Filmmaking / Directing : How important is music in a film? by Muzafar Batyrkhodzhaev

During writing and editing.

Music is honestly one of the most underrated storytelling tools because it bypasses logic and hits emotion directly! Something like INVINCIBLE is a great example of how the right score can completely reframe how you feel about a character or scene. And thinking about it during the writing stage is never too early because tone starts there!

I agree. Music and score is imperative to setting the ambiance and shape your emotional journey before the scene even starts. Sometimes, I'll use certain types of music when I'm writing to help me form scenes with similar score in mind.

As a screenwriter who is greatly inspired by music (meaning I hear a song and a story starts to develop in my mind), I value the effective use of music in a film/TV show a lot. I believe music can be an integral part of the overall storytelling, either underscoring a moment, adding emotional context, or creating an unforgettable moment on screen. As an audience member, I love discovering new music through film and television. I discover so many new artists this way.

The musical score is as important as the talent and for the filmmaker ensuring the budget includes the needed musical options is vital from the beginning.

Music is very effective to enhance the scene and to attrack the audience.The most effective, I feel, is when it is used and "Juxtaposition. EG. A horrid war battle with a soft symphony tune, low in the background. Good luck all... Cheers.

I feel it can do both - make a scene stronger, and support what is already on screen. As for stage music comes into play, I'm assuming directors like Scorsese are thinking of music at an early (script) stage. An accomplished actor I know makes a makes a playlist of the music his character would be into. Also a good exercise for filmmakers. The songs likely won't be in the movie, but they can inspire tone for key crew, including the composer.

My screenplay is an adaption of my book ,Tears of Glass. The book has a soundtrack! 14 original songs by a Bafta winning songwriter.

The music drives the narrative - or does it echo it? Originally, the paperback came in an clear plastic oyster case together with the tape. W H Smith sold 7000 copies. Eventually the book went on Amazon plus the music could be heard online. Won a literary award in 2017 and entered Amazon's top 30 thrillers in the same year.

Screenplay and TV Pilot just finished, The latter has won four IMBd qualifying festivals.

Guess what music is featured in the Screenplay!

Bet I'll end up pitching to tone-deaf producers.

Warning: long text (cause I love talking about music)

In my experience, music should be included since the beginning, cause even if there's no composing at first, there's a lot of thinking. Take Bugonia or Frankenstein (both nominated on the Oscars), music had a huge impact on the movie, it gave more power to the movie since before they started filming it. Or there's The Joker (the first one); it wouldn't have had the impact it did if it weren't for the music, cause it made people stop distinguishing between what was really sounding and what was wasn't (kind of like Arthur couldn't distinguish between reality and his imagination), and this is what made people connect with him.

Also, I feel like people engage with things that make them feel, and one of the best tools for that is music.

There are a lot of things I could say about this, but to make it quick, yeah, music is really important, and it should be included since the beginning <3. It can really make your product better if you let it

When I think of soundtracks in movies, I refer to the Big Chill. I know there are others. I also think of the song from Ghostbusters or Rocky. There are too many to name. Cheers.

A great film score can make any movie better. Witness the magic that the unforgettable music of a John WIlliams or Ennio Morricone can work upon a film, to name only two of the best composers. Or the fun that old rock and roll records adds to a film like American Graffitti. Musical selection can truly make even a mediocre film memorable, and great care must be taken to not only provide a background for the film, but help the audience to understand and to amplify the nuances of what is taking place on the screen. In my days as a motion picture editor, I used to, say that 'Music is Magic'. Never underestimate it.

In my feature screenplay CITY OF BRIDES, the last minutes of this drama-thriller has the Final Movement of Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 already at the core of the scene.

LOGLINE:

A young violinist flees the Russian Revolution, only to one day come to the aid of her Salt Lake City Symphony conductor in Cold War Utah, when he receives an anonymous death threat on the eve of the orchestra’s controversial 1951 performance of Soviet-composer Sergei Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. So much so, that if the conductor begins the symphony, he will never live to finish it!

