The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on 20 November 2001. It was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore, and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the London Voices, London Oratory School Schola choir and multiple featured instrumental and vocal soloists.

The album is a reduction of over three and a half hours of finalized music written for The Fellowship of the Ring. The music on the album features edited-down compositions and is presented in chronological order as heard in the theatrical film, with the exception of some cues in "Amon Hen" and the end credits mix from "The Breaking of the Fellowship".

Some cues are based on earlier drafts of the composition, written as the film was being edited. A prime example is the opening track, "The Prophecy", which is an alternative track that is unused in the final film. This was because the filmmakers intended to film a shorter prologue sequence (which a version of this track accompanied), but the idea was eventually dropped in favour of a more detailed and engaging sequence. The front cover for this CD was available in various designs.