by Native Instruments

Score vs. soundtrack:
understanding the difference

How do you talk about the film and video game music you love? Is it a score, a soundtrack, or an OST? Is your favorite part a song or a cue? In this article, we’ll dig into some of these specialist terms, with a focus on the most common point of confusion: the difference between a “score” and a “soundtrack.”

It turns out that getting these two terms straight isn’t all that simple. To do it, we’ll need to examine the different musical elements that go into a successful film, and explore the varying approaches to sound taken by different directors and in different genres. We’ll finish up by listing some of the best film scores and best film soundtracks, each of which has something to tell us about the difference between these two mediums. When we’re done, the score vs. soundtrack debate should be settled once and for all.

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What is the difference between a score and a soundtrack?

A score is the original music composed for a film, tailor-made to fit the action on-screen. The score is often written by a single composer, and traditionally performed by an orchestra, though these days a score can feature all kinds of instruments.

A soundtrack, on the other hand, is a selection of songs or existing pieces of music used in a film. When we talk about a film’s soundtrack, we might be referring to the pop song that plays over the closing credits, the famous disco tune heard in a club scene, or the use of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons during a tense chase.

“Soundtrack” (or OST) is also the term used for the commercial release of music from a film.

That’s the simple way to distinguish score vs. soundtrack. But there are some important details to tease out. We’ll get into them below.

What is a score?

The word ”score” describes the original music composed for a film – especially if it’s instrumental music. If vocal songs are written for a film – as in a musical like The Lion King – then “soundtrack” is more likely to be used to describe these songs.

A film score is usually written by a composer hired for the purpose. The greatest film composers, like Bernard Herrmann or John Williams, are celebrated musicians with great skill at heightening a film’s effect through music. The best film scores might bear the composer’s recognizable signature style. When film enthusiasts talk about the art of film music, they are usually referring to a film’s score – and the composer behind it.

What makes a song a score?

A song can be considered part of a score when it was composed specifically for the film or video game in question. Watch out, though: scores are typically instrumental (meaning they don’t feature vocals). If a song has vocals it’s usually considered part of a film’s soundtrack, but not part of its score.

Additionally, a lot of film music doesn’t follow the conventions of “song” form, such as having a memorable melody or a verse-chorus structure. Sure, many of the best film scores feature soaring, memorable tunes. But they also include short snippets of music designed to serve the action on-screen – by bridging between two scenes, for example.

These bits of music are crucial to a score’s effect, but they’re not “songs” in a traditional sense. For this reason, the individual parts of a score are often called “cues” rather than songs.

What is a soundtrack?

In its broadest sense, “soundtrack” can mean all of the sound in a film, including music, dialogue, and foley. Some people use the term soundtrack to refer to a film’s general soundworld – not just the music.

More often, though, “soundtrack” describes the songs or compositions used in a film – especially if these songs weren’t made specifically for the film. Many films use pre-existing music, such as beloved pop songs or famous classical pieces, to evoke a certain mood or era. When we talk about this music, we’re talking about a movie’s soundtrack.

Assembling a soundtrack is often the work of a Music Supervisor, who sources the perfect music and gets it licensed for use in the film.

To make things more complicated, “soundtrack” has an extra, overlapping meaning. When the music from a film is released commercially, this release is often referred to as the soundtrack, or OST (original soundtrack).

An OST typically features music from the original score, pre-existing songs used in the film, or a combination of the two. It might also include dialogue and foley, or even music that was never featured in the film – such as a song that the director found inspiring.

The best soundtracks (or OSTs) create a pleasurable listening experience that immerses the listener in the atmosphere of the film. Different OSTs approach this in different ways.

Is score another word for soundtrack?

While the two terms overlap in some ways, score isn’t simply another word for soundtrack. As the explanation above shows, there are usually some clear signs that you’re talking about a score vs. a soundtrack, or vice versa.

If you’re referring to the original instrumental music composed for a film or video game, then you’re talking about its score. If you’re including songs and other music licensed for the film, then “soundtrack” is the more accurate term. And the compilation of music released alongside a film is also called a soundtrack, or OST.

Do video games have scores or soundtracks?

Just as with films, many video games feature both a score and a soundtrack. In general, video games are more likely to rely on an original score rather than licensing existing music (to create a “soundtrack”). Indeed, many video game scores are up there with the best in the film world – just think of the unforgettable scores for the Final Fantasy and Zelda games.

Remember, though: when this score is released commercially on an audio compilation, this is called the soundtrack (or OST). A video game’s OST might feature additional music not heard in the game, or combine the score with dialogue and atmospheric sounds to evoke the game experience.