I always put together a soundtrack when writing a script. I even have a true-story drama series where I've used a popular song that ties in with each episode's theme.

The music scor is one of the most important factor. Can improve or worsen a movie.

I am no expert, working on my first screenplay, (Faith Based) but I strongly believe that music can bring out the feelings of the writer which is shown in the script.

Its incredibly important. Take John Hughes who was a complete genius at setting the entire tone of a film with a soundtrack, where as mostly that was done with a score. Drive embodied that model perfectly & the soundtrack brought a kind of severity to Drive that made it feel like a score. And Michael Mann's use of Tangerine Dream to score Thief (1981):carried the dark but modern feel. I could go on for hours about this subject lol. All my scripts have YouTube Playlists that go along because for me music & film are bread & butter, good on their own but spectacular together. Lol.

I think the sound should be according to the scene and dialogue of the story. Just as a storyteller writes the scene and dialogue along with their emotions while writing the story, similarly the sound should be created while writing the script of the story.

I think the music is one of the most important components, and we should start thinking about it before we start writing, as soon as we have a clear idea of the genre, audience, and outline of the film. I especially appreciate an old 70s movie with old rock music included, or shows like Grace and Frankie, and the wide range of music that enhances the series over the years, or Titanic and how that soundtrack was instrumental in setting the mood. I agree with Tunde, that the music can also worsen a movie, especially when it is way too loud and dominates a scene. That is a pet peeve of mine - the volume of music and fluctuation of volume in a movie, making you run for the remote before it blows your eardrums. Come on sound guys - how about controlling the volume to a tolerable level???

For me, music is emotional architecture.

A great score doesn’t just support a scene — it shapes how the audience feels what’s underneath the dialogue and visuals. Sometimes it elevates tension quietly, and other times it completely takes control of the moment.

I think filmmakers should start thinking about music during the writing stage, because rhythm, silence, pacing, and emotional tone are already part of storytelling long before post-production begins.

Thanks for the chat invite Ashley!! As a Canadian composer myself, jazz film director, jazz guitarist and jazz music writer/writer I have to be honest, music is my ENTIRE world! It sustains me, and even more deeply profound is that it is a direct link to our one and only Creator for me. I have just penned 14 new spiritual jazz compositions for a jazz album I hope to create with a local gifted producer here, eventually. He is one of my favourite people! Music people are the best!

I managed to connect with another wonderful composer and another favourite here through our one and only Stage 32, from the midwest, the USA's Mike Hall, and we are now in the process of writing an exciting book for music composers together, who would have thought that would happen here? Mike has been a delight to work with so far, and we are so excited about the subject matter! It's a surprise, and we are hoping the music world will love the result!!

When I did my film The Luring I originally thought I would use a library like Artlist but then I quickly realized, after production, we needed to hire a composer. The Luring is a psychological thriller so the music- building up the suspense is sooooo important and I'm almost embarrassed I thought I could do it with a library like Artlist. The sound design of my film is layered and creates this really cool world, if I then would have gone with a lesser sound track, that sound design would not have been complimented and that's what you want with your film. People still tell me one of the things they enjoy about The Luring is the original sound track and that makes me know I made the right choice. Just buy the rights outright so you don't have to share earnings later on since that can be a pain.

Yes agreed, Christopher Wells, being able to have musical and moody themes that follow and develop throughout the film is a plus, also the moods and signature are consistent and fluid with a composer. I do not think you are going to be able to find an AI or a music library to match up a fight or action scene with something that matches the rest of your film unless you use a composer. My guess is my friend Mike Hall would agree on this.

Yes Charmane Wedderburn subtlety, nuance and beauty, silence, colors and hues, textures, dramatic foreshadowing, are crucial and scene support is key I agree.

This a an awesome question. Music definitely helps the movie immerse the audience into the narrative. Star Wars, 2001 Space Odyssey, Pulp Fiction, Twin Peaks and Trainspotting are examples of music keeping the audience engaged with the story and the characters.

