Soft semiconductors are a class of materials that have seen increased interest in terms of both basic research and development of technology, in particular optoelectronic devices. These materials, organic semiconductors and metal halide perovskites, are defined by being more mechanically malleable than the traditional crystalline inorganic semiconductors and with thin film fabrication done at lower temperatures and often from solution. In this short perspective article, basic properties of the materials are introduced, as well as their typical applications and a number of advanced characterization techniques that offer distinct advantages for studying soft semiconductor thin films.