background music

English

Noun

background music (uncountable)

1. Any music played in a public space whose main function is to create an atmosphere suitable to a specific occasion, rather than to be listened to.
2. Any music in a film, video game, or other medium that establishes mood and is not meant to have the audience's focus.

Synonyms

• (atmospheric music played in public space): piped music

Coordinate terms

• elevator music
• Muzak

Translations

music played in a public space

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 背景音樂／背景音乐 (bui³ ging² jam¹ ngok⁶)

  Mandarin: 背景音樂／背景音乐 (zh) (bèijǐng yīnyuè)

• Finnish: taustamusiikki (fi)
• French: musique d’ambiance (fr) f
• German: Hintergrundmusik f, Kaufhausmusik f (literally “department store music”), Fahrstuhlmusik f (literally “elevator music”)
• Hungarian: háttérzene (hu)
• Icelandic: bakgrunnstónlist f, fylgitónlist f
• Japanese: 背景音楽 (はいけいおんがく, haikei ongaku), ＢＧＭ (bījīemu), バックグラウンドミュージック (bakkuguraundo myūjikku)
• Korean: 배경 음악(背景音樂) (baegyeong eumak), 백그라운드 뮤직 (baekgeuraundeu myujik)
• Portuguese: música de fundo f, música ambiente (pt) f
• Romanian: muzică de ambianță f
• Russian: фо́новая му́зыка f (fónovaja múzyka)
• Spanish: hilo musical m, música fondal f, música de fondo f

music in a film, video game or other medium

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 背景音乐 (bui³ ging² jam¹ ngok⁶)

  Mandarin: 背景音樂／背景音乐 (zh) (bèijǐng yīnyuè)

• Finnish: taustamusiikki (fi)
• French: musique de fond (fr) f, musique de fosse (fr) f
• German: Bühnenmusik (de) f (literally “stage music”)
• Hungarian: kísérőzene (hu)
• Icelandic: bakgrunnstónlist f
• Japanese: 背景音楽 (はいけいおんがく, haikei ongaku), ＢＧＭ (bījīemu), バックグラウンドミュージック (bakkuguraundo myūjikku)
• Kannada: ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ ಸಂಗೀತ (hinnele saṅgīta)
• Korean: 배경 음악(背景音樂) (baegyeong eumak), 백그라운드 뮤직 (baekgeuraundeu myujik)
• Marathi: पार्श्वसंगीत n (pārśvasaṅgīt)
• Polish: podkład (pl) m
• Portuguese: música de fundo f
• Russian: фо́новая му́зыка f (fónovaja múzyka)