Extremely important because it's the heart and soul of where and when it takes place.

Muzafar Batyrkhodzhaev really interesting question and I'm actually dealing with this right now with my feature film.

If I'm completely hones I don't think I've thought about music while writing, maybe once or twice in very specific places.

I had a scene where a band is supposed to play in the background, so we had to have the song before we shot the scene so that we could sync the band to the music.

But even before I started shooting I was fortunate that my neighbor is a really good composer who's also done music for films before and he told us to just use temp music that we liked and he'd then take care of the rest once we had the picture locked. He said that it would be too much work to keep adjusting it and it's easier to just it after the picture has been locked.

So it's kind of funny when you're used to the film with the temp music which you know that's not going to be used and then suddenly it changes. But it does grow on you and it makes the film a lot better when the music is tailored to the film.

I think it is important on many levels. It adds naturally to a scene by evoking emotions but also lead the audience to the underlying story and definition of characters. I’m writing right now and have songs in the script. I lean towards songs that are already produced because that’s what I hear in my head. I’ve always used music in productions I’ve directed due to the sparkle it gives, vehicle to take you back in time, or sustain that scene’s feelings. This was way before QT made it a religion. Music is just as important as the characters and actors you write and cast. It’s supporting cast

To me, the right music completely transforms a scene. Music is very important in filmmaking,

Absolutely, Kerilie — I think some of the most powerful cinematic moments come from restraint rather than excess. When all those elements work together subtly, the audience feels the emotion before they even consciously process it.

As an animator I think soundtrack is very important because music helps shape emotion timing and audience connection In animation especially music can strengthen storytelling movement and mood I believe filmmakers should start thinking about music early during story development or editing so the visual flow and sound work together naturally

I come from a musical family. I've been a musical instrument student and lover of music all of my life. (My hometown is New Orleans and I worked for many years in the French Quarter, that's filled with live music on the streets, night & day). Plus, I work for the New World Symphony in South Beach Miami. I do think music is very crucial in film and TV. But, sometimes I feel it gets overused. As much as I love it....Silence is golden.

Charmane Wedderburn I am so with you on this. One of the greatest musicians who ever lived, Miles Davis, was a master of knowing how to use silence and restraint for effect, the great John Coltrane, too, ( And Alice Coltrane, too). For me the nuances, hues, textural effects and restraint IS important. Strategically placed silence within the music is golden. Miles was a true master of that technique. It makes me want to go listen to him now.

I will actually recommend something that was recommended to me.

It is something used in an audio engineering class my friend took. It shows how important music is to a movie.

Watch Home Alone dubbed without music. It shows how most people's favorite Christmas Movie is absolute garbage without music.

Bad dialogue, bad pacing, all fixed by music and sound effects.

Also, note that Home Alone is one of my favorite Christmas movies. lol. It did not ruin the movie for me, but I notice the flaws now.

Absolutely, Kerilie — Miles Davis understood that space can be just as expressive as sound. There’s something incredibly powerful about restraint when it’s intentional. Silence creates anticipation, tension, and emotion in a way constant noise often can’t. That’s true in music and storytelling alike.

Depends on the film. Some do very well with little to no music. Music can greatly improve a scene like Harriman's score in "Psycho" The shower scene would not have as much impact without the score. On the other hand, using a music score like Sophia Coppola did for "Marie Anntonette" certainly made a weak picture excruciatingly intolerable. Substitute David Rose's "The Stripper" for Morricone's music in the final shootout at the cemetery in "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" and see how well that plays.

It gives power to the statements you are making in each scene. It draws emotions from the viewers. It makes humans feel like they are apart of what they are watching.

The right music - or sound effects - will elevate the scene or pull someone right out of the scene. Once the scene's core beats are set have the music and accompanying sound effects in the notes.

Love the music and how it helps tell the story! Right now I have my documentary rough cut which if I had music to put into it, it would change how the movie feels. I started writing down ideas of music in the beginning and have the trailer with music that I think makes you feel something for the story. I think it can make a scene not just stronger but help the audience feel specific feelings when watching.

