Why Music Is So Important to a Scorsese Movie

One of the first things I think about when I think about my favorite moments in a Martin Scorsese movie is the music. There's always a cool song playing, like Layla, or an epic score, like from Bernard Hermann.

The man is the undisputed king of the needle drop.

But if you think he’s just picking cool tracks that sound good over a slow-motion walk, or driving through New York City, you've got another thing coming.

In a recent short clip from his MasterClass, Scorsese breaks down his philosophy on music in a way that should make every director take a beat and analyze their own situation.

Let's dive in.

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Music as Architecture

I just want to take a quick second to appreciate filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, who are so generous in their process and who can reframe in a way that teaches others.

In the above clip, Scorsese explains that for him, music is part of the "physical as well as mental architecture" of the world. He talks about hearing the music echoing in the hallways, through the windows, and coming out of car radios in his life.

So when he's building for the characters, he's doing the same thing. He's building their spiritual life.

When you’re spotting your film, ask yourself: "Does this song exist in the world of my character, or am I just forcing my own playlist onto them?"

The Echo

One of the things he mentions is the idea of the "echo." He describes hearing the music bouncing off the streets and through the architecture of the scene.

That's some sort of diegetic music nuance to add.

As filmmakers, we often treat music as a clean, digital file that sits "on top" of the footage.

But Scorsese goes much deeper than that. He's using music as a practical element that should feel like it's vibrating at the same frequency as the location.

Now that doesn't mean all his music is actually in the scene, but it means the feeling is pervasive across his work. These feel like songs that belong in these worlds and worldbuild the same way the story does.

Why This Matters for You

Okay, so how do you channel your inner Scorsese? Well, we don't all have the budget to license a Rolling Stones track for five minutes. But you don't need a massive budget to use Scorsese’s logic.

So, don’t just use a track to fill silence or fix a boring scene. If the music doesn't feel like it belongs in the "spiritual life" of your protagonist, it’s going to feel like a commercial.

Another thing to consider is the environment around them. How can music help shape it?

Scorsese mentions that the music he chooses is often what inspired the scenes in the first place. So, if you’re struggling to block a scene, stop looking at the monitor and start listening to what that world sounds like.

Walk the set and see if you can time it ot the song. Or try that in the edit!

Summing It All Up

At the end of the day, Scorsese is reminding us that filmmaking is an immersive experience that has to suck the audience in and make them feel like they're really there.

If you want your audience to live in the world you’ve built, the music needs to be more than a background—it needs to be the walls, the windows, and the very air your characters breathe.

What’s your favorite Scorsese needle drop?

Let us know in the comments.