The term art music is most commonly used to refer to music descending from the tradition of Western classical music (i.e., the so-called contemporary classical music) as well as to classical music itself. It does not include other forms such as popular and folk music, although they clearly have been influenced by classical music to varying extents.
Art music is usually produced using standard music notation, in contrast to most popular music, so that it is easily reproducible precisely as intended by the composer regardless of the performers. It typically contains more subtlety and intellectual development than other forms of music and thus often requires a greater effort to appreciate. For this reason, audiences are generally far smaller than for popular music.
Because of the great amount of time and effort often required to write it together with its usually dismal economic prospects, much art music, especially by the best-known composers, is subsidized through the commissioning by orchestras and through the granting of various awards.