Totally agree. You can't separate music from the storytelling. There are many films to use as an example, however the film I would refer to is THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS by Michael Mann. I love the non-stop urgency in the music. The whole story is about urgency. About time, loss, love, determination and courage. The protagonists are under great time pressure. The need is urgent. The cost of failure is too high. They must win. The images and dialogue work that story, but the most important part of what makes it work and successfully create the atmosphere, is the music. Awesome.

Music can make it break a film. Recently, we watched a film from a turkey called "Abandoned Man". The music would have for a spy thriller. It was heavy, dramatic. Not fitting for a redeeming movie.

How does your feeling change if this classic film started with this music: https://youtu.be/NlBwe81JwGA?si=fQDAqEYiWfVqZM3S

Music plays a huge role for me — not just in supporting a scene, but in shaping how the audience feels it. The right score can completely transform a moment, especially when it reveals emotion that isn’t fully expressed on screen.

I think it’s something that should be considered early, even at the writing stage, because tone and rhythm often come from how you imagine the scene emotionally. Then in editing, it really finds its final form.

When it works well, music doesn’t just support the story — it becomes part of the storytelling itself.”

Very important!!! Soul!!!

Listening/hearing is an important sense that audiences may not even realize when watching a film. IMHO, a well-done score/music enhances a film by subtly subconsciously reinforcing an emotion portrayed on the screen through the visuals and dialogue.

“Absolutely — it really is the soul. It’s what connects the audience emotionally, sometimes even more than what’s on screen.”

“Really well said. I agree that music works on a subconscious level — it often reinforces emotion in a way the audience feels without even noticing it. When it’s done right, it quietly deepens the entire experience.”

VERY - It's like having pot roast with no potatoes!

Great analogy

Both of my current projects rely heavily on music. My ensemble half-hour comedy and my feature film are both set in the 1980s, and not including music from that era would be like putting up a Christmas tree and not hanging any ornaments on it.

One of the things both projects have in common is that the music is diegetic, not just floating in over the top. It comes from radios, tape decks, mall speakers, Muzak systems, passing cars, and all the other places music naturally lived in the world of the 1980s.

While the written word is evocative, a soundtrack adds another beautiful layer. For me, a song can become part of the DNA of a scene, or even a whole movie. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from The Breakfast Club, anyone? The music, and the thoughtfully chosen lyrics, can add so much color to the canvas.

And when it comes to score, one only needs to look as far as John Williams. For instance, his iconic Superman theme has transcended its origin as the theme for the 1978 Christopher Reeve film and become inextricably linked to Superman himself, so culturally synonymous with the character that those opening notes feel woven into the character’s mythology. For over four decades, it has been quoted, reworked, referenced, and used outright in other television series, video games, and films, including James Gunn’s 2025 Superman.

As for the creative process itself, when I’m working on projects, I usually have a YouTube video of period-appropriate ambient music running in the background. It helps put me in the world I’m writing, because I love having music to write to, but I’m also easily distracted by regular songs…

Really love this perspective, especially the use of diegetic music to ground the world — that adds so much authenticity. The 80s setting makes it even more powerful because music from that era carries such a strong identity. And I completely agree, when a song becomes part of a scene’s DNA, it stays with the audience long after the film ends.”

The music or soundtrack for a film, sets the atmosphere and tone for each scene. Call it an enhancement.

Absolutely — it really defines the tone of a scene. When used right, it doesn’t just enhance the moment, it shapes how the audience experiences it emotionally.”

We write- you write - we All Re-Write -LOL Notes are part of the process- you have to learn its nothing personal- a lot of times notes are just "opinions." Once you've found your voice - your structure- Notes just become one of the many steps that goes along with ending up with a great script. If you are allergic to Re-Writes- then being a Writer might not be your thing. And like Spencer said- you have to be able to "hear" what the notes mean - some are totally spot on - others- not so much and are just someone trying to just add where its not necessary. And some just down right are confusing- Notes are an entity all of their own- just don't let someone's notes discourage you from continuing to make your script the best that it can possibly be. Good luck out there- because there will always be NOTES!!

