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The Waves score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Track list, running times and release details for the score, plus what the director says each cue is doing in the film.

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Updated October 29, 2026Sourced, no spoilers

Fig. 1 Fourteen tracks, from the 52 second How to Begin? to the 22 minute Wounds Heal.

Short answer

Waves (Original Score) by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross: 14 tracks, released November 26, 2019 on The Null Corporation, first through the Nine Inch Nails online store and then on streaming services. The longest track, Wounds Heal, runs 22 minutes 30 seconds.

Track list

  1. 01

    Everything Burns 1:05

  2. 02

    Bad News 3:00

  3. 03

    I’m Disappearing 5:04

  4. 04

    Odds Against 5:15

  5. 05

    Holding It Together 2:36

  6. 06

    Feedback Loop 11:15

  7. 07

    After the Fire 3:56

  8. 08

    Nobody Home 3:04

  9. 09

    The Light Shines Through 10:23

  10. 10

    Forgetting 1:53

  11. 11

    How to Begin? 0:52

  12. 12

    Wounds Heal 22:30

  13. 13

    Ties 2:12

  14. 14

    Leaving Missouri 4:16

Track names and times: Film Music Reporter. Release date and store: Wikipedia, NME.

Where the cues play

Score cues in Waves and where they play

CueScene, per the director
Bad NewsThe first score cue: Tyler’s inner turmoil after his MRI results.
Odds AgainstFollows the tense confrontation between Tyler and his father.
Everything BurnsTyler’s regret over his lost love, over fire imagery; a recurring theme.
The Light Shines ThroughTyler’s first full breakdown, and his last deep moment with Emily.
After the FireThe weight of the tragedy, passing from brother to sister.
Wounds HealEmily’s isolated grief; the piano theme is her spirit reaching through.
How to Begin?Emily’s cautious curiosity about opening up to someone.
TiesFeels like living inside a memory.
Leaving MissouriTies death to forgiveness as Emily works toward forgiving Tyler and herself.

Scene notes: A24 annotated playlist. The songs between these cues are on the full soundtrack list.

Awards

The film’s music editing won a Golden Reel Award from the Motion Picture Sound Editors (Wikipedia). More on reviews and awards.

Find the Waves score on Amazon

More Reznor and Ross: their soundtrack albums on Amazon.

Questions people ask

Who composed the music for Waves?

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, best known as Nine Inch Nails members and for scores such as The Social Network. They replaced Brian McOmber, who scored Shults’s earlier films.

How long is the Waves score album?

About 77 minutes across 14 tracks, adding up the running times listed by Film Music Reporter.

Is the Waves score on vinyl?

We found no vinyl pressing of the Waves score in our research. It is available digitally.

Sources

  1. Film Music Reporter, Waves score album released (Dec 8, 2019)
  2. Wikipedia, Waves (2019 film)
  3. NME, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross release Waves score
  4. A24, The Annotated Waves Playlist, notes by Trey Edward Shults (Dec 6, 2019)

Last reviewed October 29, 2026. Streaming catalogs and listings change; check the service before you pay.

Keep reading

Music Soundtrack: every song Music Song finder People Cast and characters The film Plot summary Watch and behind the scenes Where to watch The film Ending explained