All tagged Soundtrack

Broadway Blip: Cast Albums are NOT Soundtracks

It has been a battle going on for years: making sure that musical theatre fans know the difference between a “cast album” and a “soundtrack”. One might think this is an easy thing to sort out, but those who have devoted their lives to listening to theatre music know that “soundtrack” is used interchangeably with “cast album” to designate Broadway and Off-Broadway) musicals that have been preserved on vinyl (and CD and for download). Retailers haven’t exactly helped the situation, often bundling both soundtracks and cast albums into the same sections and bins in stores.

The Bane of Broadway Aficionados: Soundtrack or Cast Recording?

The great faux pas of young musical theatre enthusiasts is that they will use the words "soundtrack" and "cast recording" interchangeably, or omit the latter and defer to the former as a catch-all. Let's clear things up, once and for all: if it's a recording of a movie musical, it's a motion picture soundtrack. If the recording is of a Broadway show, it's an original cast album or cast recording. Never the twain shall meet.