Wait, They Can Hear That Too? Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Music

We’ve all had that moment—walking down the street, earbuds in, feeling like the protagonist of our own personal movie. The right song comes on, and suddenly, the world syncs up to the beat. 

But if this were a film, would the music be something the characters could hear, or is it just for the audience’s benefit? That’s where diegetic and non-diegetic music come in. 

Let’s break down what these terms mean.

Diegetic (or source) music exists inside the world of the film or show. The characters can hear it because it comes from a visible (or implied) source—like a radio, a band playing in the background, or a character belting out their feelings in a karaoke bar.

Examples of Diegetic Music in Film

• Back to the Future – Marty McFly plays “Johnny B. Goode” at the school dance, much to the confusion of the 1950s crowd
• A Star Is Born – Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga perform “Shallow” live, making the song integral to the story
• Titanic – The band playing “Nearer My God to Thee” as the ship sinks, a tragically real moment of diegetic music

Non-diegetic music exists outside the world of the film. It’s part of the soundtrack that characters can’t hear, but we as the audience can. It’s there to tell us how to feel. It may be a swelling orchestra for a big emotional moment or the ominous notes warning us that something is going to happen.

Examples of Non-Diegetic Music in Film

• Jaws – The suspenseful “dun dun… dun dun” theme alerts the audience but not the swimmers
• The Hunger Games – An emotional score swells when Katniss volunteers as tribute
• Psycho – The infamous screeching violins in the shower scene aren’t part of the hotel’s ambiance

A diegetic switch is when music that starts as diegetic (inside the story) morphs into non-diegetic (part of the soundtrack) or vice versa. It’s one of the coolest tricks in film scoring.

Examples of Diegetic Switches in Film

• Guardians of the Galaxy – Peter’s Walkman starts playing music inside the scene before transitioning to soundtrack
• La La Land – Emma Stone starts singing a cappella before an orchestra swells into full fantasy mode
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – A garage band’s song bleeds into the film’s larger-than-life fight sequence

Games, like movies, use music to shape emotions and experiences—but they take it a step further by making sound reactive to a player’s actions. 

In an interactive medium, music can shift based on what the player is doing, and that creates some incredible diegetic/non-diegetic moments.

• Diegetic Music in The Sims: Your Sim’s stereo plays music, and neighbors might complain about the noise
• Non-Diegetic Music in Mario Kart: The background music changes based on how fast you go—but it’s not playing in Bowser’s ears
• A Diegetic Switch in The Last of Us Part II: Ellie strums a song on guitar, which later turns into orchestration

Movies and games use diegetic and non-diegetic music to manipulate emotions, build tension, and make moments unforgettable. But real life? That’s where things get tricky.

Sure, we can create our own diegetic moments—blasting music in the car, setting a dramatic soundtrack for a workout—but most of the time, life’s soundtrack is non-diegetic, playing only in our heads, unless we start carrying Bluetooth speakers everywhere. But then, we’d just be that person on public transit.

So maybe it’s best to keep some of our non-diegetic magic to ourselves, or at least until the moment feels right for a diegetic switch.