Martin Marks received a Ph.D. in musicology from Harvard University. A music historian, Marks has lectured and written extensively on film music, including the book, Music and the Silent Film (1997, Oxford University Press). He also performs and records piano accompaniments for many silent films. His work in this capacity is featured on the award-winning DVD collection Treasures from American Film Archives: 50 Preserved Films (2001), as well as on the follow-up collection, More Treasures from American Film Archives, 1894-1931 (2004).

At MIT Marks also teaches classes relating to early music, opera, and musicals, as well as film studies classes.