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Music Research Guide: Databases

This research guide features resources and strategies for finding information and conducting research related to Music.

Music Databases by Type

The music databases provided by the Jerry Falwell Library fall into various categories.

  • Some include journal articles 
  • Others offer audio and video access to professional performances
  • Several include scores that can be downloaded for printing

To find music databases

  1. Click on Browse All Databases.  
  2. On the databases page click on the arrow next to All Subjects. 
  3. Scroll down to find Music.  
  4. Descriptions of available databases are given below.

Databases Dedicated to Music Articles

Music Index

Journal articles covering every aspect of classical and popular music with coverage since 1970

Music Periodicals Database

Journal articles that are international in scope that cover all aspects of music, including music education, performance, ethnomusicology, musical theatre, theory, popular music forms, and composition

Performing Arts Periodical Database

Indexing for international periodicals, covering a broad spectrum of the arts and entertainment industry such as dance, drama, theater, stagecraft, musical theater, circus performance, opera, pantomime, puppetry, magic, performance art, film, and television

RILM Abstract of Music Literature

Indexing for music-related articles published in journals and conference proceedings, covering all levels from classical to popular music, from ethnomusicology to music therapy, from elementary music education to advanced music theory 

General Databases with Music Journal Articles

Humanities International

Full-text journals, books, and other published humanities sources

JSTOR

Full-text electronic access to journals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences

Project Muse

Full-text, peer-reviewed scholarly books and journals in the humanities and social sciences from the world’s most distinguished university presses and scholarly societies

Wiley Online Library

Journal articles, books, and reference resources covering a wide variety of disciplines including music

Reference Sources

Cambridge Core

Peer-reviewed journals and e-books published by Cambridge University Press on wide variety of subjects including music

Music Online: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music 

Ten-volume online encyclopedia along with associated audio tracks, musical illustrations, photographs, drawings, song texts, score examples, charts, and maps

Oxford Music Online

Peer-reviewed reference resources, including Grove Music Online encyclopedia, with comprehensive coverage of music, musicians, music-making, and music scholarship

Worship

Atla Religion Database with Atla Plus

Journal articles, book reviews, and collections of essays across all fields of religion and theology 

Christian Periodical Index

Index of Christian magazines and journals with strong emphasis on evangelical perspectives, including a broad range of topics including  music

Religion and Philosophy Collection (EBSCO)

Full-text journals and magazines, many peer-reviewed, covering theology and philosophy research, including world religions, religious history, political philosophy, and philosophy of language with coverage dating back to 1911

Religion Database (Proquest)

Journals and magazines, many full-text and scholarly articles covering diverse religious and spiritual topics 

Media Databases

Medici TV

Classical and jazz music channel with live events and on-demand videos of concerts, operas, ballets, and more

Music Online: American Music

Audio streams of sound recordings of songs by and about American Indians, miners, immigrants, slaves, children, pioneers and cowboys as well as songs of Civil Rights, political campaigns, Prohibition, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Anti-war protests, and more

Music Online: Classical Music Library

Audio streams of sound recordings of music from the earliest times to the present, featuring the world's great artists 

Music Online: Contemporary World Music

Audio streams of music from all regions from every continent

Music Online: Jazz Music Library

Audio streams of sound recordings of jazz, including a variety of artists, ensembles, albums, and genres

Music Online: Opera in Video

Video of the most important opera performances, including staged productions, interviews, and documentaries that represent the world’s best performers, conductors, and opera houses 

Naxos Music Library

Audio streams of classical music along with background information of both standard and rare repertoire with representation of jazz, world, and pop/rock along 

Naxos Video Library

Streaming videos of classical music performances, opera, ballet, live concerts, and documentaries

Scores - Sheet Music

Library Music Source

Digital sheet music, including obscure and hard-to-find pieces, classics, vocal solos, opera solos, opera scores, orchestral parts, and more

Music Online: Classical Scores Library

Full, study, piano, and vocal scores of classical major and lesser known composers, including works from the Middle Ages to the 21st century

Naxos Sheet Music

Downloadable and printable sheet music for all classical genres, spanning from Medieval times to the 21st century and including composers from Bach to Arvo Part

Recent Researches in Music Online (RRIMO) 

Full content of the Recent Researches in Music series, including scores and partbooks, covering Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, 19th/20th centuries, American, and Oral Traditions plus the Collegium Musicum: Yale University series

Ethnomusicology

    

Ethnographic Video Online 

Streaming video of human culture, behavior and society around the world, including ethnographic films, documentaries, select feature films

Music Online: African American Music Reference

Full-text of reference works, biographies, chronologies, sheet music, images, lyrics, liner notes, and discographies chronicling the history and culture of the African American experience through music

Music Online: Contemporary World Music

Audio streams of sound recordings of music of all regions from every continent

Music Online: Smithsonian Global Sound for Libraries

Audio streams of sound recordings of the world's musical and aural traditions in diverse musical forms

Music Online: The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music

Full-text of the ten-volume print encyclopedia along with associated audio tracks, musical illustrations, photographs, drawings, song texts, score examples, charts, and maps

World Folklore and Folklife

Reference works, handbooks, classic folk tales, contextual material, multimedia resources, images, and maps that address holidays, festivals, language, stories and fairy tales, proverbs, foodways, and folk remedies that define our society and our place within it