23,000 Lives (original German title: 23.000 Leben) is a 2026 German drama that premiered worldwide on Netflix on July 17, 2026. Directed by Markus Goller and written by Oliver Ziegenbalg in collaboration with Michele Cinque, the film dramatizes the true story of the sea-rescue ship Iuventa and the youth-led organization Jugend Rettet, which is credited with saving more than 23,000 refugees in the central Mediterranean between 2016 and 2017. The film stars Louis Hofmann, Mala Emde, Katharina Stark, Frederick Lau, and Maria Dragus. From here on, this article focuses entirely on the film’s original score.
Soundtrack Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Film Name | 23,000 Lives (23.000 Leben) |
| Director | Markus Goller |
| Production Companies | Neue Flimmer GmbH, Sunnysideup Film GmbH, in collaboration with Lazy Film |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Film Release Date | July 17, 2026 |
| Composer | Volker Bertelmann |
| Label | Netflix Music |
| Album Release Date | July 17, 2026 |
| Total Tracks | 22 |
| Album Runtime | 48 minutes 22 seconds |
| Film Runtime | 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes) |
| UPC | 810123169351 |
23,000 Lives Soundtrack Overview
The score for 23,000 Lives was released digitally through Netflix Music on July 17, 2026, the same day the film premiered globally, and is available as a 22-track digital album. The soundtrack is composed entirely by Volker Bertelmann, with no additional contributing composers or featured vocalists confirmed on the release. Most track titles are in German, mirroring the film’s origin, while a handful — including “Well Done,” “One Big Step,” “Emergency,” “Attack,” and “Move” — carry English titles, likely reflecting scenes set during the rescue missions at sea.
Critics reviewing the film have consistently pointed to Bertelmann’s score as one of its stronger technical elements, with the music described as pushing forward the story’s urgency without overwhelming the human moments on screen. Reviewers have also noted that the score, paired with the film’s cinematography and production design, gives the drama a polished, deliberate tone throughout.
Who Composed the 23,000 Lives Soundtrack?
The score for 23,000 Lives was composed by Volker Bertelmann, a German composer, pianist, and experimental musician who also records and performs under the stage name Hauschka. Born in Kreuztal, West Germany, in 1966, Bertelmann began classical piano training at age eight before moving through rock and hip-hop projects in his youth.
He later relocated to Düsseldorf, where he began composing and releasing experimental piano work under the Hauschka name — a reference to Bohemian composer Vincenz Hauschka — using techniques like inserting felt, rubber, and other materials into his piano to alter its sound.
Bertelmann transitioned into film scoring in the mid-2010s, earning his first major recognition for co-composing Lion (2016) alongside Dustin O’Halloran, a score that received Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations. The two composers continued collaborating on projects including The Old Guard (2020) and Ammonite (2020). Bertelmann’s biggest career milestone came with All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), for which he won both the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Score. He followed this with an Oscar-nominated score for Conclave (2024) and continued expanding into television with series such as The Day of the Jackal and HBO’s Dune: Prophecy. 23,000 Lives marks his most recent theatrical/streaming feature score as of its July 2026 release.
No additional composers or co-writers are credited on the 23,000 Lives soundtrack release.
23,000 Lives Official Tracklist
- Versprechen — 0:50
- Versammlung — 1:13
- Zeitplan — 1:31
- Zwanzig Wochen — 2:23
- Iuventa — 3:20
- Peilung — 2:03
- Erste Rettung — 2:23
- Well Done — 2:06
- One Big Step — 2:49
- Emergency — 2:29
- Attack — 2:32
- Move — 1:29
- Nacht — 1:09
- Panikattacke — 2:00
- Alleine Nach Malta — 0:59
- Alle Unter Deck — 3:20
- Besuch — 1:03
- Zurück Nach Lampedusa — 2:58
- Zwanzig Jahre Gefängnis — 1:32
- Aufbruch — 2:14
- Prozess — 3:22
- 23 000 Leben — 4:37
Total Runtime: 48:22
Runtime independently verified by summing all 22 individual track durations, which matches the album total listed on FMDB exactly.
Score Highlights
Since no official cue-by-cue scene breakdown has been published for this score, the following observations are analytically derived from track titles, sequencing, and their likely correspondence to the film’s plot beats — not sourced directly from composer statements or a liner-notes breakdown.
