Music editorial & spotting · Specialist

Diegetic music

Also called: source music

ELI5

Music that characters could hear within the story world.

“Let’s hear the diegetic music against picture before the next review.”

You may encounter “Diegetic music” in sound, music & voice conversations or materials.

Why it matters: Explains dialogue, effects, atmosphere, music, voice and the technical work of making them intelligible.

Source musicDiegetic music exists within the story world; source music is music tied to an apparent source in the scene. The terms often overlap.
Non-diegetic musicContrasting relations between music and the story world.

Sources & evidence · 4

Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.