Really well said. I think learning how to interpret notes is just as important as writing itself — understanding what’s actually useful versus what doesn’t serve the story. Rewriting really is where the script starts to evolve.”

Music is absolutely important. Most important at the opening of a film and the end of the film. Music interspersed when most effective ONLY once !!!!!

However, when I submit a screenplay suggested music is removed.

I add suggested music titles to set tone! Not to overpower scene. Music title after I finish script.

That’s a great point, especially about using music to support the tone rather than overpower the scene. I like the idea of keeping it flexible in the script while still using it as a guide for emotion and atmosphere.”

I don't want the audience to hear the "score" music. I want them to feel it.

The only time I want the audience to hear is when it's "source"; that is, when the characters hear it... that is, in a club or at a party, or driving their car with the music blasting.

That’s a great way to look at it — making the audience feel the score rather than consciously notice it. The distinction between score and source music is really powerful in shaping immersion and realism.”

Although there are stories that can be told powerfully with no music, I love the atmosphere or character development that music can bring to a film. As a screenwriter I like to imagine what music my characters listen to in different situations. Driving music (As Good As It Gets), first time new love interest comes over for dinner, just broke up and drops a coin in a jukebox, what one sings in the shower or belts out at karaoke. So I'm agreeing with Jack Vincent, but I also appreciate scores that manipulate:my emotions as I watch -- Ennio Marricone's The Mission or The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, John Williams' Jaws or Star Wars.

I think music is extremely important; it can really improve your scene. I think of the scene in Goodfellas where they move in while playing Layla from Eric Clapton, and you see the people who were murdered in their pink Cadillac.

Music is the pulse behind a scene! The right music can speak so strongly, that words aren't even needed by the actors playing out the scene! You should definitely think about the music while writing. It is part of the glue that brings your story together. Music is an art that has power to paint a masterpiece; all your scene needs is movement because the power of song will definitely captivate the rest, and when people remember the movie, the music will DEFINITELY stand out sentimentally!

I think music works if it telegraphs what the emotion of a scene is, and if it is appropriate to the movie. Otherwise, one doesn't need a full orchestral score or even a tonal, ambient score if it's not necessary. My debut movie didn't have a score; I used diegetic and non-diegetic ambient sounds to create a soundscape, tone, and texture. I had two songs in it but they were appropriate to the movie and, more importantly, royalty free.

As some who writing and primarily does story telling music , I think it can definitely enhance a scene

“That’s a really great perspective — especially imagining what characters listen to in everyday moments. It adds another layer to their personality. And I agree, when used well, a score can completely shape how we feel a scene without us even realizing it.”

Great example — that scene in Goodfellas really shows how music can completely elevate the emotional impact. It’s not just background, it becomes part of the storytelling itself.”

Absolutely — calling music the ‘pulse’ of a scene is a great way to put it. When it’s used right, it can carry emotion even without dialogue and really stay with the audience long after the film ends.”

That’s a really grounded approach — especially using ambient sound to build tone and texture instead of relying on a full score. It shows how sound design itself can carry the emotion when used intentionally.”

“Absolutely — even subtle music can elevate a scene when it aligns with the emotion and story. It’s amazing how much impact it can have with the right timing and tone.”

Music is absolutely crucial. It can set a scene, create atmosphere/tension, or even BE a character - like the JAWS soundtrack - the music is part of the character of the shark. I love how a brilliant soundtrack elevates what's on screen and becomes part of the core identity of a film.

If you look at the work of Stanley Kubrick, he was the master of using music in his films. 2001 and Clockwork Orange would be half the films they were without the great classical music scores.

That’s a great point — shifting perspective to how someone else might evaluate the project really changes how you see it. Actively questioning why it might not work can often reveal more than just focusing on what already does.

