"The Endless River" features material recorded by David Gilmour, Rick Wright and Nick Mason during sessions for 1994's "The Division Bell", and serves as the band's tribute to Wright, who died from cancer in 2008 at the age of 65.

The album is billed as a four-sided instrumental release with the lead single, "Louder Than Words", featuring new lyrics by Gilmour's wife, Polly Samson.