Andrew Raiher explains that a soundtrack includes all the music in a film or TV show — original score plus licensed songs — while a score refers only to the custom music written for that production. He also highlights how soundtrack albums don’t always match what viewers expect, as they often exclude the score.

Key Topics

• What a soundtrack is
• The difference between soundtrack and score
• How source music and composed score work together
• Why soundtrack albums sometimes exclude score
• Examples like Reservoir Dogs

Quotes

• “A soundtrack is all the music in a movie or TV show — both the custom score and the pre-existing songs.”
• “A score is only the music created from scratch by the composer.”
• “Soundtrack albums often don’t have score — especially in the ‘90s when movies relied on big song placements.”