ambient

Ambient refers to the surrounding environment or atmosphere. In music, ambient is a genre that emphasizes mood and sonic texture over traditional melody or rhythm, often creating an immersive sense of space. The term derives from the idea of ambience—the acoustic environment in which something exists. In everyday language, ambient noise or ambience describes background sound in a setting.

The concept emerged in the 20th century with composers who sought non-intrusive, atmospheric music. The term was popularized by Brian Eno, who in the 1970s described ambient music as something that can be listened to with attention or as easily ignored, and his album Music for Airports (1978) is often cited as foundational. Earlier experiments include Erik Satie's furniture music, which was designed to be background.

Ambient music typically features slow tempos, long tones and evolving textures, often with little or no percussion. It relies on synthesizers, acoustic instruments processed with reverberation or delay, and field recordings. The emphasis is on space, timbre, and the relationship between sounds, allowing for an immersive or contemplative listening experience.

Variations and influence include subgenres such as ambient techno, ambient house, dark ambient and drone. Notable artists include Brian Eno, Aphex Twin, Biosphere, Tim Hecker, and Stars of the Lid. Ambient has influenced film scores and video game soundtracks, and is used in settings aimed at relaxation or concentration.

The term also applies to environmental soundscapes in architecture, galleries, and public spaces, where the goal is to shape mood through background sound without dominating it.