Music is doing far more work than most audiences consciously realize, and I'd argue a great score can elevate a mediocre scene while a wrong one can sink a brilliant one. Think about how much of "Jaws" lives in those two notes, or how Jonny Greenwood's strings in "There Will Be Blood" make dread feel physical before anything bad has happened on screen. My take is that filmmakers should start thinking about music at the writing stage, at least tonally, because the rhythm of a scene on the page often dictates the rhythm of the cut and the score later. That said, the best collaborations I've seen between directors and composers happen in the edit, when picture and sound start shaping each other in real time, the way Villeneuve and Zimmer worked on "Dune."

That’s a great way to put it — especially the idea that music can elevate or completely shift a scene’s impact. Thinking about tone and rhythm at the writing stage makes a lot of sense, since it naturally carries through to the edit and final score.

The more I work between music and visual storytelling, the more I realize that a video does not truly live only through what we see.

The invisible part is often what reaches us most deeply, and that is where sound and music become essential.

When there is real collaboration between the director, the artistic vision, and the musician, something special happens: ideas begin influencing each other naturally. An editing choice changes the breathing of the music, and a musical choice can completely transform the emotional meaning of a scene without changing a single frame.

It is a process built on details, listening, and sensitivity. Sometimes all it takes is a silence placed at the right moment, a note held one second longer, or the way a sound enters a scene, to give depth to something that would otherwise remain simply “beautiful to watch.”

And maybe that is the part I love most about artistic work: the moment when you are no longer just adding music to a video, but working together with other artists to give emotional life to what the audience will experience. Because in the end, images may capture the eyes.

But sound is often what truly opens the door to emotion.

Muzafar Batyrkhodzhaev I’ve found that thinking about music early, even during development, helps guide the emotional rhythm of the story. It also becomes a fantastic tool for transmedia marketing.

Music is critical. The lack of music can be equally important. It's one of your biggest tools as a director to move the audience.

Beautifully said — especially the idea that sound gives emotional life beyond what we see. That interplay between editing, silence, and music really shapes how a scene is felt, not just watched.

Agreed — thinking about music early can really shape the emotional rhythm of a story, and it’s interesting how it can extend into marketing as well.

Absolutely — the use of silence can be just as powerful as music. It really shows how much control sound (or the absence of it) has over the audience’s emotional experience.

Absolutely — music really defines the emotional tone and energy of a project. When it aligns perfectly with the story, it can make moments instantly memorable.

I might go a little overboard, as a trumpeter, guitarist, and drummer since the age of 8, but I create a new Spotify playlist every time I start pages on a new project. It helps crystallize tone, rhythm, and character for each project I write. Plus, it's always enthralling to dig deep for the perfect needle drop!

That’s a great approach — using playlists to lock in tone and rhythm early makes a lot of sense. It’s interesting how music can shape character and pacing even before the script is fully developed.

Matt Sacca - YES!!!!!!!!!!! 100 % Same !!! Sometimes I even begin a Project with the Title Track Before I even start the story synopsis! I was a Songwriter in Nashville for almost 2 decades- LOL !!!

Matt Sacca, I was doing the same thing today. After finishing the outline for my feature project (set in the same ’80s Stillwater world as my half-hour, by the way), I started building a soundtrack playlist on YouTube with the songs I’m dropping into specific scenes. It’s part of my process, along with building a poster or key image. Sure, it gives me a head start on the pitch deck, but more than that, it helps make the world feel real before I’m fully living inside the pages. It gives the project a sense of shape, momentum, and inevitability.

I love what you said about tone, rhythm, and character. That’s exactly it. Sometimes the right needle drop doesn’t just support the scene, it tells you something about the scene you hadn’t fully articulated yet.

That’s a great way to build the world early — using music and visuals to shape tone before the script is fully there. Interesting point about a track revealing something about a scene you hadn’t articulated yet — that’s where the process really becomes creative discovery.

