These terms - backing tracks, practice tracks - get thrown around by musicians. What's the difference?
Of course there is no formal definition for these terms. First of all, a "track" is just a piece of music. More specifically, as musicians use the term, it usually refers to a recorded piece of music - something you can actually listen to.
Roughly speaking a backing track is a recorded piece of music used by an instrumentalist or singer as an aid either for practicing or performing. It often focuses on providing the rhythm, and usually does not include the part the person using the track is providing.
For instance, if you are a singer a typical backing track will not include the singing part; if you are a saxophone player, the sax part will not be included, except, perhaps, in accompanying notes or charts.
Karaoke recordings are another good example of backing tracks.
Some backing tracks are good enough and complete enough, and are intended to be used as accompaniments for actual performances. Back in the day, when a visiting soloist would do a special performance at the small church I attended, they would bring a recorded backing track rather than bring their own musicians or rely on the locals. Those of us involved in music thought of that, somewhat snobishly, as “canned music”.
A backing track is different from what I call a “practice track”. Practice tracksare used by musicians to help practice their instrument. They are often produced completely digitally, with no actual musicians involved, and they are rarely, if ever, used in actual performances.
Practice tracks also don't have to be songs. They can be scales or exercises meant to give budding musicians practice help.
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