The History of BGM in Cinema: Evolution and Innovation

Imagine it’s 1895. The world hums along with the rhythm of horse carriages, steam trains, and the occasional telephone ringing in homes of the wealthy.

At this time, cinema itself is still a new and raw idea—yet, this is where the story of film music begins, with silent films that had no synchronized sound. Still, music found its way into movie theaters, laying the groundwork for the evolution of background music in cinema. This is the story of how background music (BGM) transformed the art of filmmaking forever.

Communication, Transportation, and Life in 1895

When we trace the roots of cinema and its music, it’s crucial to understand the world that birthed it. Long-distance communication relied on letters and the telegraph, while the telephone, only two decades old, was found in a precious few homes. Automobiles were rare, and trains or horses still dominated transportation.

Even artificial lighting wasn’t as we know it. Electric streetlights were just gaining traction, while gaslights remained the dominant method of lighting public spaces. Science was still discovering itself, with Einstein’s groundbreaking theory of general relativity yet to emerge.

And culturally? Classical composers like Brahms and Wagner were in vogue, with no inkling yet of how music and visual storytelling would soon combine.

Enter the Lumière Brothers: The First Step into Film

In the 1890s, cinema made its debut, thanks to the Lumière brothers. At around 30 years old, they introduced the world to moving pictures, igniting a revolution. They created their first short film, Workers Exiting the Lumière Factory, bringing images of everyday life to curious eyes in Paris and London.

Watching these clips must have felt like magic. You’d sit in a small, darkened room, hearing the hum of machinery while anticipating the forthcoming wonders on screen. The novelty of seeing people and objects move was awe-inspiring. Yet something was notably missing: sound.

The Birth of the Silent Movie Era

The earliest films didn’t feature synced audio tracks. Voices, footsteps, or background noises—none of these existed yet. As “silent” as they were, however, audiences still craved a richer experience. Using music to fill that void became a natural first step.

Enter the pianist. From the very beginning, musicians sat beside the screen to accompany the films. Piano music, or sometimes even a small group of musicians, helped set the mood. It enhanced every scene, despite the obvious fact: it didn’t always match the specific tone or events unfolding in the movie.

The Role and Responsibility of Music in Silent Films

Soon enough, film theaters started to grow, along with the music that played in these spaces. Depending on the size of the theater, the music varied: from a lonely piano, an organ, or even a full orchestra. The larger the theater, the more elaborate the musical performance.

Music directors held the task of selecting the perfect pieces. In some cases, they improvised, hoping to keep the audience engaged. The results? Well, they varied greatly depending on the musician’s skill. The quickly growing need for coherence between images and music led to an even bigger idea: original music created specifically for a film.

Camille Saint-Saëns and the First Film Score

Music Fake Books: An Early Solution to a Big Problem

Facing economic realities, filmmakers and theater managers needed a more practical way of using music. Enter music “fake books.” These books were collections of pre-existing music, organized by general mood or theme.

These collections held wonders—pieces that could sync up to any film’s general theme. A love scene might be paired with a classical waltz, while a fight scene could feature faster, more aggressive music. The music director would choose a piece and do their best to make sure it matched the film’s pacing.

Yet, even this approach had its downsides. The transitions between scenes were often awkward because the pieces had different tempos, keys, and instrumentation.

Cue Sheets: A Helpful Innovation

In 1916, Mark Winkler from New York offered a clever upgrade on the fake books. He developed “cue sheets,” a more structured way to sync music and film time codes. Cue sheets assigned specific musical cues to exact moments in a film, giving musicians directions on when to start or stop playing a piece.

This system helped synchronize cinematic moments with music much more closely than past methods. While it wasn’t perfect, cue sheets became an essential tool in theaters across the world.

The Talkies: Synchronized Sound and The Death of Silent Films

Everything changed dramatically in the late 1920s. Something big happened: sound equipment advanced enough for films to include synchronized sound. This transition gave birth to the “talkie”—movies where audiences could, for the first time, hear actors speak, doors creak, and footsteps echo.

The 1927 release of The Jazz Singer marked a new chapter in cinema. Audiences were blown away when Al Jolson turned to the camera and said, “Wait a minute! You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” It felt like the world had flipped overnight.

With synchronized sound came synchronized music—and new possibilities for how filmmakers used music for storytelling.

The Impact of Talkies on Film Music

The era of silent films quickly dissolved, and with it went much of the improvisation and guesswork around background music. Films could now have dedicated soundtracks with the music tightly woven into the fabric of the story. It became less about playing live music to accompany a film and more about composing music during the filmmaking process itself.

Film music was no longer an afterthought but a critical narrative tool.

The Legacy of Silent Film Music and its Influence Today

While the silent movie era feels distant now, it laid down the critical first steps in the history of background music in cinema. Composers like Saint-Saëns and Winkler paved the way for what we now consider modern film scores. The transition from improvisational live accompaniment to carefully curated, pre-recorded soundtracks elevated the experience of watching movies.

BGM is now such an integral part of filmmaking that one can’t imagine a film without it. Whether it’s the heart-thumping tension of Jaws or the soaring themes of Star Wars, music continues to shape the way audiences feel and connect with stories on screen.

From Silent Beginnings to Modern Symphonies

The history of BGM in cinema isn’t just a trivia question—it’s a reminder of how deeply music influences the cinematic experience. What started off as a solution to silence became an art form in its own right.

So as you settle in for your next movie marathon, consider the journey cinema music has taken. From silent films to the iconic movie soundtracks of today, BGM has traveled a long, impactful road.