Thank you everyone for the answers. i really like reading real opinions and personal examples, because for me music in a film is not just background. it can completely change the feeling of a scene.

and i think it’s better when people actually read the comments first, then reply. Sometimes some users reply to everyone, agree with everyone, and seem happy with everything, but the answer is not even about the topic

Thank you for your answers. I will reply to some of you personally too, but first I want to say this here.

For me, soundtrack is one of the most important parts of a film. Sometimes it can kill the moment if it doesnt fit, but when it fits perfectly, it can make the scene feel much more alive and powerful.

One of the best examples for me is The Last Samurai. The music follows the story so perfectly. Hans Zimmer did an amazing job there - everything feels smooth, emotional and connected to the soul of the film.

For me, Hans Zimmer is just genius. I really love how he seems to find a new sound or new instrument for almost every film, and somehow it always fits the world of the story.

Completely agree — when music truly fits, it doesn’t just support the scene, it becomes part of its emotional language.

The Last Samurai is a great example because the score doesn’t feel added on — it feels like it’s breathing with the story. That’s what makes Hans Zimmer stand out for me too. He doesn’t just compose music, he designs a sound identity for the world.

I think the most powerful scores are the ones you don’t just hear — you feel them shaping how you experience the story.

Vital Butinar and Dwayne Williams, thank you both. i really like what you said.

Vital, your point about temp music and changing it after picture lock is very interesting. I can imagine how strange it feels when you get used to one temp track, and then final music changes the feeling of the scene.

Dwayne, i agree with you too. thinking about music early can help find the emotional rhythm of the story. For me, music is not just background. Sometimes it can kill the moment if it doesnt fit, but when it fits right, it can make the scene much stronger and more alive.

Geoffroy Faugerolas, thank you. i really like how you said that sometimes the right track shows something about the scene that we didnt fully understand yet. That is exactly why i think music can be part of the writing process, not only something added at the end.

Randy Jon Morgan, “Music is Magic” — yes, that’s exactly how it feels. some scenes stay with us because of the music more than anything else.

Christopher Wells, i agree about psychological thrillers. music and sound design can make the tension breathe. sometimes even silence can do more than a full score.

Charmane Wedderburn, “emotional architecture” — i like that phrase. music really can build the feeling around a scene, not just sit behind it.

Luisa Zarama, your Joker example is spot on. The music doesn’t just follow Arthur, it pulls us into his broken mind.

Matt Sacca. yes, i agree with this. a playlist can help a lot when starting a new project. It helps catch the mood, the rhythm, and sometimes even the soul of the story.

Hi Muzafar,

I think music is one of the few cinematic tools that can directly manipulate the audience’s subconscious without passing through logic first.

A viewer can resist dialogue.

A viewer can question exposition.

A viewer can intellectually analyze images.

But music slips underneath all of that and speaks directly to emotional rhythm.

That’s why a great score doesn’t simply “support” a scene.

It reveals the invisible layer of the scene.

The most powerful film music often tells us:

* what a character cannot admit,

* what reality is hiding,

* or what emotional truth is approaching before the audience consciously realizes it.

In that sense, music is not decoration.

It’s narrative architecture.

And interestingly, I think truly great scores rarely amplify emotion in the obvious way. They often create tension through contradiction.

For example:

a calm score under violence can create tragedy,

beauty under horror can create psychological unease,

silence after emotional intensity can feel more devastating than orchestration itself.

That’s why I believe music should never merely repeat what the image is already saying. If both image and score communicate the exact same emotional information, the scene can start feeling emotionally “closed.” But when music adds a second layer of meaning, cinema becomes dimensional.

Personally, I think filmmakers should start thinking about music much earlier than post-production.

Not necessarily specific tracks — but rhythm, emotional tempo, tonal identity, sonic atmosphere, and silence.

Because every screenplay already contains hidden musicality:

* scene length,

* dialogue cadence,

* emotional acceleration,

* tension-release patterns,

* visual repetition,

* even character psychology.

Some directors edit visually.

Some edit emotionally.

The greatest ones often edit musically.

And sometimes the absence of music is the most powerful score of all.

