How Many Soundtracks
- Lukas Kendall
- Mar 25
- 1 min read
Something I’ve been wondering as I type up thousands of CD listings for sales is—how many soundtracks are there, anyway?
I have a database approaching 22,000 line items, but there are a variety of duplicates and non-soundtrack (pop, classical, books) in there.
The biggest collections we’ve handled have been in the 5,000–8,000 range, but even then I am struck by how many unique items there are—and how even the largest collections (like Doug Fake’s) still don’t go into some nooks and crannies of the field.
Maybe there’s not an answer, but I’m curious!
Would you be willing to one day share the complete list of CDs that have ever been sold through fsmcds?
Most of the label CDs and expansions are pretty well documented elsewhere but things like promos and FYCs are not. I wouldn't have even known the Hobbit films had FYCs if I hadn't seen one on your site. I think a public complete database of soundtracks would be an extremely valuable resource
Good question. I was wondering myself ...
I am collecting soundtracks since 1986, records and CDs, and would guess I got roughly 7000 CDs, maybe even 8. Allmost all European, all important US-labels complete (except Varese, of course), a couple 100's from Japan (but Jap. OST CD-output should well match the one from Europe), that's it. No idea how much from India do exist, but certainly thousands ... South America, same. China ... lol.
My guess: 50.000 upwards, world-wide. 🤔
If you ever sell a collection with Japanese OSTs that number will jump! Most American collections only seem to have British, French, Spanish, Italian, and Polish releases when it comes to other countries, but Japan's CD market is booming even now and I know there are plenty of German, Russian, Chinese, and of course Indian OSTs that are only rarely in this country.