An interlude in music is an instrumental section or instrumental passage that links different parts of a song or serves as a transitional piece between tracks on an album. Interludes can be within-track interludes, between-track interludes, or skits, and are found in various music genres. They are usually short tracks that act as a bit of a pit stop or a rest for the listener. Interludes can be used in many different ways but most commonly they are used to transition from one part of a song to another, add a climax to a piece of music, change the mood of a song, or break up the traditional structure of a song that goes from verse to chorus and then another verse.

Interludes can be either a major distinction between two pieces of music or a performance that intersects two different songs. Typically, the interlude will be drastically different from the two songs it comes between, creating an immediate interruption of the music and grabbing the attention of the listener. There are several types of interludes that are used frequently, they can be only instrumental, accompanied by vocals, or just have no music at all. The one thing that all interludes have in common is that they are all relatively short when compared to the songs that it intersects which can be double the length.

Interludes are commonly found in R&B and hip hop genres. They can help connect song sections, provide song-to-song transitions, and showcase creativity. An interlude can be heard apart from the album its attached to, but it is usually included to add depth and connectivity to an album. Interludes can be used interchangeably with the term "bridge," but a bridge is usually in a song, while an interlude is in between songs.