narrativemusical

Narrativemusical is a term used to describe performances and media works in which narrative progression is closely intertwined with musical elements, with songs and instrumental music serving as integral drivers of plot, character, and emotion rather than merely decorative features. The concept is used across theatre, film, radio drama, and multimedia installations to describe works in which music and story are conceived together from the outset.

Core characteristics often include a through-composed or continuous musical score, the use of both diegetic and non-diegetic music, recurring musical motifs associated with characters or ideas, and a dramaturgy in which songs, dialogue, and action are interdependent. In narrativemusical works, songs usually convey plot information or character development and are embedded within scenes rather than performed as isolated numbers.

Scholars and critics use the label to analyze how music functions as a narrative engine, shaping pacing, tone, and perspective. The term is not universally standardized and may be applied variably across disciplines; some writers reserve it for works with explicit, plot-forward musical integration, while others use it more broadly to describe any music-rich narrative media.

Related concepts include musical theatre, opera, film music, and radio drama, with narrativemusical drawing on methods from each while emphasizing narrative coherence through music. Notable discussions appear in studies of integrated score, diegetic music in cinema, and the dramaturgy of song in theatre.