Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Music editorial & spotting · Specialist

Non-diegetic music

Also called: underscore

ELI5

Music heard by the audience but not presented as audible to characters in the story world.

Used in conversation

“The non-diegetic music needs to be clear in the mix without fighting the dialogue.”

Pitch context

You may encounter “Non-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.

Connected terms

  • UnderscoreThe search label “Underscore” can route to both entries.
  • Diegetic musicContrasting relations between music and the story world.
  • Source musicComputed from definition language and shared taxonomy. This indicates proximity, not synonymy.
Sources & evidence · 4

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