[2][3] Austin Wintory was born in Denver, Colorado in 1984 and started learning piano when he was ten years old,[4] after he was introduced to composer Jerry Goldsmith by his teacher.

[5] By the age of sixteen, Wintory started writing for and conducting the Cherry Creek High School Orchestra during their performances of the "Spirit of the Cosmos" pieces.

Two years later, at the age of eighteen, Wintory conducted the Utah Symphony during its recording of "Cosmos", which became one of his most popular projects, although he refers to it as "atrocious garbage".

[6] As a traditional orchestral student at the time, Wintory considered the music of Flow was radically unlike any he had written before.

'"[6] Wintory was excited at the chance to create an old-timey score with wit and humor, stating "when else am I ever going to be asked to write anything remotely like this?