Is Soundtrack an Actual Music Genre

[Minerva]

I'm in a fight on another forum on if Soundtrack is an actual Music Genre with lots of Subgenres.

I need your guys's Honest Opinions: Is Soundtrack an Actual genre? Like could you say
"My favorite Music Genre is Soundtrack"?

 

[Lady B]

What? Never heard of that before. It just seems so bizarre. Why the need to differentiate? Like, "Yeah, I'm into Soundtrack Jazz, but not that fufu shit pleb scrub n00b regular jazz"???

 

[Minerva]

What? Never heard of that before. It just seems so bizarre. Why the need to differentiate? Like, "Yeah, I'm into Soundtrack Jazz, but not that fufu shit pleb scrub n00b regular jazz"???

It would go along with Classical. Sort of.

Baba Yetu, or Lux Aeterna. Or anything by Jo Blankenburg would Qualify.

 

[chainedfiction]

o__O? A soundtrack is simply recordings of music for a movie, not an actual genre. I have no idea where you got that from either.

 

[Dervish]

Soundtrack, as in a score for a movie, video game, et cetera?

Not really, because it can be so diverse and not necessarily original songs, and of a variety of genres. I suspect you're referring to orchestral soundtracks that you hear in a lot of movies, but even so, that's still orchestral or synthetic music put together by a composer.

I suppose you could make an argument of "I prefer movie sountracks over classical arrangements" in the same light of "I like power metal over black metal", but it still doesn't really make a type of music's use a genre of it's own. For instance, Marvel Iron Man movies pretty much had an entire sountrack for the first movie being AC/DC songs, and most people would consider AC/DC rock music. While orchestral/ synthetically composed soundtracks for movies and video games are commissioned for that project alone, similar compositions exist outside of that realm and independent music.

 

[Jorick]

It's sort of borderline, but I'd say it's at least a subgenre. Soundtrack music generally has a rather different vibe to it than other music. Usually it could be classified as a subgenre of instrumental music in general, since most soundtracks lack vocals, but even then it's generally a lot different than other defined styles of instrumental music. Take classical orchestra music for example. Does the soundtrack of <insert action movie here> sound like that? Not at all. How about <insert romantic comedy movie>? Probably not. <insert romantic drama>? Maybe. Music made for show and movie soundtracks has a rather different purpose than other music, to accompany visuals rather than to be experienced as a solely auditory thing, so it makes sense that it doesn't quite mesh with other kinds of music.

Maybe "soundtrack" isn't the best term though. Another term I've seen used to refer to this stuff is production music, and that includes some other media that you wouldn't call soundtrack music. A lot of the companies that produce soundtracks for movies and things are called production music companies, so I think it probably fits.

 

[Minerva]

It's sort of borderline, but I'd say it's at least a subgenre. Soundtrack music generally has a rather different vibe to it than other music. Usually it could be classified as a subgenre of instrumental music in general, since most soundtracks lack vocals, but even then it's generally a lot different than other defined styles of instrumental music. Take classical orchestra music for example. Does the soundtrack of <insert action movie here> sound like that? Not at all. How about <insert romantic comedy movie>? Probably not. <insert romantic drama>? Maybe. Music made for show and movie soundtracks has a rather different purpose than other music, to accompany visuals rather than to be experienced as a solely auditory thing, so it makes sense that it doesn't quite mesh with other kinds of music.

Maybe "soundtrack" isn't the best term though. Another term I've seen used to refer to this stuff is production music, and that includes some other media that you wouldn't call soundtrack music. A lot of the companies that produce soundtracks for movies and things are called production music companies, so I think it probably fits.

Thank you! I'll explain what I meant to him. That's what I meant!

 

[Isho13]

I don't consider it a genre itself, but I know people who honestly say they like soundstracks. If you ask them what music they like to listen to, they'll say soundtrack of videogames and movies. Apparently they enjoy the music by association with a fun game and/or a good story, but music alone isn't too interesting for them. :S

 

[Dervish]

I don't consider it a genre itself, but I know people who honestly say they like soundstracks. If you ask them what music they like to listen to, they'll say soundtrack of videogames and movies. Apparently they enjoy the music by association with a fun game and/or a good story, but music alone isn't too interesting for them. :S

I'm one of the people who loves to listen to movie and video game soundtracks all the time. I usually find Youtube playlists, and I'm a sucker for people doing guitar covers.

 

[Hana]

It's sort of borderline, but I'd say it's at least a subgenre. Soundtrack music generally has a rather different vibe to it than other music. Usually it could be classified as a subgenre of instrumental music in general, since most soundtracks lack vocals, but even then it's generally a lot different than other defined styles of instrumental music. Take classical orchestra music for example. Does the soundtrack of <insert action movie here> sound like that? Not at all. How about <insert romantic comedy movie>? Probably not. <insert romantic drama>? Maybe. Music made for show and movie soundtracks has a rather different purpose than other music, to accompany visuals rather than to be experienced as a solely auditory thing, so it makes sense that it doesn't quite mesh with other kinds of music.

Maybe "soundtrack" isn't the best term though. Another term I've seen used to refer to this stuff is production music, and that includes some other media that you wouldn't call soundtrack music. A lot of the companies that produce soundtracks for movies and things are called production music companies, so I think it probably fits.

Yes, this.

I usually consider the music scores for movies, video games, and tv shows as soundtracks. It really does have a different vibe compared to other music, and it's usually instrumental. Soundtracks are made to accompany certain scenes and visuals, as well as the moods or turning points during the show.

It's probably not an actual 'genre', but it's certainly distinct from other types of music.

