A soundtrack is the music that accompanies a movie, TV show, video game, or other visual production. When you watch a thrilling chase scene and hear fast, dramatic music building tension, or when a sad moment brings gentle, emotional music, that's the soundtrack at work.

Today, filmmakers carefully choose or create music to enhance what's happening on screen. A skilled composer can make you feel scared, excited, hopeful, or heartbroken just through the soundtrack, even before anything dramatic happens on screen.

You might buy or stream a movie's soundtrack to listen to your favorite songs from the film. Some soundtracks become as famous as the movies themselves: think of the powerful music from Star Wars or The Lion King. Video games also have soundtracks that help create the atmosphere, whether you're exploring a peaceful village or battling a fierce enemy.

Sometimes people use soundtrack more broadly to describe the music playing during any experience. You might say a certain song is “the soundtrack to your summer” if you heard it everywhere during vacation.