@20verona]

this one time... at band camp.............

[@exilezalama1685]

Halo 3 ODST OST ftw lol

[@Luis11717]

@SantaFe5central Hopefully, if not, they'll need TEH ZIMMERZ!

[@brunskies92]

So Bungie not only forced him out, but now, in 2021 they are taking him to court and threatening his KZbin channel for no legitimate reason. Every unite and uninstall Destiny from your consoles. Bungie even had the nerve to sell his Destiny soundtrack Vinyl last month. They probably made 50-100k in two days it sold out immediately. Their shame knows no bounds.

[@Liton777]

omg i love progressive rock and all those bands he mentioned that no one knows about that blew my mind lol!!!!

[@Haloguyxboxftw]

@InspieringEpicVideos i agree and he's not doing the music for halo 4 :(

[@dadslittlecorner]

Best Composer/Audio Director..Your argument is invalid.

[@haloKINGSstudios]

Marty done mist too 0.0 omfg, i had no idea

[@manz92]

throws oboe in the bin...

[@lazorize]

@YODA1173 yea dont let blow me away die

[@TOproFORthis]

Justin bieber made 4 youtube accounts and put dislike!

[@greggeverman5578]

Even 9 years later this was funny!