Examples of scores

Film scores are one of the great musical forms of the past century. The best film scores serve the film, but also create a compelling sonic world that stands up on its own. Whether through soaring melodies, bold sounds, or engrossing atmospheres, great film scores stay in the mind’s ear long after you’re done watching the film. The same is true of video games, though video game composers have often worked with tighter constraints. Below are some examples of great scores for both films and video games.

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic is an early example of how crucial a score can be to a film’s effect. Would that legendary shower scene be so memorable without the screeching, stabbing strings? Composed by Bernard Herrmann, the Psycho score defined the sound of the horror genre. It also captured the feeling of the 1960s, when post-war certainties were giving way to a period of social and cultural change. Herrmann’s Psycho score is an example of how a score can have an influence far beyond the movie it accompanies.

Star Wars

In Star Wars, visions of the future combine with a score out of the good old days. For this blockbuster sci-fi, composer John Williams looked to the past, reviving the epic orchestral sound of classical composers like Strauss and Wagner. This unexpected choice was crucial to the success of the franchise. Williams’ rich, romantic music told viewers that, in spite of the fantastical setting, the Star Wars movies told universal stories that everyone could enjoy. Above all, the Star Wars scores succeed because of their melodies: soaring tunes that millions of viewers will never forget.

Super Mario Bros.

The score for Super Mario Bros. – the first Mario game, released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 – shows how limitations can fuel inspiration. Nintendo sound designer Koji Kondo created the score on a single small keyboard, working within the strict limitations of the NES’s 8-bit hardware, which allowed for just five channels of sound and a very limited set of timbres. In spite (or because) of this, Kondo created one of the most memorable scores of all time, packed with bouncy rhythms and earworm melodies.

Halo

As the video games industry grew, so too did the ambition of its scores. By the turn of the millennium, game composers were beginning to match the epic grandeur of the biggest film scores. The theme for 1999 sci-fi shooter Halo holds nothing back, combining epic orchestra, celestial choirs, and throbbing heavy metal guitar. Composers Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori captured the sound of the time, drawing on musical trends across games, films, and other media. The Halo score showed that, in the new century, video games would start to lead the way in scoring innovations.

Examples of soundtracks

Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is a classic example of a soundtrack that pulls out all the stops. Rather than commissioning an original score for his 1994 crime anthology, director Quentin Tarantino licensed an eclectic spread of songs. Ranging from feelgood old-timers like Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man” to hip-hop and hectic surf rock, each song perfectly captures the eccentric flair of the film. On the OST, these songs are interspersed with snippets of the film’s endlessly quotable dialogue. The result is one of the best soundtracks out there, and a key driver behind Pulp Fiction’s cult status.

2001: A Space Odyssey

The music in Space Odyssey is unusual. Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece has the kind of epic orchestral soundtrack you’d expect to be an original score. In fact, none of the music was composed especially for the film. Instead, Kubrick drew on the classical canon, from romantic epics such as Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra to the mindblowing modern sounds of Hungarian composer György Ligeti. Music is key to setting the film’s mood. Without it, many of the long, slow scenes would probably fall flat. And after encountering the film’s creepy AI HAL, viewers will never hear the song “Daisy Bell (Bicycle Built for Two)” the same way again.

Titanic

Titanic was the most expensive film ever made when it came out in 1997, and director James Cameron didn’t skimp on the music. The epic tale of love and disaster features a luscious orchestral score composed by James Horner. But when you think of the music to this film, you probably think of one song in particular: “My Heart Will Go On.” This tear-jerking ballad became singer Celine Dion’s biggest hit, and was the best-selling single of 1998. Though it was composed by Horner too, its status as a standalone pop hit sets it apart from the film’s instrumental score. Titanic shows how murky the border between “score” and “soundtrack” can get – and how a killer melody can launch a thousand ships.

The Lion King

Musical films are a special case in the distinction between score and soundtrack. Though the songs created for a musical are usually original and bespoke, their use of vocals and song form (choruses and verses) pushes them into “soundtrack” territory. In The Lion King, these songs – written by Elton John and Tim Rice – are interspersed with an epic Hollywood score from Hans Zimmer. Both pieces of this musical puzzle are iconic, but it’s the furiously catchy songs – like “Circle of Life” and “Hakuna Matata” – that give the Lion King soundtrack its legendary status.

Start composing your own scores and soundtracks

Now you understand the score vs. soundtrack distinction, it’s time to use this knowledge to find your own path in the music industry. Whether you want to write epic orchestral scores, catchy soundtracks for musicals, or even technical foley and sound design, you can get to grips with the basics of music creation with Komplete Start. This production package features everything you need to start making compelling sounds – and it’s completely free.

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