The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 20, 2025

Along with the survival of the cockroach and in line with the inevitability of both death and taxes, in a world where nothing seems to be certain, we can all be more or less sure that this will not be the last home media release of The Sound of Music. Regular, re-release and so-called "anniversary" editions of this title have been almost ridiculously ubiquitous, though in that glut of releases some "unexpected" years like the 45th Anniversary Edition provided gussied up technical merits and some fun supplements. Thus far in the high definition era, this iconic film has had a remarkable number of editions / versions released, with the following just a mere smattering of what's available (some are/were retailer exclusives):

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music

The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music - Super Deluxe Edition Box Set Soundtrack

While some may therefore understandably argue that 20th Century (either Fox or Productions) and/or Disney have returned to this particular well a few times too often, the new releases of this film at least occasionally prove that the powers that be are not content to rest on the laurels of previous editions, and this new 4K release offers a new scan (the 2015 scan was a rather remarkable 8K scan), Atmos audio, and almost all of the previously released supplements.

Does anyone really need a plot summary for The Sound of Music? If so, Casey Broadwater's The Sound of Music Blu-ray review of the 45th Anniversary edition should suffice quite handily, and Casey's review is also a good point of reference for many of the previously released supplements and his reaction to the technical presentation.

The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

The Sound of Music is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Disney / Buena Vista and 20th Century Studios with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.20:1. I've actually been kind of surprised with the lack of accompanying press materials on some of these newer 4K releases from Disney, and in fact the sheet I was sent offers only a generic "newly restored and remastered", along with a couple of more mentions of a "brand new restoration" and the like. In fact, there's actually more information (some from Disney itself) in our two news posts announcing this release. There has obviously been a lot of care and effort poured into this release, and I'm frankly just amazed that Disney doesn't want to highlight it more overtly, since the results are so impressive. The 4K presentation was reportedly based off a new 8K scan, not a re-use of the 2015 scan, with additional color correction and restoration / repair work done. While the opening few seconds of aerial footage may frankly not reveal the full extent of how gorgeous this presentation typically is, once things cut to Maria on the mountaintop, and especially after the interstitial credits, both detail levels and an abundantly vibrant palette are consistently eye popping. The improvement in fine detail is remarkable throughout, and for just a couple of examples, look at the stone work on the gate pillars surrounding the supposed Von Trapp estate, or the pill-y fabric on Maria's knit blouse when she's teaching the kids "Do Re Mi". Even some of the wide vistas of the Austrian landscapes offer new detailing. The HDR / Dolby Vision grades are subtle at times, but there are some really interesting highlights rather unexpectedly in some of the tones that aren't necessarily primaries, like the almost burnt umber - orange tinged jacket the Countess wears on her stroll with the Captain. The water outside the estate looks even a bit more green now than it has in previous incarnations. The HDR / Dolby Vision grades probably marginally improve some shadow detail in scenes like the charming interplay in the gazebo between Liesl and Rolf, and arguably add a bit of additional information in passing shaded moments, like that gorgeous few seconds when Maria walks through the birches singing the title song, or, later, when she emerges from the convent to travel to the Von Trapp estate.

The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Along with the video upgrade, The Sound of Music has been afforded a new Dolby Atmos track that takes all of the positives of the previously available DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track and, well, ups them. Surround activity is noticeable from the opening moments of the aerial footage and accompanying score, and once Julie/Maria breaks into the unforgettable title song, there is full engagement absolutely enveloping the listener with both the crystal clear vocals and the impeccable orchestrations by Irwin Kostal. There's beautiful directionality and what might jokingly be called "hall of the Mountain King" ambience in this early scene when the convent bells start chiming. All of the outdoor material has vibrant placement of ambient environmental effects, and there is smart prioritization when certain tunes can have either interstitial dialogue or accompanying sound effects. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: For more information on the previously released supplements, see both Casey's The Sound of Music Blu-ray review of the 45th Anniversary edition and my The Sound of Music Blu-ray review of the 50th Anniversary edition. It looks like the only thing missing from Casey's list is the Your Favorite Things interactive component (if one accepts his thesis that the Music Machine and Sing Along were basically the same supplement).

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr, Dee Dee Wood and Johannes Von Trapp


• Audio Commentary by Robert Wise


• Sing Along with the Film is accessible under the Play Menu.

1080 Disc One

• Audio Commentary by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charmian Carr, Dee Dee Wood and Johannes Von Trapp


• Audio Commentary by Robert Wise


• Sing Along with the Film is accessible under the Play Menu.

1080 Disc Two

• Musical Stages

The Songs (HD; 30:50)




The Show (HD; 28:50)




The Family (HD; 23:37)

• A City of Song (HD; 34:38)


• Vintage Programs

The Sound of Music (SD; 1:27:22) includes The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon , My Favorite Things: Julie Andrews Remembers, Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer: A Reminiscence, From Liesl to Gretl, Salzburg Sight and Sound, On Location with The Sound of Music, When You Know the Notes to Sing: A Sing-Along Phenomenon.




Rodgers and Hammerstein

Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of American Music, 1985 (SD; 1:23:25)




Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies, 1996 (SD; 1:36:36)

Audio Interviews play to stills:

Location Interviews (HD; 23:39)




Reissue Interview with Julie Andrews and Robert Wise, 1973 (HD; 7:46)




A Telegram from Daniel Truhitte (HD; 13:02)




Ernest Lehman: Master Storyteller (HD; 34:56)

• Rare Treasures

Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall: The Pratt Family Singers (SD; 6:41)




The Julie Andrews Hour: Julie Andrews and Maria Von Trapp (SD; 16:33)




Screen Tests (SD; 26:17)




40th Anniversary DVD Introduction by Julie Andrews (SD; 2:10)

• Galleries

What Will My Future Be? (Pre-Production) (HD)




Facing Adventure (Production) (HD)




A Grand and Glorious Party (Promotion and Publicity) (HD)

• Publicity

Fox Movietone News - Academy Awards (SD; 2:46)




Trailers and Teasers (SD; 21:24)




TV Spots (SD; 1:23)




Radio Spots (HD; 3:02) play to stills.

• The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg (HD; 49:48)

Three collectible postcards are included and packaging features a slipcover. A digital copy is also enclosed.

The Sound of Music 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I offered a bit of a joke in my "deck" (the little subtitle under the review heading) for my review of the 50th Anniversary edition of The Sound of Music by asking "how do you solve a problem like a re-release?" The answer in that instance was a (then) new featurette (included here), but this re-release is probably going to be even more celebrated by fans than any of the prior 1080 releases have been. It's not often you revisit a film as many times as most of us have with The Sound of Music, and still feel like you're seeing and hearing something "new", but that at least is intermittently what I experienced with this really ravishing new video and audio presentation. Technical merits are first rate and all of the ported over supplements very appealing. Highly recommended.