Philosophy of music is the study of "...fundamental questions about the nature of music and our experience of it". Unlike some philosophies associated with academic fields, such as philosophy of science, which examines a subject that most people are not familiar with, most people are familiar with music because musical culture and songs are a central part of their lives. The philosophical study of music has many connections with philosophical questions in metaphysics and aesthetics. Some basic questions in the philosophy of music are:

• What is the definition of music? (what are the necessary and sufficient conditions for classifying something as music?)
• What is the relationship between music and mind?
• What does musical history reveal to us about the world?
• What is the connection between music and emotions? (in the 19th century there was a debate over whether instrumental music could convey emotion)
• What is meaning in relation to music?