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Asoundtrack album is anyalbum that incorporates music directly recorded from thesoundtrack of a particularfeature film ortelevision show.^[1] The first such album to be commercially released wasWalt Disney'sSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the soundtrack to the filmSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1938.^[2] The first soundtrack album of a film's orchestral score was that forAlexander Korda's 1942 filmRudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, composed byMiklós Rózsa.^[3]

When a feature film is released, or during and after a television series airs, analbum in the form of a soundtrack is frequently released alongside it.

A soundtrack typically contains instrumentation or alternatively afilm score. But it can also feature songs that were sung or performed by characters in a scene (or a cover version of a song in the media, re-recorded by a popular artist), songs that were used as intentional or unintentionalbackground music in important scenes, songs that were heard in theclosing credits, or songs for no apparent reason related to the media other than for promotion, that were included in a soundtrack. Beforehome video became widespread in the 1980s, many soundtrack albums would also feature snippets of dialogue, as this was one of the few ways to re-experience a film after its original release apart from television broadcasts or theatrical reissues.

Soundtracks are usually released on major record labels (just as if they were released by a musical artist), and the songs and the soundtrack itself can also be on music charts, and win musical awards.

By convention, asoundtrack record can contain any kind of music including music "inspired by" but not actually appearing in the movie; thescore contains only music by the original film's composers.^[4]

Contemporaneously, a soundtrack can go against normality, (most typically used in popular culture franchises) and contains recently released or exclusive never before released originalpop music selections, (some of which become high-charting records on their own, which due to being released on another franchises title, peaked because of that) and is simply used for promotional purposes for well known artists, or new or unknown artists. These soundtracks contain music not at all heard in the film/television series, and any artistic or lyrical connection is purely coincidental.

However depending on the genre of the media the soundtrack of popular songs would have a set pattern; a lighthearted romance might featureeasy listening love songs, whilst a more dark thriller would compose ofhard rock orurban music.

In 1908,Camille Saint-Saëns composed the first music specifically for use in a motion picture (L'assasinat du duc de Guise), and releasing recordings of songs used in films became prevalent in the 1930s.Henry Mancini, who won anEmmy Award and twoGrammys for his soundtrack toPeter Gunn, was the first composer to have a widespread hit with a song from a soundtrack.

Before the 1970s, soundtracks (with a few exceptions), accompanied towardsmusicals, and was an album that featured vocal and instrumental, (and instrumental versions of vocal songs) musical selections performed by cast members. Or cover versions of songs sung by another artist.

After the 1970s, soundtracks started to include more diversity, and music consumers would anticipate a motion picture or television soundtrack. Many top-charting songs were featured or released on a film or television soundtrack album.

Nowadays, the term "soundtrack" sort of subsided. It now mostly commonly refers to instrumental background music used in that media. Popular songs featured in a film or television series are instead highlighted and referenced in the credits, not a part of a "soundtrack".

In advertisements or store listings, soundtrack albums are sometimes confused withoriginal cast albums. These are albums made with the original stage cast of amusical, and are recorded by the cast either in live performance or in a studio, not transferred from a movie soundtrack.

In some cases, recorded dialogue may be incorporated into the soundtrack album. This comes in two kinds: audio clips from the movie itself (used on the albums forPulp Fiction andApollo 13, for example) orradio dramas that involve the characters from the movie involved in other events (example:King of Pirates, fromFLCL). The unusual first soundtrack album of the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Oz, issued in 1956 in conjunction with the film's first telecast, was virtually a condensed version of the film, with enough dialogue on the album for the listener to be able to easily follow the plot, as was the first soundtrack album of the 1968Romeo and Juliet, and the soundtrack albums ofThe Taming of the Shrew (1967 version),Cromwell, andLittle Big Man. In the case ofPatton, the bulk of the album featured the film's musical score, while the opening and final tracks featuredGeorge C. Scott's opening and closing speeches from the movie. The highly unusual soundtrack album of the 1972 mystery filmSleuth was designed as a sort ofteaser, withLaurence Olivier andMichael Caine's voices heard for the first three minutes, after which the dialogue was abruptly cut off and the musical score of the film took over, forcing listeners to "see the film if they wished to know what the mystery was all about."^{[citation needed]}

In a few rare instances, thecomplete soundtrack for a film — dialogue, music, sound effects, etc. — has been released. One notable example was a 3-LP set of the 1977Rankin-Bass filmThe Hobbit. Because this particular film was produced for television, it lent itself well to the LP format: built-incommercial insert points were used to end each LP side, thus avoiding any additional editing. Another example was the above-mentioned ZeffirelliRomeo and Juliet – the movie proved so popular that two years after the film's original release, an album set of the complete soundtrack was released. Still another example was the Laurence OlivierRichard III, the soundtrack of which was released as a 3-LP album by RCA Victor in 1955.^[5]

Sometimes tracks not in the movie are included in the album, especially on a CD release of the soundtrack as opposed to an LP. Some of these may be "outtakes" (songs or instrumental music recorded for use in the movie but "cut" in the final edit as released), or they may have been used intrailers but not in the movie itself. Examples include theSouth Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut soundtrack.^[6] Two other well-known examples are the soundtrack albums toRodgers and Hammerstein'sCarousel^[7] andThe King and I^[8] both of which include two or more songs not heard in the finished film.

Soundtrack albums account for the bulk of theIndian music industry. Music from theIndian film industry, particularly themusic of Bollywood, usually sells more thanIndian pop records.

• Soundtrack
• Cast recording – for musical theater
• Show tune
• Film score

• Jastfelder, Frank; Kassel, Stefan (1997).The Album Cover Art of Soundtracks. Boston: Little, Brown.ISBN 978-0316482400.

• Album types
• Soundtracks

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