- “Iuventa” (3:20), one of the longer cues on the album, is named for the rescue ship itself and likely underscores its introduction or its significance to the group’s mission.
- “Erste Rettung” (“First Rescue,” 2:23) appears positioned around the point in the story where the crew executes its first rescue operation.
- “Panikattacke” (“Panic Attack,” 2:00) and “Emergency” suggest cues tied to moments of crisis or danger during the missions at sea.
- “Alle Unter Deck” (“Everyone Below Deck,” 3:20) is one of the longest tracks on the album, positioned in the sequence around the point where the ship’s seizure narrative likely intensifies.
- “Prozess” (“Trial”/”Process,” 3:22) and “Zwanzig Jahre Gefängnis” (“Twenty Years Prison,” 1:32) align with the film’s legal battle in its back half, per the plot summary confirmed on Wikipedia.
- “23 000 Leben” (4:37), the longest track and the album’s closer, functions as the score’s title theme, tying together the film’s central number and title.
These interpretations should be treated as reasonable inferences based on verified track data and the film’s confirmed plot structure, not as confirmed statements from the composer.
23,000 Lives Licensed Songs / Needle Drops
No licensed songs or needle drops have been confirmed for 23,000 Lives as of this article’s publication. The Netflix Music release consists entirely of Volker Bertelmann’s 22-track original score, with no additional artists, cover versions, or contemporary songs credited on the album. Needle drop databases have not indexed any confirmed in-film song placements for this title at this time. This is treated as a verified null result — a fully original, score-only soundtrack — rather than a research gap, and this section will be updated if any licensed music placements are confirmed.
Volker Bertelmann Composer Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Lion | Co-composed with Dustin O’Halloran; Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA nominated |
| 2018 | Patrick Melrose (TV series) | Emmy and BAFTA nominated |
| 2018 | Adrift | Co-composed with Dustin O’Halloran |
| 2020 | The Old Guard | Co-composed with Dustin O’Halloran |
| 2020 | Ammonite | Co-composed with Dustin O’Halloran |
| 2022 | All Quiet on the Western Front | Academy Award and BAFTA winner, Best Original Score |
| 2023 | War Sailor | — |
| 2023 | One Life | — |
| 2024 | Conclave | Academy Award nominated |
| 2024 | The Crow | — |
| 2024–present | The Day of the Jackal (TV series) | — |
| 2025 | The Amateur | — |
| 2025 | A House of Dynamite | — |
| 2025–present | Dune: Prophecy (TV series) | — |
| 2026 | 23,000 Lives | Netflix Music release |
| 2026 | Clayface | — |
Where to Listen to the 23,000 Lives Soundtrack?
The 23,000 Lives soundtrack, composed by Volker Bertelmann, is available to stream and purchase digitally on Spotify and Apple Music, released through Netflix Music on July 17, 2026. The 22-track digital album is offered in Hi-Res digital format and can also be found on most other major digital music services. Listeners can access the full score alongside the film’s Netflix premiere for a complete audio-visual experience.
FAQs
Q: Who composed the 23,000 Lives soundtrack?
A: The score was composed entirely by German composer Volker Bertelmann, also known as Hauschka.
Q: How many tracks are on the 23,000 Lives soundtrack?
A: The official soundtrack album contains 22 tracks with a combined runtime of 48 minutes and 22 seconds.
Q: When was the 23,000 Lives soundtrack released?
A: The soundtrack was released digitally through Netflix Music on July 17, 2026, the same day as the film’s global Netflix premiere.
Q: Where can I stream the 23,000 Lives soundtrack?
A: The album is available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major digital music platforms.
Q: Does the 23,000 Lives soundtrack include any licensed songs?
A: No. As of publication, no licensed songs or needle drops have been confirmed. The soundtrack consists entirely of Volker Bertelmann’s original score.
Q: What is the longest track on the 23,000 Lives soundtrack?
A: The title track, “23 000 Leben,” is the longest at 4 minutes and 37 seconds, followed by “Iuventa” and “Alle Unter Deck,” both at 3:20.
Q: Has Volker Bertelmann won any awards for his film scoring work?
A: Yes. He won both the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Original Score for All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), and has additional nominations for Lion and Conclave.