This post is an index of legitimate sources of film scores for study, as recommended by the Orchestration Online community and researched by me. If you know of an additional source I haven’t mentioned yet, please leave a comment; either below, or in the original Facebook post, or directly to me using the contact form.

Orchestration Online Film Score Reviews

This is a series of videos I just started that takes a look at some of the published scores below. Each review includes a look a film score available for purchase, with a little background, a rating, and around ten minutes of score analysis. A full hour of score analysis for each film score will be available for supporters on Patreon.

Film Score Review Playlist

Orchestration Online on Patreon – check the pinned Supporter Benefits Portal post for the link to Film Score Analysis playlist.

Film Music Organisations

The societies below are dedicated to studying orchestral film music, and often host discussions with film composers and analyses of scores. There are additional benefits to membership, like meetings, networking, etc.

Academy of Scoring Arts (ASA)

American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC)

Film Score Publishers

The following publishers offer full-length film scores and suites. Some full scores are for study only, but contain all or nearly all the cues from a film release. Suites usually include the option of renting score and parts for an orchestral performance – but these contained shortened versions that are often arranged down from larger orchestra sizes.

Chris Siddall Music – scores include Aliens, The Iron Giant, Psycho, and the overture from Lawrence of Arabia, and more.

Omni Music – scores include North by Northwest, Star Trek The Motion Picture, Back to the Future, Batman, The Matrix, and more.

Neumation Music – scores include The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Hal Leonard – this site is vast, so I’ve linked a search to their Symphony Pops editions. Scores include The Magnificent Seven, Rogue One, Up, Skyfall, Titanic, and many more suites and shorter arrangements.

Amazon may include scores by film composers as well, like Joe Hisaishi’s scores to Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Additional Publishers

Some general music/music education publishers also offer film scores for purchase and/or hire.

Schott – mostly focused on the music of German composers in films like Das Boot, The Never-ending Story, and Vatican – The Hidden World; but there are also some scores from Takemitsu.

Alexander Creative Media – focusing on the music of Alex North and Bruce Broughton.

Ries & Erler (German-language site, translation available) – some silent film score including Battleship Potemkin, Nosferatu and Metropolis.

Free Online Sources

This list includes scores shared by composers, and some classic scores that are now coming out of copyright.

IMSLP – includes some scores by such composers as Victor Herbert and Erich Korngold. Not all scores may be available in all countries, due to differing copyright laws.

Marco Beltrami shares score pages from time to time.

Lorne Balfe does as well.