One of the fascinating things about cinema is that audiences often remember how a scene felt long before they remember what was said in it. Music is deeply connected to that emotional memory encoding.

A great score doesn’t just accompany a film.

It becomes part of the audience’s nervous system while they’re watching it.

Volkan Durakcay, this is one of the best answers here. i really like what you said about music speaking to the subconscious before logic. that is exactly why i think music can make or break a scene.

I also agree that music should not always repeat what the image already says. sometimes a calm sound under a violent moment, or silence after something emotional, can hit much harder than obvious dramatic music.

for me, music is not decoration either. it is part of the soul and rhythm of the film.

Music in film can tell part of the story as nothing else can, revealing aspects of character, setting moods, and leading the action in subtle and not so subtle ways. 'Show don't tell' applies here. It can also create an atmosphere of the period of the film (if not contemporary) that is irreplaceable.

Absolutely — music often communicates what visuals alone can’t.

I think one of the most powerful uses is when it contrasts the scene instead of supporting it. Like a calm or minimal score under something intense — it creates a deeper emotional impact.

In many ways, it feels like music guides the audience’s subconscious before they even process what they’re seeing.

Music which contributes effectively is extremely important and in many cases crucial. Music which tries to take over, is excessive, or ill fitting in a huge volume range can be a disturbing nuisance. I have turned off movies which are supposed to be dramas where they are interspersed with almost blatant music videos which interrupt and do not support the drama. The upside is that many music contributions to movies are quite beautifully done, uplifting and completely at one with the story.

I recently wrote a short which I am producing this year. It's a dramedy. I always knew I would add music . The other night, when relaxed, I knew what music and where in the film it would sit perfectly. It's so important. When I directed a short that I wrote and filmed years ago as I was writing it, I knew exactly what song I wanted. I contacted the artist and she agreed to let me use it.

That’s a great point — when music starts to dominate instead of support the story, it can actually pull you out of the experience.

I think the most effective scores are the ones you almost don’t notice at first, but they subtly shape how you feel about a scene. When it becomes too loud or too “on the nose,” it loses that emotional authenticity.

It’s interesting how the best music feels invisible, yet it’s doing so much work beneath the surface.

That’s really inspiring — especially the part where you already knew exactly what music the story needed while writing it.

It’s interesting how sometimes the right piece of music feels like it’s already part of the film before it even exists. And reaching out directly to the artist is a great move — it shows how strongly you believed in that connection.

I think when music is felt at that level, it stops being an addition and becomes part of the storytelling itself.

Music is not just support in film it’s an emotional architecture.

The right score can absolutely elevate a scene beyond what is written or even performed on screen, because it speaks directly to subtext, memory, and feeling. In many cases, it doesn’t just enhance the image it redefines its meaning.

Ideally, music should be considered from the earliest creative stages, even during writing, because it influences rhythm, tone, and emotional pacing. It doesn’t need to be fully composed at that point, but the emotional “sound” of the film should already exist in the filmmaker’s mind.

By the time of editing, music becomes structural, shaping silence, tension, and flow as much as dialogue or performance.

In short, great film music doesn’t decorate a scene. It completes it.

- Senventy

First failure of music I'm aware of was in Salvador Dali's "Un Chien Andalou", which was an experimental, pioneering silent film. Someone decided later on, hey this is a love story, let's just throw the "Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde onto it. If you've ever watched the film with that score, you realize how completely wrong that music is. (I recently re-scored it just for fun).

You can have a music box playing, and in a RomCom, it's cute, while in a horror movie, that exact same music box is terrifying.

I understand Tarantino refuses to hire composers for most of his movies and relies upon selecting existing music to license. He says he gives up too much control to the composer otherwise. I'm sure there are nuances there, but it's a powerful assertion of the impact the music has on a film.

When I watched Top Gun the second time, I cranked up the volume on my home stereo as high as it would go for the opening catapult shot scene. I just don't know how that scene would have played at all without those initial gongs (they give me goosebumps even now) and even just the first couple of bars of Highway to the Danger Zone.