This book investigates the theoretical framework governing how disparate media forms—specifically music, text, visual imagery, and movement—interact to generate coherent multimedia meaning. Nicholas Cook, a prominent musicologist, utilizes his expertise in music theory to bridge the gap between auditory analysis and visual media studies. He proposes a systematic approach to understanding multimedia, moving from the micro-analysis of commercial advertising to the macro-analysis of complex cinematic and musical sequences.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for scholars interested in the intersection of musicology and visual media. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous analytical structure for students and researchers in the field of media studies.