Afro-American music (also known as black music or black sounds) is the term used for a series of music and musical genres, such as blues, ragtime, jazz, gospel, soul, or hip hop, that originated from or were influenced by the culture of the African American community in the United States.

In addition to incorporating harmonic and rhythmic features of Western and Sub-Saharan Africa into European musical styles, the conditions of captivity suffered by Africans within American society contributed to the defining conditions of their music. Many of the musical forms that define their music have historical precedents. These original forms include elements such as field cries, work songs, call and response, vocalization (or special voice effects), improvisation, percussion or pitch bending, among others.

The influence of African Americans in American music began in the 19th century with the arrival of Black Minstrel, a form of entertainment that consisted of comic sketches, various acts, dance, and music, performed by white people painted black, who satirized black people as ignorant, lazy, funny, joyful, and musical. African Americans began to incorporate a wide variety of Christian spiritual themes.

By the end of the century, African American music had become an integral part of American music. The early 20th century saw a gradual growth in the popularity of African American jazz and blues, and the Harlem Renaissance strengthened the development of music and visual arts.