In 1999, The World Is Not Enough became a notable credit for David Arnold, a film composer who had already been building his career in that field for some years.

Arnold was born on 23 January 1962 in Luton. He grew up and received his schooling there, attending Beechwood School, then Challney High School for Boys, and later Luton Sixth Form College. Those three institutions make up the full record of his formal education as it stands.

His professional life has centred on composing for film. The World Is Not Enough is the notable work most directly associated with his name, and his output in that area has earned him recognition from two separate awards bodies. He received a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, and he also received a World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film. The second of those awards points specifically to song composition as part of his work, alongside his broader activity as a film score composer. Beyond composing, the record also notes that he has worked as an actor and musician, though film scoring is the professional role most consistently attached to his name. Arnold holds United Kingdom citizenship and works in English.

The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media remains one of the more concrete markers of how Arnold's work has been received within the industry, and The World Is Not Enough continues to stand as the single notable title the record connects directly to his career.