I don't consider it a genre itself, but I know people who honestly say they like soundstracks. If you ask them what music they like to listen to, they'll say soundtrack of videogames and movies. Apparently they enjoy the music by association with a fun game and/or a good story, but music alone isn't too interesting for them. :S

I love certain soundtracks, not just because of the movie/story, but because they could be really beautiful by themselves. :D

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Speaking as someone who listens to almost nothing but soundtracks, it's not it's own genre.
At best it's a sub-genre to Instrumental.

Soundtracks are more a kind of use for music than it is a genre in itself.
It's be like saying Radio music, Stage music, Dance music etc. are their own genres.

 

[Holmishire]

The way I see it, there is definitely an evolving style of orchestral music of which film soundtracks are the most representative, and for that reason, I'm open to the idea of it forming a genre—or subgenre. Or genre additive, or whatever, because it can mix with a variety of genres.

However, I wouldn't go so far as to say all soundtracks would fit within this "soundtrack genre". Films and games that use actual songs wouldn't count. An example would be the song "Secrets" by OneRepublic in the film Sorcerer's Apprentice, which was used as the main theme of the film. It is a soundtrack, but wouldn't fit within the genre.

 

[fatalrendezvous]

I'm of the opinion that "Soundtrack" is a category, not a genre.

Nobody in their right mind would say "Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of soundtrack." When you ask them what their other tastes are.

 

[ElBell]

Nobody in their right mind would say "Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of soundtrack." When you ask them what their other tastes are.

I honestly would include them, and that's exactly why I do in a sense call it a genre. It has its own feeling to it and, if looked at from a different view of the word 'genre;, is in fact a grouping of the music based on the related fact they're all created for media other than the music on its own ^^

It's 3 am I probably make 0 sense

 

[Minibit]

I'd say definitely not.

A soundtrack is a collection of music that was used in something like a movie or a game or something. It can include many genres from punk rock to classical music. "Soundtrack" isn't even exclusive to songs written specifically for a movie/game/whatever.

A genre is supposed to be something you can define something else by.

"so, what kind of music do you like?"

"Soundtrack music!"

makes no sense, right?

so no, I don't think "soundtrack" works as a musical genre.

It can be used as a category in a music library, for when you just want to listen to songs you know from (or associate strongly with) movies/games/whatevers that they were in, or situations like you just watched Tarzan and the songs are in your head still, but you don't want to listen to ALL your Phil Collins music, just the stuff from Tarzan.

 

[AetherDream]

I would have to agree with what has been thus far expressed by the majority. A soundtrack isn't a musical movement or style that would fit within the confines of genre. The way I understand them as a production tool, they are just that, a means of conveying additional message, sentiment or atmosphere to the audience beyond what's being shown on the big screen. If I were to be very generous, I suppose one could make an argument that soundtracks can be split up into genres as it suits typical film or television tropes or archetypes.

Very often there are songs that get used over and over again to evoke the same emotions, memories, internal monologues, so on and so forth. For example, in many war movies centered around the Vietnam War, songs like, "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival are used more often than other songs. Or how in mafia movies, "Ave Maria" is used in almost every single shoot out scene or other ultra violent scenes as a point of contrast. Even certain instrumentals (whether recycled or created for the movie as an original score) are indicative of the film they are being used in. You wouldn't find a horror soundtrack being used in an Action movie or the other way round; tt would feel odd.

So what am I trying to say? At surface level, no, soundtracks are not their own genre. As a production tool, they can very well be fit into various genres based upon the movie or production they are servicing.

 

[Diana]

If fandom is a genre, soundtrack is a genre! 8D

 

[Jorick]

I'd say definitely not.

A soundtrack is a collection of music that was used in something like a movie or a game or something. It can include many genres from punk rock to classical music. "Soundtrack" isn't even exclusive to songs written specifically for a movie/game/whatever.

A genre is supposed to be something you can define something else by.

"so, what kind of music do you like?"

"Soundtrack music!"

makes no sense, right?

so no, I don't think "soundtrack" works as a musical genre.

It can be used as a category in a music library, for when you just want to listen to songs you know from (or associate strongly with) movies/games/whatevers that they were in, or situations like you just watched Tarzan and the songs are in your head still, but you don't want to listen to ALL your Phil Collins music, just the stuff from Tarzan.

See, that's why I said "soundtrack" is probably not the best term for this. Soundtracks can be made up of songs from existing artists of various genres, and that really makes them more of a compilation album than the kind of thing I think the OP is referring to when they speak of soundtracks.

The term "production music" is a lot better to refer to this kind of music. Those are songs made explicitly for the use in various other media, and oftentimes they're made specially for a particular movie or what have you. If you look just at soundtracks that come from these production music sources, then you can see there's a rather stark difference from other kinds of modern instrumental music. I'd call it a subgenre of instrumental music in exactly the same fashion as classical is a subgenre of instrumental music.

 

[Darog]

Well, it's classed more as a category due to how vague it is, since "Soundtrack" can range from songs written twenty years ago collected and used(or just associated with the movie) to original pieces specifically written for that movie.

I'd personally class the latter as a sub-genre, but even then, it's still more vague than people might think. there needs to be a bunch of common traits, hooks, stuff like that for "Soundtrack" to be a sub-genre, let alone a full genre. Take Motown for example, that style can fit with Soul, Funk, Jazz and even Pop, it shares some similarities between those already established genres, but then it has its own stylistic differences when you dig into the mechanics of what it entails.

TLDR: When it's written original pieces specifically for a movie, I consider it a sort of hybrid of a Category of music and a sub-genre, but when it comes to just collections of songs associated with a movie? no, not a genre.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Nobody in their right mind would say "Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of soundtrack." When you ask them what their other tastes are.

The only thing off with that is the grammar. :P
When someone asks my music tastes I normally reply with "I tend to listen to soundtracks and instrumental music".