Which statement about diegetic and non-diegetic music is accurate?

• A. Diegetic music is heard only by the audience, not the characters.
• B. Non-diegetic music is heard by the characters in the film world.
• C. Diegetic music is always artificial and created in post-production.
• D. Diegetic music is heard within the film world (a character playing a radio); non-diegetic music is the score heard by the audience but not by the characters.

Answer: (D)

Diegetic versus non-diegetic music describes whether the music exists inside the film’s world and is heard by the characters. Diegetic music is part of the scene’s reality—like a character turning on a radio, a band playing in a bar, or someone singing on screen—so the characters can hear it right along with the audience. Non-diegetic music lives outside the film’s world, mainly as the score or soundtrack that plays for the viewer to set mood and tone, but the characters don’t hear it.

So the accurate statement is that diegetic music is heard within the film world (a character playing a radio), while non-diegetic music is the score heard by the audience but not by the characters. The other descriptions misrepresent who can hear the music or how it’s created.